What better word portrays the act of the leaders of the country, Nigeria? Several studies on the theme of neocolonialism have been conducted. However, they are still examining the impact of neocolonialism on developing countries in Africa. Also, we shall discuss the negative effects of neocolonialism, the impact of neocolonialism in Africa, the effect of neocolonialism in politics, and the present status of African societies.

To understand how neocolonialism has affected the developing country of Africa, Nigeria, it will be imperative to understand the present status quo in Africa societies.

With that in mind, it is no news that Africa is a stricken and miserable society. It is also no secret that Africa is wallowing extremely well behind other developing nations in Asia and South America and definitely behind western civilization, the united state and Western Europe.

Neocolonialism in Africa Neocolonialism in Nigeria
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Neocolonialism

Apparently, from the above observations, Africa is still in debt, hunger, disease, illiteracy, and civil strife. To a very reasonable extent, many argue that the condition in Africa is, in fact, worse today than it was at the end of colonialism under the European nation in the 1960s and 1970s. Observing the living condition of the rapidly growing population, it is apparent that this is actually the case.

 Tracing the cause of the problem, Mard (1978) noted that today’s conditions in Africa were laid long ago by European through violence, slavery, and colonization.

It is worthy of note to mention that many African nationalists and critics of colonialism see the independence gain from the withdrawing colonial power as only partial liberation; some call it falls independence.

Africa nations are currently in a phase of neocolonialism, a new form of imperial rule stage-managed by the colonial power to give the colonies the illusion of freedom. Western power still controls the African nations whose rulers are willing puppets or involuntary subordinates.

With Nigeria, which is the case study of this article, since Britain dismantled its colonial administration in Nigeria on October 1, 1960, Nigeria is regarded throughout Africa as a classic case of a Neocolonialism state.

These attitudes are in some of the development of Nigeria before and after the country’s attainment of political independence.

One of the first moves in a conscious effort to prepare Nigeria for eventual independence was the introduction of a new constitution. The Richard constitution of 1945, a constitution named in honor of its proponent, Sir Arthur Richards, then the Governor of Nigeria.

The essence of neocolonialism is that the state which is subjected to it is, in theory, independent and has all the outward trappings of international sovereignty. But, in reality, its economic and political policy is directed from the outside.

Nkrumah argues that neocolonialism was conceived to remedy a potentially dangerous situation that confronted the rich capitalist Western Europe after war world 1. Before the war, the ‘great guff between the few rich and the many poor in the capitalist country of Europe has forced some alliances between colonial subjects and workers in the capitalist centers. (Nkrumah 1965).

The Effects of Neocolonialism in Africa

  1. It leads to death because of the cooperation of Neocolonialism in the LDC like importing expired drugs civil war etc where developed countries sell weapons to the fighting of summation.
  2. It leads to the perpetuation of economic exploitation of the LDC’s (Least Development) by an enormous power that usually exploits resources for their benefit by using their back door; hence, LDCs stagnate economically.
  3. It leads to economic dependence and problems due to export and import economy, harsh economic condition part by developing countries to the LDCs and control of the world market in wish the prices of agricultural materials from LDCs keep on changing due to price inflation.
  4. It perpetuates cultural imperialism/imposition of western culture in LDCs whereby people of the LDCs adopt follow, respect, and obey the culture of Europeans such as dressing style, marriage, eating style, and neglecting their own culture.

Impact of Colonialism and Post Colonialism in Nigeria

  1. The Political Impact
  2. The Social Impact

The British colonial authority invests in agriculture to produce certain crops such as coffee, cotton, cocoa, rubber, groundnut, hide, and skin. With the production of these crops, new cash crops were introduced so that the inhabitant will no longer rely on food crops but also exploit crops. The effect of colonialism also established industries and commercial ventures to exploit and extract raw materials from Nigeria.

1. Political Impact

It is worthy to note that the indirect rule by the European helps to groom the traditional rulers through their participation in the administration of their respective society, which eventually helps prepare self-rule. More so, the training received from the colonial master by the ex-servicemen helps to prepare self-rule.

2. Social Impact

Socially, the colonial masters alongside the Christian missionaries brought education to Nigeria in 1842. The curriculum of alien education was based on three (3) things: reading, writing, and arithmetic. Thus, education brought by the colonial master brought together Nigeria of different backgrounds and cultures.

It also brought the English language as an official language in Nigeria to communicate among various ethnic groups with different cultures. This brought mutual understanding towards nation-building.