Of all the aspects of British 'cultural imperialism' the one which Africans found most seductive was formal western education. They were quick to realise that University education opened up prospects for economic advancement and would ultimately provide the keys to political power and self government. Using a wide range of papers from the British Colonial Office and colonial governments in Africa, the archives of several libraries and the writings of African nationalists, Dr Nwauwa examines the surprisingly long history of the demand for the establishment of universities in Colonial Africa, a demand to which the authorities finally agreed after the Second World War.
Educated Africans first put forward requests for a university in South West Africa in the 1860's, but from the 1880's through to the 1930's British colonial regimes constantly shunned such aspirations. But starting in 1939 colonial reformers in Britain began to advocate the creation of universities in Africa and by 1943 the idea was taken up by the Colonial Office as a means of 'managing' African nationalism. The creation of university colleges became a reality in 1948, they were one of the most important colonial reforms which led to decolonisation.

Using British Colonial Office papers, the archives of colonial governments in Africa, and the writings of African nationalists, Dr Nwauwa examines the long history of the demand for the establishment of universities in Colonial Africa, to which the authorities finally agreed after World War II.

This book provides a unique insight into understanding the Igbo social, economic, and political world through comprehensive analyses of indigenous and foreign religious practices, issues surrounding women, literature, language, sexism in musical lyrics, films, and community development and government. It also explores thought-provoking cultural practices relating to marriage and divorce, reincarnation, naming, and masquerade dance. The themes covered in the book help readers appreciate the often-neglected multifaceted local and external forces that continue to shape the Igbo experience in southeastern Nigeria.

Scholarly studies on the Igbo have been scanty and fragmented: Politics and Identity Formation in Southeastern Nigeria: The Igbo in Perspective fills an obvious gap. This book explores the social, cultural, economic, political and aesthetic traditions that distinguish the Igbo of southeastern Nigeria from their neighbors. It is both multi- and cross-disciplinary in scope, content and analyses, focusing essentially on experiences and forces that shaped the Igbo society, Igbo identity formation, and Igbo socio-cultural, political and aesthetic representations. The themes interrogated in refreshing fashion with an appreciable level of originality include the importance of Igbo names in understanding the people’s social, linguistic, religious, gender, and cultural identities, spiritual matters, Pentecostalism and their attendant social, political, and economic consequences for the Igbo, and textile and fashion museums of Igbo fabrics, attires, designs, patterns and colors.