The National Congress of English West Africa (NCBWA) was established in Accra, Gold Coast (presently Ghana) in 1920 by the informed elites from English-speaking West African states drove by Joseph Casely Ephraim Hayford, a Ghanaian and Dr. Akinwande Savage from Nigeria. Other prime supporters and early authorities included Edward Francis Little, F. V. Nanka-Bruce, A. B. Quartey-Papafio, Henry van Hien, A. Sawyerr, Boss Oluwa and Kobina Sekyi.
The NCBWA’s most memorable gathering was held at the Rogers (African) Club in Accra from eleventh to 29th of Walk, 1920. It was gone to by 52 representatives: 42 from Gold Coast (Ghana), six from Nigeria, three from Sierra Leone and one agent from The Gambia.
In 1921, the NCBWA sent a designation to London to introduce a request expressing its requests to Master Milner, the then Secretary of State for International concerns. The assignment, drove by Boss Oluwa, included Mr. Herbert Macaulay, Mr. Egerton Shyngle, Dr. Akinwande Savage and Mr. Casely Haford, the leader of the congress.
Be that as it may, the excursion to London was a guaranteed waste of time. The individuals from the congress were blamed for egotism and were additionally said to have addressed nobody yet the informed and exclusive class of their provinces. The pilgrim office likewise contended that West Africans were not yet ready for delegate organizations and it would add up to imprudence permitting them this.
Requests of The National Congress of English West Africa (NCBWA)
One significant interest of the NCBWA was giving elective guideline in West Africa. They requested that in the determination of agents into the Regulative and Chief boards, the elective standard should be utilized.
Another interest is that superior instructive and social offices should be accommodated West Africans and that at any rate, one College should be laid out in West Africa.
The NCBWA likewise requested the foundation of a bureaucratic type of government for the four English West African provinces.
They likewise maintained that African adjudicators and judges should be delegated and a West African Court of Allure be made as the most noteworthy court of allure in the English West African sub-locale.
They requested the foundation of a regulative board in the four Anglophone West African states.
The Congress likewise requested the legal framework to be free of the Chief Chamber.
They requested that African kingmakers ought to be allowed the option to choose, introduce and oust African bosses.
The Public Congress of English West Africa requested that Africans be delegated to possess elevated places in the common help and the legal executive
Joseph Casely Ephraim Hayford
Joseph Casely Ephraim Hayford
In 1929, Sir Hugh Clifford, while setting up the regulative gathering for Nigeria, made a proposal for elective portrayal which was conceded by the new Secretary of Condition of the settlements, Winston Churchill. Nigeria then turned into the primary province to take on this elective standard in English West Africa.
It should be noticed that when the elective rule was conceded, just those procuring £100 or more which as of then was a lot of cash, can cast a ballot.
Nonetheless, the allegation of being conceited spelt a major destruction for the NCBWA as the congress turned into a sad remnant of itself after 1930, despite the fact that it met threefold after the London visit; its individuals met in 1924 (Freetown), in 1926 (Bathurst) and 1930 (Lagos). The Public Congress for English West Africa accomplished a portion of its points before its downfall.
Accomplishment of NCBWA
Through the endeavors of the Congress, the elective guideline was presented in English West Africa.
It added to the foundation of a regulative committee in every one of the West African states.
It helped in making more space for Africans in overseeing their own administration.
NCBWA added to the political mindfulness in English West Africa by sorting out meetings in Accra, Lagos, Freetown and Bathurst.
It helped in the foundation of ideological groups in English West African states, e.g, the Nigerian Public Progressive faction (NNDP) framed by Herbert Macaulay in 1923
It helped in the foundation of higher establishments in West Africa, for example the Achimota School in Ghana, the Fourah Cove School in Sierra Leone and Yaba School in Lagos, Nigeria.
Difficulties or Issues of NCBWA
One of the serious issues the Public Congress of English West Africa confronted was finance. Since the monetary base was not areas of strength for excessively shoulder these costs, the Congress couldn’t be pretty much as successful as it ought to have been.
The administration of the Congress was detached. One reason was that the bosses didn’t uphold them and their exercises. Another explanation is that they couldn’t persuade non-individuals that NCBWA’s battles would help them.
The Congress was confronted with contention from comparable gatherings in the settlement, one of which was the Natives’ Privileges Assurance Society. The general public worked vigorously against the progress of the Public Congress of English West Africa. For instance, the General public showed in a link to a Secretary of State for the provinces that the Congress had not been given the order of the Gold Napkins to address them in London.
The exercises of the Public Congress of English West Africa were a danger to the smooth organization of the pioneer regions. In this way the lead representatives in the particular provinces in West Africa did all that they could to disappoint them.
One more issue of the Public Congress of English West Africa was that they couldn’t bring along the mass individuals to help them in their endeavors.
