This refers to theories of administration used by colonialists in the management of their established control over African territories. Such theories included indirect rule, assimilation, association and direct rule. What is clear is that, by 1900 most parts of Africa had been subjected to European colonial rule. This was done through collaboration and countries that resisted had been properly crushed. By 1914 at the end of Scramble and partition drama it was only Liberia and Ethiopia that remained uncolonised. The challenge that remained was how to establish effective administration with a sound economy to support the activities of colonial governments.

Never the less, after acquiring a number of African territories Europeans were confronted with a number of difficulties that made different colonial powers to use different theories of administration in search for solution, for example, traditional monarchs were a threat, many African leaders were proud of their independence, lack of European manpower, lack of funds to run the administration system and language barrier among others.

Thus a multiplicity of related factors made the British to adopt indirect rule theory, French adopt assimilation, association and indirect rule in some areas. Germany commonly used direct rule, Portugal used both assimilation and direct rule in its colonies. Accordingly, each colonial power hoped the above system(s) of administration would help to solve the immediate problems they met in their respective territories. In most cases, the colonial masters designed policies which catered for traditional institutions and which were as cheap as possible.

THEORIES OF COLONIAL ADMINISTRATION.

Assimilation

The French mainly used assimilation. It can be defined as a system of administration where the colony was modeled to have an exact image of colonial power. It aimed at creating people similar to the French in all aspects of life except skin colour. The culture, language, law, civilization, religion and all aspects of life were to be French and not African in nature. In Africa, assimilation was used in Senegal where it was a success and in Algeria. Portugal also used it in Mozambique and Angola,

Association. Association system of administration came as a result of the failure and abandoning of assimilation policy because of problems involved in it. The advocates of association argued that neither assimilation nor direct rule would woric sufficiently on the African continent. Association meant respecting the culture of African subjects leaving them to develop in their own ways so long as they met the demands of colonialists. This policy was used in all areas of French influence outside Senegal. According to this theory, Africans would be governed through their own political systems with the advice of French overlords. Therefore in theory. Association policy was similar to the British indirect rule system and probably explains the existence of local government systems in the rest of French Africa different from the commune system in Senegal.

Direct rule

This was the administrative policy that was mainly employed by Germans, Belgians and Portuguese. As a system of Administration, direct rule in its pure form had no room for the local rulers. For example, it was used by Germans in Tanganyika where they either employed their pure Europeans or imported other mixed cultures of Jumbes and Akidas in Tanganyika. Portugal also used it in Mozambique and Angola in the employment of "Degradados" . This system was very expensive and its application was limited in Africa.

Indirect rule

This was mainly used in British colonies. This was a system of administration where the conquered (Africans) were used to rule their fellow subjects. In other words, conquered kings, chiefs, elders, etc were used to administer their subjects on behalf of the colonial masters. In theory, the system entailed the preservation of the existing institutions and their gradual adoption under the direction of the British local governance system.

In Africa, this system worked in almost all British colonies but was more pronounced in Uganda and Northern Nigeria. Germans also used indirect rule in Togo land where they used local chiefs and village headmen as agents of their rule.