Aissata Makadji: Colonial legacy still affects West Africa

Colonial legacy continues to affect identity, education and the economy in West Africa, Aissata Makadji, chief institutional partnerships adviser at TripinAfrica in Côte d"Ivoire, said.

She made the remarks at the forum "Strengthening the role of youth in the postcolonial era" in Baku, Report informs.

Makadji noted that the colonial context is often seen as a purely historical category, but said the consequences of colonialism remained a relevant reality for West African countries.

The speaker stressed that the region continued to face challenges in cultural identity and education, noting that language and education systems in many countries had been shaped by colonial legacy.

"Strengthening the teaching of local languages and history is an important element in restoring the cultural foundations of society," she said.

The representative of Côte d"Ivoire separately pointed to the issue of youth political participation, stressing that despite their demographic majority, young people remained poorly represented in decision-making institutions.

Speaking about the economy, she cited the cocoa sector as an example, noting that Côte d"Ivoire accounted for a significant share of global production, but farmers received only a small part of the final value of the product.

In conclusion, she emphasized the need for education reforms, broader youth participation in governance and more equitable economic relations between resource-producing countries and global markets.