06 - Pre-Colonial and Post-Colonial Institutions and Organizations p.2

Q: What major shift occurred in Africa by 1960?

A wave of African countries gained independence but inherited colonial institutions designed for extraction, not local governance.

Q: Why are post colonial institutions still challenging for African states?

They were built for European interests, not African development, creating a double burden of nation building and state building.

Q: How did colonial borders affect post colonial Africa?

They restricted movement, divided ethnic groups, and created multi ethnic states prone to political fragmentation.

Q: Why is Nigeria politically significant today?

It has ~230 million people and the largest market in Africa.

Q: What is a key problem with Africa’s current map?

It reflects colonial resource extraction priorities rather than African connectivity or development needs.

Q: How did colonial legal systems persist after independence?

Many countries retained colonizer legal frameworks (e.g., French burden of proof), shaping post colonial justice systems.

Q: What caused ethnic tensions in Rwanda and Nigeria?

Colonial policies that privileged certain groups and manipulated population distribution for political control.

Q: What were “White Elephant” projects?

Failed nationalized industries created after independence due to poor planning and reliance on colonial trained personnel.

Q: What defines authoritarianism in post colonial Africa?

Concentrated power, dismantled democratic institutions, and reliance on military/police control.

Q: Why did Western powers view some African governments as enemies?

They did not align with Western governance models, despite achieving local successes.

Q: What is political fragmentation?

Multi ethnic states divided by colonial borders, leading to alliances, conflicts, and instability.

Q: What role did the military play in post colonial politics?

Frequent coups, claims of stabilizing governance, and sometimes more repression than civilian governments.

Q: What economic legacy did colonialism leave?

Export dependent economies, weak industrial bases, and reliance on foreign aid and loans.

Q: What challenges exist in African agriculture today?

Rain fed farming, limited irrigation, and dependence on long cultivated crops.

Q: What are key uses of livestock in African societies?

Wealth, dowries, sacrifices, funerals, savings, and commercial purposes.

Q: What diseases commonly affect livestock?

Rinderpest, anthrax, blackleg, rabies, fowl pox, clostridia, trypanosomiasis.

Q: What role do hunting, gathering, and fishing still play?

They remain vital for some groups like the !Kung and forest communities.

Q: What minerals drive African economies?

Gold, copper, diamonds, bauxite, iron, oil, and gas.

Q: What is the resource curse?

Exploitation by multinational corporations causing environmental damage, displacement, and labor abuses.

Q: What environmental impacts come from extraction?

Deforestation, water pollution, unsafe working conditions, and child labor.

Q: What is the MDG framework?

Eight global development goals set for 2015 to reduce poverty, improve health, and promote sustainability.

Q: Which MDGs saw major progress in Africa?

Reduced infant mortality; other goals saw limited improvement.

Q: What cultural institutions emerged post colonially?

National museums, FESPACO (Burkina Faso), Dakar Biennale (Senegal).

Q: What educational institutions expanded?

AIMS (African Institute for Mathematical Sciences), ILRI (International Livestock Research Institute).

Q: What do Community Based Organizations (CBOs) do?

Improve local health, education, and development; e.g., African Women’s Development Fund.

Q: Why is malaria so prevalent in Africa?

Climate, mosquito ecology, and limited healthcare infrastructure.

Q: What impact did HIV/AIDS have?

Millions of deaths, social disruption, and large scale prevention/treatment programs like PEPFAR.

Q: What did the Ebola crisis reveal?

Weak health systems and the need for regional cooperation like Africa CDC.

Q: What challenges did COVID 19 pose?

Limited medical resources, economic fragility, and difficulty accessing vaccines.

Q: What causes cholera outbreaks?

Contaminated water, poor sanitation, and rapid dehydration leading to death.

Q: What global partnerships support African health?

WHO, UNICEF, UNDP, and international supply chains.

Q: What innovations strengthen African health systems?

New clinics, upgraded equipment, mHealth technologies, and improved supply chains.

Q: What is a key reflection question from this lecture?

How colonial economic systems shaped post colonial dependency and development challenges.