The legacies of the foremost patriots of African nationalism

Abstract

Following the official sanction for the colonization of Africa, given by the Berlin Conference, Western Nations such as Britain, France, Portugal and Spain scrambled for, and shared, African nations among themselves. Nigeria, for instance, was colonized by Britain. Then in the first half of the twentieth century, it took the bravery of some young Africans who had just returned from their overseas studies to oppose colonialism. They did this by initiating nationalist movements in the various colonized countries of Africa. With time, nationalism became a Pan-African project. Due to the vigorous fight put up by these men, all hitherto colonized African nations are today free from colonialism, albeit that many of them now face internal bondage, in some cases orchestrated by what has been described as neo-colonialism. This work is an exposition of the legacies of the men who dedicated their lives to the liberation of African nations. Some of them, through their works and activities, played major roles in winning independence for their nations. Part of the conclusion of this work is that those who leave legacies for their generation succeed in becoming perpetual contributors to posterity.