,APC2602 Assignment 1 (ALL 3 ESSAYS COMPLETE
ANSWERS) Semester 1 2025 - DUE March
Coloniality had a severe impact on Africa’s economic and political
development. Write an essay in which you discuss how and why the
1884-5 Berlin consensus and scramble and conquest of Africa resulted
in the dismemberment and fragmentation of Africa. In your essay select
an African state and explain its consequential political-economic
development trajectory caused by coloniality.
The Impact of the 1884-85 Berlin Conference on
Africa’s Political and Economic Development: A
Case Study of Nigeria
Introduction
Coloniality, the enduring impact of colonial rule on
formerly colonized societies, has profoundly shaped
Africa’s economic and political landscape. The 1884-
85 Berlin Conference, where European powers
divided Africa without African representation,
marked the beginning of the continent’s systematic
dismemberment and fragmentation. The arbitrary
borders drawn by European colonial powers
disregarded pre-existing ethnic, cultural, and
political structures, leading to long-term instability.
, The consequences of this colonial intervention are
evident in the political and economic trajectory of
African states, such as Nigeria, where colonial rule
disrupted indigenous governance systems, created
artificial national boundaries, and imposed
exploitative economic structures.
The Berlin Conference and the Scramble for Africa
The Berlin Conference, orchestrated by European
imperial powers, formalized the partitioning of
Africa to avoid conflicts among European nations.
The conference established the principle of
“effective occupation,” which meant that European
powers had to demonstrate direct control over a
territory to claim it. This led to the aggressive and
violent conquest of African societies, disregarding
their autonomy and governance systems.
The key consequences of the Berlin Conference
include:
1. Artificial Borders and Ethnic Fragmentation:
European colonialists divided Africa into
arbitrary territories, often splitting ethnic
ANSWERS) Semester 1 2025 - DUE March
Coloniality had a severe impact on Africa’s economic and political
development. Write an essay in which you discuss how and why the
1884-5 Berlin consensus and scramble and conquest of Africa resulted
in the dismemberment and fragmentation of Africa. In your essay select
an African state and explain its consequential political-economic
development trajectory caused by coloniality.
The Impact of the 1884-85 Berlin Conference on
Africa’s Political and Economic Development: A
Case Study of Nigeria
Introduction
Coloniality, the enduring impact of colonial rule on
formerly colonized societies, has profoundly shaped
Africa’s economic and political landscape. The 1884-
85 Berlin Conference, where European powers
divided Africa without African representation,
marked the beginning of the continent’s systematic
dismemberment and fragmentation. The arbitrary
borders drawn by European colonial powers
disregarded pre-existing ethnic, cultural, and
political structures, leading to long-term instability.
, The consequences of this colonial intervention are
evident in the political and economic trajectory of
African states, such as Nigeria, where colonial rule
disrupted indigenous governance systems, created
artificial national boundaries, and imposed
exploitative economic structures.
The Berlin Conference and the Scramble for Africa
The Berlin Conference, orchestrated by European
imperial powers, formalized the partitioning of
Africa to avoid conflicts among European nations.
The conference established the principle of
“effective occupation,” which meant that European
powers had to demonstrate direct control over a
territory to claim it. This led to the aggressive and
violent conquest of African societies, disregarding
their autonomy and governance systems.
The key consequences of the Berlin Conference
include:
1. Artificial Borders and Ethnic Fragmentation:
European colonialists divided Africa into
arbitrary territories, often splitting ethnic
