Abstract

n the late 15th century, European nations, armed with advanced maritime technology, embarked on a ruthless campaign to dominate global trade, targeting Africa’s vast resources. Portugal, led by Prince Henry the Navigator, established early outposts like São Jorge da Mina (Elmina, 1482) in modern-day Ghana. By the 16th century, Spain, Britain, France, and the Netherlands followed, driven by mercantilist greed. The Berlin Conference of 1884–1885, convened by Otto von Bismarck, formalized the Scramble for Africa, dividing the continent among European powers with no regard for ethnic groups like the Yoruba, Zulu, Hausa, or Bambara. This conquest, often justified by a distorted Christian ideology claiming a divine mandate to “civilize” non-Europeans,