Role of transportation and communications in development

Abstract

The pattern and role of transportation and communications in the colonial period in Africa were conceived in order to promote the economic growth and development of the metropolitan countries by integrating the markets of the colonial territories to the markets of the metropolitan countries, that is, to Europe. The colonial period the main objective of the African transportation and communications systems was metropolitan growth and development rather than the growth and development of the colonial territories, in the post-independence period the objective of African economic growth and development has come to the foreground in discussions. This has certain implications for the restructuring as well as modification of the existing transportation and communications network to promote African development.