NECO Government 2024 Theory — Question 7

Model answer

i. Economic exploitation: The French colonial administration prioritized extracting raw materials and exploiting local labour, which led to severe economic disadvantages for the colonies, including poverty and underdevelopment. ii. Land alienation: Large tracts of land were seized from indigenous peoples and allocated to French settlers and companies, disrupting traditional land ownership and farming practices. iii. Forced labour: The colonial regime imposed compulsory labour policies, compelling locals to work on infrastructure projects and plantations under harsh and inhumane conditions. iv. Cultural assimilation: French colonial policies aimed at assimilating West Africans into French culture, eroding indigenous cultural identities and practices. v. Political centralization: The colonies were governed from a central authority in France, leaving little room for local political autonomy and participation. (Also acceptable: inequitable education, resistance and unrest, undermining of traditional governance structures, environmental degradation, disruption of social structure, gendered impact, uneven development and regional disparities, undermining of indigenous knowledge, undermined self-reliance, social stratification, psychological trauma.)