(a) Highlight two methods used by nationalist leaders in their opposition to British Rule in West Africa. (b) Outline four external factors that led to incr...

(a) Two methods used by nationalist leaders to oppose British rule in West Africa

1. Formation of political parties and movements: Nationalists organised parties (e.g. NCNC, Action Group, NPC, the NNDP) to mobilise the people and press constitutional demands for self-government.
2. Use of the press and public enlightenment: They established newspapers (such as the West African Pilot) and held rallies to criticise colonial rule, educate the masses and rouse nationalist feeling.

(Other acceptable methods: strikes, boycotts and demonstrations; petitions and delegations to Britain; participation in constitutional conferences; formation of trade unions and youth movements.)

(b) Four external factors that led to increased nationalist demands after the Second World War

1. Experience of ex-servicemen: West African soldiers who fought abroad saw that whites could be defeated and returned home with heightened political awareness and a demand for freedom.
2. The Atlantic Charter (1941): The declaration by Britain and the USA affirming the right of all peoples to choose their own government encouraged colonies to demand self-determination.
3. Formation of the United Nations: The UN Charter's emphasis on self-determination and decolonisation gave moral support to nationalist agitation.
4. The independence of India and other Asian countries: The granting of independence to India, Pakistan and others in the late 1940s inspired West Africans to demand the same.

(Other acceptable factors: influence of Pan-Africanism and the 1945 Manchester Congress; rise of the USA and USSR as anti-colonial super-powers; the weakened economic and military position of Britain after the war; activities of Africans educated abroad.)