In Tune with Changing Times: Radio’s Role in Colonisation and Decolonisation in British West Africa, 1935–1960

First introduced in West Africa by Europeans as an instrument of colonisation and western-modelled modernisation, radio later became a tool of decolonisation but also of surveillance and subversion. This article examines the role of radio in British West Africa, focusing mainly on Nigeria and the Gold Coast (Ghana) and briefly on Sierra Leone. It draws on original archival research to illuminate the multifaceted functions of radio in colonisation and decolonisation processes, the struggle for its control, and the limits of its performance. It traces the convoluted journey of radio broadcasting and reception in the region, from wired to wireless broadcasting, and from communal listening to private reception. The article also looks at the decolonisation of broadcasting itself, unpacking the changes witnessed in its administrative structure, staffing, training and programming.