The development of nationalist movement was late in French West Africa because of the

The development of nationalist movement was late in French West Africa because of the assimilation policy. Unlike the British who adopted the indirect rule system of governance in their colonies, the French pursued a policy of assimilation, which aimed to integrate their colonies into France and make them an extension of French culture and society. This policy discouraged the growth of nationalist movements, as it gave the impression that French West Africans were French citizens and part of a greater French community. In addition, the French pursued a policy of repression towards any opposition to their rule, which further suppressed the development of nationalist movements. As a result, the nationalist movement in French West Africa only began to emerge after World War II, when the French government began to relax its assimilation policy and granted greater political and economic rights to its West African subjects.