Africa since independence

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Many African states inherited weak economies, limited industry, shortage of trained people, and borders that grouped together many tribes with different loyalties. After the colonial rulers left, old …

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Neo-colonialism means indirect control of African states by western powers through debt, markets, investment, and economic pressure rather than direct political rule. Many countries remained dependent…

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Ghana faced economic problems, failure of democracy, and several coups. Nkrumah tried rapid industrialization and major projects such as the Volta Dam, but cocoa dependence, debt, corruption, and his …

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Kwame Nkrumah was the first president of Ghana. He ruled from independence in 1957 until he was removed by an army coup in 1966. He was a strong supporter of pan-Africanism and also built a personalit…

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The Volta Dam project began in 1961. It was meant to provide irrigation water and hydro-electric power, support industry, and improve Ghana’s economy. It symbolized Nkrumah’s aim of modernizing the co…

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Nkrumah argued that opposition parties were too divided by tribal loyalties and could not build a strong nation quickly enough. He believed emergency and even totalitarian measures were needed after i…

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After the 1966 coup, Ghana returned briefly to constitutional politics. Dr Kofi Busia became prime minister in October 1969, but his government also struggled with inflation, debt, and tribal tensions…

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J. J. Rawlings was a 32-year-old charismatic air-force officer of mixed Ghanaian and Scottish parentage who seized power in June 1979. After a return to civilian rule, he seized power again in Decembe…