WAEC Government 2013 Theory — Question 8

Model answer

The Brazzaville Conference of 1944 was a meeting of prominent French leaders held in January 1944, at Brazzaville, the then capital of the French Equatorial Africa. The Conference was important to the constitutional development of French West Africa because certain political, social and economic reforms were recommended by the conference which signalled the decolonization of French West Africa. The following are the reasons why the Conference is important to the constitutional development of French West Africa: I. The Brazzaville Conference recommended that semi-autonomous legislative assemblies be established in all French colonies. The establishment of legislative assemblies made it possible for Africans in the colonies to contribute to the making of laws of their area. II. It was also agreed at the conference that all Africans living in French colonies would have equal rights with French citizens in France. This agreement put an end to the discrimination suffered by Africans who were not regarded as French citizens. III. The Brazzaville Conference was important to the constitutional development of French West Africa because it granted Africans the right to vote for representatives into the French parliament. Africans can also contest for a seat into the French parliament in Paris. IV. At the Conference, it was recommended that Africans should be employed into the public and civil service of the colonies they reside.