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Colonialism in Africa

Paper Session

Monday, Jan. 5, 2026 10:15 AM - 12:15 PM (EST)

Philadelphia Marriott Downtown, Independence Ballroom Salon III
Hosted By: Association for Comparative Economic Studies
  • Chairs:
    Awa Ambra Seck, Harvard University
  • Sara Lowes, University of California-San Diego

When Women March: The Effects of Women-Led Protests on Gender Gaps in Political Participation

Belinda Archibong
,
Johns Hopkins University
Nonso Obikili
,
UNESCO
Oluseye Samuel Ajuwon
,
University of Lagos

Abstract

Can protests lead to meaningful changes in political participation, particularly among marginalized groups like women? This paper studies the effects of historic women’s protests on current gender gaps in political participation using evidence from colonial Nigeria. Archival data on female incarceration following the 1929 Aba Women’s War is combined with Afrobarometer survey data from 2003–2014. The findings show that women from areas with higher historical protest activity exhibit greater political participation in subsequent generations. These include higher voting rates, engagement in political activities, and stronger preferences for female leadership. Conversely, men from the same regions and cohorts show reduced participation. A randomized experiment introducing this history to university students further supports these findings. Effects are strongest in the short term but may persist over time.

Illegitimate Taxation: Evidence from 23,000 Colonial Documents

Abdoulaye Ndiaye
,
New York University
Augustin Bergeron
,
Harvard University

Abstract

This paper examines how precolonial fiscal institutions shaped resistance to colonial taxation. The authors digitize and analyze over 23,000 archival documents — including colonial administrative reports, correspondence, and tax notices — from Northern Nigeria’s provinces using large language models. Surprisingly, areas with stronger precolonial tax systems exhibited greater resistance to colonial taxation. The authors argue this reflects the perceived illegitimacy of colonial fiscal authority, which disrupted established local norms of compliance. Using contemporary survey data, they show that this legacy persists: the perceived illegitimacy of colonial taxation continues to influence modern attitudes toward tax systems and government authority.

En Route: The French Colonial Army, Emigration, and Development in Morocco

Awa Ambra Seck
,
Harvard University
Ariane Salem
,
Université Paris 1 Panthéon-Sorbonne

Abstract

Between 1830 and 1962, six million Africans under colonial rule served in the French army, often deployed internationally. After independence, these soldiers were repatriated and granted the right to migrate to France. This paper estimates the long-term effects of deployment on both individual and community outcomes, using historical data on Moroccan soldiers and exploiting the arbitrary assignment of troops abroad. Within municipalities, cohorts with more soldiers deployed to France were significantly more likely to emigrate post-independence, unlike those deployed elsewhere. These emigration patterns persist, suggesting the formation of migration networks. Additionally, origin communities with higher deployment to France show
improved economic outcomes today, including a sectoral shift from agriculture to services, illustrating colonialism’s long-run impact on international emigration and, consequently, economic outcomes.

Digitizing the Ethnographic Survey of Africa: New Data on Pre-Colonial sub-Saharan African Culture

Sara Lowes
,
University of California-San Diego
Jacob Moscona
,
Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Nathan Nunn
,
University of British Columbia
Awa Ambra Seck
,
Harvard University

Abstract

Recent work in economics shows that cultural context crucially shapes the effects of policies and economic relationships. However, quantitative research has been constrained by limited cultural data. This project constructs a new dataset using the Ethnographic Survey of Africa (ESA), a largely untapped series of 50 volumes published between 1950 and 1977, covering 1,736 groups. We extract and code detailed information on traditional values, moral norms, taboos, and customs, expanding the available data far beyond the Ethnographic Atlas. This novel dataset enables economists to study dimensions of African societies previously invisible to quantitative analysis, such as norms surrounding revenge, divorce, food taboos, and
gift-giving. The work opens the door for deeper empirical analysis of how culture interacts with economic development and policy effectiveness.

Discussant(s)
Belinda Archibong
,
Johns Hopkins University
Sara Lowes
,
University of California-San Diego
Abdoulaye Ndiaye
,
New York University
Awa Ambra Seck
,
Harvard University
Leonard Wantchekon
,
Princeton University
JEL Classifications
  • O1 - Economic Development
  • N3 - Labor and Consumers, Demography, Education, Health, Welfare, Income, Wealth, Religion, and Philanthropy