ASSESS THE IMPACT OF MODERN TRANSPORT SYSTEM TO THE DEVELOPMENT OF AFRICA

ASSESS THE IMPACT OF MODERN TRANSPORT SYSTEM TO THE DEVELOPMENT OF AFRICA.

Background to the question
For the Europeans to have meaning full exploitation of Africa railways, roads and ports were a preliquisite for development, faster movement of heavy machinery to mining areas as well as accessing agricultural areas e.g. a railway line from Kano through Ibadan to Lagos in 1901, then that from Kadina in 1916 through Makurdi in 1920 to Enugu and finally to port Harcourt, that from Kankan in 1910 to Conakry in Northern Sierra Leone.
Even roads like that from Baro in Nigeria to Kankan around from Tema to Ouagadougou. Then ports to cope with the increased exports from the interior such ports included port Dakar, Lagos, Tokoradiin, Monrovia, Abidjan, Lome and Accra.
The question requires the candidates to explain critically the impact of modem transport system to the development of Africa.
I. It opened up cultivation of cash crops such as coffee, cotton, tea, ground nuts. In Senegal therefore there was increased exploitation.
2. It stimulated and increased production which increased exploitation of African resources both physical and human through forced labour.
3. It boosted mineral production and exploitation in underdeveloped Africa i.e. In West, Africa in Ghana gold export increased from 22000 pounds in 1901 to 1 million in 1911.
4.It also open up the forest region for timber, rubber and cocoa exploitation this tremendously increased in Ghana, Ivory Coast which resulted in to deforestation of the area causing deserts.
5. Transport costs were greatly reduced it was faster and more reliable into the interior for perfection; exploitation and displacement of interior tribes becoming landless.
6. It created unemployment as movement from one place to another was eased, this caused rural urban migration and depopulating of rural area
7. It led to effective occupation of Africa by the Europeans due to the influx of Europeans in Africa partly due to increased economic activities.
8. There was urbanization with all its consequences that is constructive and destructive effects i.e. prostitution, overcrowding etc.
9. It made the abolition of slave trade so easy with its brutal system introducing exploiting legitimate trade.
10. Social services increased but some were accidental. They built schools but the education was a paper tiger policy i.e. not practical but theoretical.
11. African economies were made self reliant as crops could easily be transported.
12. It increased European influx in the interior with all the evils associated with them i.e. forced labour, erosion of African culture, land alienation.
13. It increased migrant labour i.e. from Mali to Ivory Coast, northern Uganda to central Rwanda, Burundi, Uganda, Mozambique, Zimbabwe to South Africa etc.
14. It created regional imbalances which have persisted to date like some areas developed while other pre under developed i.e. central Uganda and Karamoja.
15. Dependence cycle was created as Africans depended on European goods brought by modern transport.
16. As there was introduction of superior European goods in different points of Africa. It affected local industries in Africa i.e. back cloth, black smith declined or collapsed.
17. As modem transport system facilitated security in the region. It equally undermined African nationalism as different African nationalists’ uprisings were surprised.
18. It accelerated racial segregation especially in Kenya There was undermining of African culture as African languages were replaced by English/Swahili languages.
19. Due to influx of European urbanization new diseases such as Jiggers, East coast fever, anthrax imaged in Africa.