Introduction

Colonialism is the direct and general supremacy of one nation by another on the foundation of the
situation of control being in the possession of overseas supremacy, for instance, the direct and overall
control of Nigeria by Britain in 1950s. The colonized nations were majorly Africans because of the
manner in which they existed and acted. Therefore the colonizers used the justification of them not
being enlightened and sacred. The colonial chief’s goal was to exploit the African nations. The first aim
of colonialism includes political control. Its second goal is to make it probable for the manipulation of
the colonized nation. The introduction of colonialism in various countries changed their history forever.
African and Asians ways of thinking, designs and cultural alterations, and manner of living were
negatively affected by the variation in the political, economic and social systems generated by
colonialism.

Economic impact of colonization

The African economy were substantially altered by the Atlantic slave trade via the procedure of
imperialism and the economic principles that involved colonization. Before the authorized partition in
Africa by the Key European countries, African economies were progressing in each zones, specifically in
the field of trade. The goal of the colonization was to exploit economic, physical and human resources of
a region to profit the colonizing states. European authorities commenced this aim by motivating the
growth of the commodity related trading arrangements, agriculture products, and by creating a trade
system connecting the complete economic production of an area to the requirements of the colonizing
nations. The advancement of colonialism by the European colonial authorities arrested the natural
growth of the African economic systems.

The economic aims of imperialism were simple: to offer the supreme economic advantage to the
colonizing supremacy at the lowest probable amount. As the impacts of Berlin Seminar that create the
‘guidelines' of the partition strategy became evident, those regions of Africa that had earlier been
advancing personal substantial trade and markets were confined under the governance of European
economic rules. To the French, British, and Germans, the major colonizing countries, the personal
necessities of their colonial matters were not essential. As an alternative, the need to vertically
assimilate the colonies of Europe by regulating production from the beginning to the end become the
dominant objective of colonial representatives.

As Europe was quickly progressing, it required the raw products that African nations had to provide.
Before the partition, The European nations had to deal with with changing attitudes of African
administration that, although reliant on global trade, still practiced momentous regulation over their
economic advancement. These particular countries could produce goods they wanted, some for which
were sold in other countries and others for internal use. Colonialism obligated these countries to yield
goods exclusively for export trade, hence maintaining low prices for their European buyers. One good
example of agricultural produce that stands out in the records of colonial times is cotton. The concept
that West African maybe be a source of raw cotton was one that emerged initially and continued late.

The persistence of European nations on the production of particular products was made to the
marginalization of the realism of the crop or the outcome on the native economy. In Tanganyika, for
instance, the colonial nations moved effort from food production and tried to make an additional labor
concentrated, non-food cash crop, which was cotton. The colonial states also supported the production
of insignificant crops like sesame and peanuts while decreasing essential food staples like sorghum and
millet. This resulted in insufficiency of the food reserves and consequently, enduring malnourishment
and starvation. More so, it has been claimed that European development forced the foreign economies
to create supplies that are important solely to the business economy.

Colonialism was not exclusively meant for economic suppression, but about the capacity to gain
authority of the indigenous economy from African leaders. Developing the production processes or
reinforcing the economy was not fundamental. The British government competed against the overall
expansion of palm oil estates in Nigeria, notwithstanding the fact that the assortment procedure of
production was extravagant and created a poor value of oil. Colonial authorities introduced trade rules
that restricted trades to similar markets. This decreased the autonomy of choice in marketing products
that were initially present to goods producers. Denying them this authority under the excuse of colonial
improvement made traditional leaders feebler since their supremacy base was ruined. As Africans were
not authorized to develop their procedures or to promote their goods liberally, they were involuntary
shifted into the colonial scheme.

When Africans insisted on the advancement of some crops, Europeans demoralized the prevailing
economic supremacy arrangement and forced Africa nations to be completely dependent upon Europe
for their economic fate. Compelled by external forces, the indigenous agriculturalist was no longer
capable of choosing for himself what crops to produce or what assets to improve. As a substitute, the
choice was created for him in a prearranged market.

One of the significant essential explanations for such strict economic policies was the yearning for
colonies to be self-sufficient. Even though formerly European states took much concern in Africa, they
believed that the primary role of the colonial administrations was to preserve law and instruction at the
lowest imaginable charge. Economic growth and education were deemed irrelevant and were mandated
to the private segment. Intended to develop the mother nation, colonies were anticipated to foot the
bill for their interior growth and governance. Paradoxically, the bill for colonialism was enclosed in the
same manner the West African countries had often paid for administration via the taxation of trade.
Dissimilar to its precursors though, the taxing authorities were international influences who had no
genuine concern in providing the necessities of local inhabitants. Taxing the overseas trade and severely
controlling the economy compensated for any overheads for expansion is continuing following the
cessation of colonialism and its impacts are still encountered today.

