Table Of Contents
1. Roles Of Individuals
2. Roles of Groups In National Movement
Roles Of Individuals
Some individuals played outstanding nationalistic roles in Africa. Some of them are:
1. Dr. Nnamdi Azikiwe: Dr. Azikiwe was born at zungeru, in Niger State, on 1 6th November, 1904. Me was a frontline nationalist in the fight for Nigerian independence. He played active role in the establishment of political parties in Nigerian such as NYM and NCNC. He equally established newspapers like the West African Pilot.
Nnamdi Azikiwe contributed immensely to constitutional development in Nigeria. He became the 11th Governor General as Well as the ceremonial president of Nigeria between lst October, 1960 to 15th January, 1966.
He contested for presidency under the defunct Nigerian Peoples Party {NPP} in 1979 and 1983. He died on the 11 the of May, 1996.
2. Kwame Nkrumah {21st September 1909-27th April 1972}: Nkrumah was the leader of Ghana and its predecessor state, the Gold coast, from 1952 to 1956. He played active role in the nation’s independence from the British colonial rule in 1957.
He was the first president and the first president prime minister of Ghana. He was an influential 20th century advocate of pan- Africanism.
Nkrumah was a founding member of the organization of African unity and was the winner of the Lenin Peace prize in 1963. He invited women to participate in the political process at a time when women’s suffrage was new to Africa.
Nkrumah was imprisoned for his political activities in 1950. He died on the 27th April, 1972 at the age 62, in Bucharest, Romania.
3. Nelson Mandela: Was born on 18th July 1918 in Mvezo, South Adrian. He was active in South Africa politics and spoke against the Apartheid government in South Africa. This made the Apartheid government to imprison him in 1962 Mandela served 27 years in prison spending many of these years on Robben island.
Following his release on February 11, 1990, he led his party in the negotiations that led to a multiracial democracy in 1994. He eventually became the president of South Africa in 1994. He died in 2014.
Roles Of Groups In Nationalist Movement
1. The Nigerian Trade Union Congress was formed in 1943 and they protested the rise in the cost of living.
2. Political parties played significant roles by creating awareness giving people a platform to contest election.
3. The National Congress of British West Africa {NCBWA} made west African to take active part in politics and started pressing on the colonial masters for speedy reforms towards independence. It was formed in Accra, Ghana.
4. The West African Students’ Union {WASU}. This was organized by African Student in West Africa. It helped in stimulating racial consciousness among West Africans. WASU became a training ground for many future West African nationalist Leaders.
5. University Negro improvement Association founded by a Jamaican called Marcus Garvey in 1920. They taught Africans the slogan “Africa for Africans”
6. Pan Africanism Movement was a group that called on all blacks and people of African descent throughout the world to fight against racial discrimination and colonial rule.