ABSTRACT
As Africans continue to negotiate their identity and racial representation in contemporary times, it becomes increasingly necessary to trace their historical origins, for intra- and interpersonal reasons; most significantly, to provide Africans and the rest of the world with accurate and reliable information about the continent instead of the usual projections based on doctored or otherwise questionable data. Undoubtedly, there have been numerous materials produced about Africa, but many of these works do not touch on essential factors peculiar to West Africa which contribute to its current socio-geographical and sociopolitical concerns. The discrepancy in the amount of material produced to address, understand, and propose potential solutions to these issues and the need to cover broader ground regarding the history of West Africa have informed the development of this book. This endeavor requires a comprehensive approach, and a multidisciplinary method is adopted to encourage the interests of a new generation of students.