Identical to the slave trade, Africans were uneven associates in the field of global trade and money
matters. Economic notion commands that the creation of cash crops for foreign use perpetually
improves the manufacturer as well by using the surplus capabilities. Under the majestic European
imperialism, nonetheless, these advantages were exhausted off by international regimes, and the
financial welfare of Africa became delicate to the escalation and reduction of the demand for these
major goods and the movement of manufacturing costs, over which Africa nations did not have control.

The distinct subjects of the multiple foreign territories did enjoy some improvements in fortune, the
standard of living and revenue, which was nothing equivalent to the assets they established. Africa was
a primary exporter of its riches for the duration of this era. Colonial administrations concentrated
exclusively on the export element of the economy and upgraded the infrastructure, although their focus
was solely to enhance the transfer of raw products to the market and not to develop or improve the
colonies themselves. The transport system that was created was no aimed at connecting multiple
municipalities and countryside regions for reasons of effective communication and advancement.
Transport mediums constructed were mainly rails and ocean ports. Colonizers did not put much
concern in creating a structured road system that would assist enhance the well-being of African
populations and their collaboration with others in varied sections of the regions. This led to the most of

rail and road structures in Colonial Africa to be focused on near the coast. There was less or totally no
construction of roads and railways that happened among colonies or inside the territories of colonies
the disjointed, distorted and disarticulated transport arrangement made by colonialists did not permit
for adequate horticultural and economic incorporation within the various parts of African reserves and
regions. There was hence lack of economic development and cooperation in the African nations in the
era of colonization.

The colonialist gave small salaries to Africans working in their colonial farms. The provision of laws
wages this population was deemed by the colonialists as a mode of persuading many slaves to make
their services available in their industries and farms. For instance if a man was a laborer for the
colonialist and had a wife and children, what he obtained as remuneration could not maintain him and
his family together with the relatives. The undesirable results of the low wages given to African man
were that his, relative, wife, and children would be fascinated to join the labor force to raise enough
wages for their survival. This was to the benefit of the colonialists since more of the workforce was
made accessible for utilization in agricultural estates and manufacturing schemes. If the men were well
compensated, there would be no demand for his family to be part of the laborers. Rather they would
have put their efforts in his plantation or involved in commerce. The low-income compensation was as
effective as other methods applied by the colonists to preserve adequate domination, administration,
and control of the African nations.

The consequence of colonialism influenced colonies in other modes as well. As economic guidelines
were implemented to maintain low costs, in times of colonialism, farming became progressively
commercialized, offering an opportunity of escape for various men of the servile and inexpensive work
force in food production and added the charge of land to the price of production. Therefore, colonialism
encouraged the increase of massive landless group of workers who moved from one region to another
in pursuit of employment. More so, colonialism altered configurations of jobs and gender
responsibilities. The need for cash crop economy pushed various women and teenagers into the
production scheme who performed strenuous work in agricultural initiatives that considerably benefited
multiple owners. Colonialism and it monetary requirements permanently changed the social
arrangement of various African communities and prepared the platform for later complications in
African monetary expansion.

Also the imperialist made the money too challenging for Africans to acquire. They achieved this by prices
of raw products and horticultural produce produced by colonies to be of low-cost. The colonialists
manipulated the prices of commodities processed by them to be extremely great so that African
populations would use all the money they have worked for multiple years to buy a few of the foreign
commodities. The consequence of this is that the victims continued to work extremely hard and being
available ready to work for the settlers to enjoy some of the international manufactured products they
received. The outcome was that, as Africans remained poorer, the settlers earnings continued to grow.
Since the coinage utilized in the colonial governments was regulated by the colonialists, they
determined the trait and behavior of development of the African economy and political management
Social impacts of colonialism

In Latin American colonies, few populations of colonizers resulted in inadequate social growth in regions
of education and medical care. Nations with approximately 25 percent of the settler population seem to
have more significant income disparities than the ones with higher or smaller percentages. The focus of
land possession was higher in areas where agricultural communities were colonized than regions with
large population masses and more complicated horticultural skills. In various colonies, economic
concentration advanced along racial lines with the fresh segments being owned by a new arrival. The
British Brooke regime established strong ethnic specialization where cultural Chinese were merchants
and cash crop agriculturists, Iban were warriors and policemen as other native teams in the center of
the island stayed mainly outside the range of the government program. The Administration usually
preferred the union of smaller crowds into one of the superior classes, usually along spiritual cleavages.
This rule encouraged the creation of a character among the several distinguishing and frequently
competing cultural groups. Hence via colonial guidelines of ethnoracial discernment and mistreatment,
British settlers resulted to the long-lasting ethnoracial divergence majorly by limiting big groups from
having the capacity to involve in industrious economic prospects.

