Struggles of Neo-Colonialism in Post-Colonial Africa

Introduction

This piece was written by Kwame Nkrumah in 1965. Nkrumah was a pan-African thinker. This piece came out eight years after Ghana gained independence from Great Britain. Nkrumah was still the president of the newly independent Ghana so he was still trying to establish the post colonial identity of Ghana.

During this period many newly sovereign nations were struggling with nation building. One of the main catalysts for this struggle was the idea of Neo-Colonialism. Neo-Colonialism is the idea that a foreign power indirectly controls a territory or its people, usually through financial means. Nkrumah himself struggled against the Neo-colonialist idea when he was trying to establish Ghana as a country. As many African nations were in the process of developing their identities separate from colonial powers, I believe this piece was created as a warning to educated African people. Moreover I think this was written addressing the leaders of other African nations. As Nkrumah had recognized Neo-Colonialist tendencies I think he did not want these African leaders to make the mistake of falling into this system. As a Pan-Africanist Nkrumah was very worried about the state of Africa as a whole so it makes sense that he was wanting to inform other African leaders of this potential danger. However, while this document was primarily written as a way to spread knowledge of this threat I think Nkrumah was also trying to seemingly call out those that were engaging in Neo-colonialism. 

Source: Introduction to Neo-Colonialism, the Last Stage of Imperialism 1965

THE neo-colonialism of today represents imperialism in its final and perhaps its most dangerous stage. In the past it was possible to convert a country upon which a neo-colonial regime had been imposed — Egypt in the nineteenth century is an example — into a colonial territory. Today this process is no longer feasible. Old-fashioned colonialism is by no means entirely abolished. It still constitutes an African problem, but it is everywhere on the retreat. Once a territory has become nominally independent it is no longer possible, as it was in the last century, to reverse the process. Existing colonies may linger on, but no new colonies will be created. In place of colonialism as the main instrument of imperialism we have today neo-colonialism.

The essence of neo-colonialism is that the State which is subject to it is, in theory, independent and has all the outward trappings of international sovereignty. In reality its economic system and thus its political policy is directed from outside.

The methods and form of this direction can take various shapes. For example, in an extreme case the troops of the imperial power may garrison the territory of the neo-colonial State and control the government of it. More often, however, neo-colonialist control is exercised through economic or monetary means. The neo-colonial State may be obliged to take the manufactured products of the imperialist power to the exclusion of competing products from elsewhere. Control over government policy in the neo-colonial State may be secured by payments towards the cost of running the State, by the provision of civil servants in positions where they can dictate policy, and by monetary control over foreign exchange through the imposition of a banking system controlled by the imperial power.

Where neo-colonialism exists the power exercising control is often the State which formerly ruled the territory in question, but this is not necessarily so. For example, in the case of South Vietnam the former imperial power was France, but neo-colonial control of the State has now gone to the United States. It is possible that neo-colonial control may be exercised by a consortium of financial interests which are not specifically identifiable with any particular State. The control of the Congo by great international financial concerns is a case in point.

The result of neo-colonialism is that foreign capital is used for the exploitation rather than for the development of the less developed parts of the world. Investment under neo-colonialism increases rather than decreases the gap between the rich and the poor countries of the world.

The struggle against neo-colonialism is not aimed at excluding the capital of the developed world from operating in less developed countries. It is aimed at preventing the financial power of the developed countries being used in such a way as to impoverish the less developed.

Analysis

This excerpt from Kwame Nkrumah’s book Neo-Colonialism, the Last Stage of Imperialism exemplifies one of the main issues that African nations faced while they were developing their states. Nkrumah discusses neo-colonialism as a state who’s “economic system and thus its political policy is directed from outside.” As a pan-Africanist Nkrumah was very worried about Africa as a whole. He saw the success of all African nations as the only way for individual nations to move forward.

Reading this source in reference to the idea of the gatekeeper state put forth by Fredrick Cooper we can see Nkrumah seemingly trying to warn nations of the potential of the gatekeeper state. Nkrumah states that “Investment under neo-colonialism increases rather than decreases the gap between the rich and the poor countries of the world.” This investment results in a destructive cycle where developing countries are forced into a no gain situation continuing to keep these nations in a situation that they can not move forward in. However while I agree with the points put forth by Nkrumah I find it interesting that he decided to write this the same year he finished the Akosombo Dam project. While this project was done in the hopes of promoting Ghana’s future as an independent country it was a prime example of Neo-colonialism. This project was funded via foreign loans by colonial powers. Furthermore a lot of the power created by this project went towards aluminum smelting for foreign companies rather than processing Ghanaian materials. I believe that Nkrumah still pushed this project forward as he believed “The struggle against neo-colonialism is not aimed at excluding the capital of the developed world from operating in less developed countries,” and I imagine he saw this development as a way to move forward with the construction of prosperous Ghana. However this example shows the difficulty of navigating neo-colonialism. Nkrumah who was aware and actively trying to avoid falling into the traps of neo-colonialism still fell victim as he was attempting to better his state.

Cooper, Frederick. Africa since 1940: The Past of the Present. Second edition. New Approaches to African History 13. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2019.

Nkrumah, Kwame. Neo-Colonialism: The Last Stage of Imperialism. Reprinted. London: Panaf, 2004.