The purpose of this historical survey was to trace the development of higher education in the former British West African nations of Gambia, Ghana, Nigeria, and Sierra Leone from its origin to the present. It attempted to provide information concerning the development of higher educational issues, goals, purposes, and political and cultural trends in these countries. A documentary method was used with government publications, education commission reports, and United Nations Educational, Social, and Cultural Organization documents as the primary sources of data. Additional sources included books, articles, and scholarly papers on the former British West African countries.
The study showed that higher education institutions in the former British West Africa generally have not been used effectively, because of their colonial heritage, to promote national integration and political stability. As British colonies, these countries were governed primarily through a system of indirect rule which, to an extent, inhibited or retarded the spread and development of higher education.
On their attainment of independence, the countries' political leaders undertook an expansion of higher education to correct educational imbalances and facilitate socioeconomic development in a quest for modernization. This expansion has met with a multitude of complex educational and administrative problems related to physical facilities, research, staffing, and classroom equipment. These problems are the result of the deficiencies of colonial education.
The traditional curricula remained unchanged throughout the colonial period and continue to affect the postindependence development of higher education in Gambia, Ghana, Nigeria, and Sierra Leone. As a result, higher education has failed to support the socioeconomic and technological changes necessary for the continued national development of these agriculturally based countries. It was suggested, therefore, that the present curricula offerings should be deemphasized in favor of curricula with greater emphasis on developing intermediate skills necessary to support upper level manpower in the areas of technical, commercial, agricultural, vocational, and home economics education.