Additionally, various writers view the investment in the education sector as the most beneficial effect of
colonialism. This assertion can be considered to be correct, but if exposed to criticism, it will show the
bareness of colonial training that is partly accountable for the current African underdevelopment.
International education was not built based on African philosophy and hence could not nurture any
significant improvement within the African setting since it had no biological connection. Moreover,
colonial education was fundamentally fictional; it lacked scientific foundation and thus opposing to real
or industrial growth. The unreliable technological basis of many current African nations that have been
liable for their underdevelopment arises from the poor base set by the colonialists.Education during the
era of colonization was not mainly aimed at enhancing the capabilities of native people or to pave the
way for European colleges but to train artisans, clerks, inspectors, and interpreters who may assist them
in the misuse of Africa's rich properties. Colonial did not have the intention of mechanization of African
zones or encouraging technological expansion within the African surroundings. These educators led to
alteration and displacement in African ethnic design of education that was ingrained in African
expertise.

Before totally accepting the colonial knowledge, Africans were better innovators, progressing at their
paces with the assets that were available in the environment. For instance, Africans were perfect
carvers, miners, sculptors, blacksmiths, and cloth weavers. They could offer and meet the technological
requirements of the multiple African cultures. The establishment of colonial teaching forced Africans to
leave their indigenous technological abilities and to learn in preference to one that majorly insists on
reading and writing. This was the introduction for the existing poor industrial basis of African countries
that have prolonged their underdevelopment. As we understand, the education that is not extremely
embedded in individuals’ beliefs and their surrounding cannot lead to significant technological
development. An example in Egypt, the colonizers tried to restrain the Westernized training institutions
to the teaching of the future political servants. Some researchers suggest that colonial educational
institutions were aimed at misusing, construction of psychological confusion, and expansion of
underdeveloped.
Colonialism also leads to dislocation in the supply of social facilities and the urbanization designs in
Africa. Most of the few social amenities offered in the times of colonization were focused at a particular
region. This made many people to move from countryside regions where these facilities were practically
non-extent to colonial municipal areas where they could get. The negative outcome of this, was the
tussle and the over-use of this services and the associated congestion of the towns and the issues of
urbanization. The resultant complications of displacement of delivery of services and urbanization
constitutes, poor hygienic situations, social vice, rural urban settlements, spread of epidemic illnesses,
ethnic and racial issues. The governance of the above issues brought about by colonial distortion and
disarticulation of social facilities and development on African states has remained a critical significant
problem threatening African countries today.

Political impacts of colonialism

Colonialisms encouraged corruption and racial discrimination in the political domain. The employment
into civil service emulated strategies of colonialist giving allied individuals fortunate access to education
and hence the government, other groups were discriminated, ignored and punished for being disorderly
as others stayed outside the scope of the administration guidelines. In British Ceylon, individuals who
had a portion of European lineage were overrepresented in the political arena. In Laos, the French chose
to recruit Vietnamese in the civil service hence supporting older racial hatred. Enlightened slaves had an
excellent occupation in individual African nations, like Benin, Gambia, and Sierra Leone, where they
gradually obtained prominence in trade, religious and educational organizations implemented by the
British and securing positions in the government as well. Therefore colonial rules established or
stimulated occupational specializations based on ethnic or religious backgrounds, specifically by
providing concession to members of some groups more regularly than others. This is a situation that is
seen in many African countries where particular ethnic groups have positions in the government than
others. Such countries include Gambia and Sierra-Leone.

Politically, the borders were enacted upon African countries without taking into consideration the
backgrounds and dynamics among the people affected. Ethno-linguistic teams who shared the same
traditional and ancient circumstances were divided. The Kongo populations, for example, originated
under the policy of three distinct colonial authorities; Belgium in the Democratic Republic of Congo
Portugal in Angola and France in the Republic of Congo. The different legitimate and societal structures
of the European colonialist frequently did not address the requirements, traditions, and practices of the
controlled people.

Another significant negative influence of colonialism in Africa was the rise and the formation of ranks in
the political, social, and economic domain in the individual's lives. Foreign nations encouraged a vivid
occurrence and advancement of divisions in colonies. These ranks comprise of the petty bourgeoisie,
peasant, comprador bourgeoisie. The petty bourgeoisie was used by colonialists to misuse and drain off
the economy of African states. Peace existed between the European and African petty bourgeoisie, and
this is the justification why they were offered leadership opportunities in the government. The African
petty bourgeoisie preserved the similar association with the colonial leaders, and this indicated why
they rule the federal government of their nations in the same way as the foreign masters did.

