Assessing Agency in Colonial Africa: Pan-Africanism as African Agency

Abstract This article critically examines the contributions of Pan-Africanism to the nexus of African agency debate in the broader spectrum of great power-small power relationships, particularly during the era of colonialism. The article puts special emphasis on the colonial empire as a great power and Africa as a small power in the tussle of what was known as the “gunboat diplomacy.” What were the approaches; who were the actors; what were the grand geopolitical strategies employed in exerting influence in the complex relationship between the colonies and the colonialists? Relying on archival records (online), interviews, speeches, and other publications, sifted through the functionalism and neo-functionalism theories, the article contends that the Pan-African thinkers and advocates were significant actors in the fight against European dominance in Africa and provided a gateway for the final nationalist movement and liberation of the continent.