(a) Outline three activities of the National Congress of British West Africa (NCBWA).
(b) State three effects of the activities highlighted in (a) above.
Explanation
(a) Activities of the National Congress of British West African included:
(i) It tried to unite the four British West African colonies of Nigeria, Gold Coast, Sierra Leone and The Gambia by holding meetings.
(ii) The Congress under the leadership of J.E. Caseley Hayford, a Gold Coast lawyer, mobilized educated elite in the four British colonies,
(iii) At a meeting held in Accra in 1920, the Congress sent a delegation to London to present certain demands.
(iv) The Congress identified shortcomings, objectionable practices and policies of colonial administration in British West African colonies.
(v) The congress introduced radical approach to the nationalist activities in British WestAfrica e.g. holding international meetings, petitions to the colonial government and demand for elective principle.
(vi) The congress enlightened the people of West Africa through its meetings and publications.
(b) Effects were:
(i) Introduction of elective principles in Nigeria 1922, Sierra Leone 1924, The Gold Coast, 1925.
(ii) Higher educational institutions were established in Nigeria and the Gold Coast and Sierra Leone e.g. Fourah Bay College. Yaba College, Achimota College.
(iii) Africans were elected into the Legislative Council
(iv) The activities unified 1: the nationalists in British West African towards fighting a common cause.
(v) Introduction of elective principle it some British West African countries was followed by the springing up of political parties, e.g. NNDP in Nigeria and NCSL of Sierra Leone.
(vi) The awareness created by the NCBWA led to the development of news papers in British West Africa, e.g. Daily News of 1925 in Nigeria and the Morning Star of The Gold Coast.
(vii) The congress did not 1 get the co-operation of West African traditional rulers who considered the body as a rival group that intended td usurp their powers.
(viii) The colonial governors used divide and rule tactics on the members of the Congress which eventually led to its demise.
(ix) It brought about policy changes, e.g. abolition of Nigeria Council.
