Higher Education In British West Africa

Higher education in British West Africa had gone through several stages of development for almost one hundred years. From being dominated by the missionaries to the transplanted patterns of British civic universities, higher education in this area underwent dramatic development, but it was not adapted to the situation of West Africa. The thesis describes the development of higher education in British West Africa, and summarizes the experiences and lessons gained in the process of development.The thesis consists of four parts.Part one describes the development of higher education in early days of British West Africa, and the nationalists' idea of West African universities.Part two summarizes the higher education experience in British and India, and expounds the higher education policies of British government.Part three elucidates the transplantation of British university patterns to West African colonies including the academic standard, the curriculum and the constitution with emphasis on autonomy.Part four summarizes the experiences and lessons of higher education development in British West Africa.