This emergence of classes was a disadvantage to other people because the African leaders exploited the
peasants by overworking them, leading to conflicts. The extensive and challenging nature of
governmental variability and socio-economic dissatisfaction that is being encountered presently in
various African countries has its routes traced back to the habit and character of divisions established in
Africa by colonial masters. The manner of legislative power complexities and allocation of resources in
the contemporary African countries are a replication of the appreciative and agreement of interests
among African petty bourgeoisie and foreign associates. The adverse insolvency of various Africans by
their rulers and exclusion as well as the domination of the ordinary people by those who have right of
entry to national power or they have positions in the government are an offshoot of colonialism in
African countries.

Evidence of colonialism in the present world

The undesirable impacts of colonialism are still evident today. The current political regimes of the
various nations are the direct replication of colonial governments. Colonialism immensely affected the
politics of the African continent by substituting original organizations by strange management. African
nations have assumed the colonialists’ federal system that stimulates cultural and dictatorial based
political principles.

The African leaders are recognized as extremely corrupt people. This is a situation that can be clearly
related to the heritage of colonialism. It is well known that corruption is the key contributing component
for poverty that later results to corruption establishing a malicious cycle. This condition is evident in
Africa and is linked to the harmful impacts of colonialism. In multiple African nations, rulers enjoy
political authorities as a way of collecting wealth. The country possesses an influential significance for
fortune of some leaders. Therefore, the selfish, rent-seeking and greedy habit of contemporary African
leaders can be associated with the actions of the colonizers.

The continuing strains in Cameroon are an instance of the legacy left behind by colonizers. The
populations in the Southwest and northwest (Francophone and Anglophones) of the nation are
ethnically related, although they were separated during colonialism. This splitting is demonstrating to be
a foundation of a close fight today. The effects of this division are still evident today, particularly in
opinion of cumulative inequality.

Currently, African nations have relations to the previous colonial influences that tend to be more
substantial than the connections to neighboring states. The Afro-French, Congo-Belgium, and
commonwealth corporations are still in existence. After the end of colonization, various African
countries retained the economic relationships that were created by European colonists. They have
remained to be commodity exporting nations that buy processed products from foreign nations, majorly
from Europe and progressively from Asia. The absence of diversification and specialization makes them
prone to volatile product prices and reliant on aid, including the partnership agreement with the past
colonial authorities.

Conclusion

The aim for attainment of colonies by the foreign nations comprises the need for raw agricultural
products, the exploration for new trading field for the urban industries where they would sell their
processed commodities; the goal of offering enough food for the developing metropolitan industrial
population and the objective of finding a location where the surplus accrued monetary benefits from
industrial revolution could be capitalized to generate more money.
Colonialism established dual economic system in the African nations. It also resulted in the displacement
of African markets, transport, education, trade, and currency organizations. The colonialism made
African countries to be reliant by establishing a monocultural system for the regions. It also brutalized
African workforce and dealers. It mandated Africans to work for settler's farms at insignificant salaries or
wages and dislocated them from their personal properties. Correspondingly, the commerce of African
merchants or brokers were taken by colonialist who then governed the process.

It also had a distressing influence on the victim countries. It is accountable for the current conditions
described by Walter Rodney in his manuscript "How Europe underdeveloped Africa." It is also more
clearly expressed by Chinweizu "The West and The Rest of us." Colonialism created a separation
between the main and the periphery countries. The periphery nations involved in the creation of raw
materials worked as laborers and were exploited by the colonists. African governments are an example
of periphery states.

Colonialism did no permit for development of the African economy. It allotted Africa the duty of
production of raw products in the global division of labor and inspired increased class struggle, ethnicity,
and tribalism among the African states. These were approaches put in place by the colonialists with aims
of extending or persisting their policies and power of the colonies. An instance is the British
international guideline of ‘Divide and Rule' that occurred in Nigeria. More so, colonialism shaped both
the economic and political systems of African regions to be inconsistent with the requirements of the
city. It guaranteed that African civil and commercial arrangements both in practice and content meet
the concerns of their local government. Hence, colonialism, in all targets and devotions was damage to
the colonies

The image of post-colonial nations is very discouraging. Therefore countries who are victims of colonial
oppression must wake up to deal with the challenges and implement appropriate solutions to defeat
problems left by imperialist nations. They should hence reorganize their present economic, political, and
social structures by creating and enhancing institutions, policies, and principles that match the specific
conditions. Instead of depending to a wide range of technical and fiscal help from previous foreign
authorities and global monetary organizations, African governments should put much attention on
appropriate nation-building as well as local collaboration and mutual determinations aimed at economic
modification and self-sufficiency