Local Government in an African Bifurcated State, Sierra Leone

An Overview on its Development under Colonial Rule

Datos Bibliográficos

ID20149035
AutoresTakehiko Ochiai (0000-0001-7542-8472, Ryukoku University, autor de correspondencia)
Año2007
Volumen2007
Número71
Páginas119-127
Fecha de publicación2007-01-01
Peer ReviewedSí
Open AccessSí
TipoARTICLE
RevistaJournal of African Studies (JOURNAL)
Identificadores de la revistaISSN: 0065-4140 • E-ISSN: 1884-5533
EditorialJapan Association for African Studies (PUBLISHER • JP)
DOI10.11619/ve.africa1964.2007.71_119
OpenAlexW2330397550
IdiomaEN
Citas recibidas1
Referencias citadas7

Reestablishment of local government institutions and decentralization of government services are one of the most important political reforms in post-conflict Sierra Leone. This article examines the historical development of local government institutions in Sierra Leone under the British rule to more fully understand the ongoing process of her local government reform and decentralization. In 1896 a protectorate was proclaimed over the Sierra Leone hinterland, dividing it into more than 200chiefdoms, and the Colonial Government introduced indirect rule system in which traditional rulers like paramount chiefs played a significant political role. In 1937 the Native Administration system was introduced and Tribal Authorities were established as the first local government institutions in the Protectorate. District Councils were established as conferences of chiefs in the mid-1940s and were given welfare and development functions in the 1950s. These local government institutions in the Protectorate developed mainly within the scope of chiefs' strong influence. The colonial legacy significantly affected local governance in post-independence Sierra Leone

Central government · Colonialism · Decentralization · Development economics · Economics · Government (linguistics) · Independence (probability theory) · Indirect rule · Local government · Political science · Politics · Protectorate · Sierra leone · State (computer science) · African history and culture analysis · African history and culture studies · Law · Public Administration