A Comprehensive Overview of the General History of Africa

Nov 29, 2025 0

The UNESCO General History of Africa is a landmark project initiated to rewrite and reframe the history of Africa from the perspective of its own people. This ambitious endeavor encompasses the continent's history from the earliest origins of humankind to the contemporary challenges faced by Africans and their diasporas worldwide. It stands as a testament to Africa's central role in human history and its enduring contributions to our shared future.

In 1964, as African nations gained independence, UNESCO brought together leading African and international experts to launch this visionary initiative. The project reflects how the different peoples of Africa view their civilizations and shows the historical relationships between the various parts of the continent. Historical connections with other continents demonstrate Africa's contribution to the development of human civilization. The main preoccupation of Phase 1 was to provide a culturally relevant perspective based on an interdisciplinary approach with a focus on the history of ideas and civilizations, societies and institutions.

The conventional reading of history also needed to be challenged to depict a more accurate picture of the African continent, of its cultural diversity, and its contribution to the general progress of humankind. Thus, at its 16th Session (1964), the General Conference of UNESCO invited the Director-General to undertake the elaboration of a General History of Africa.

The project encompasses two of UNESCO's key priorities - Africa and Education. Africa, in terms of a response to urgent development needs at the national level and to accompany the regional integration process; and education because this issue is a fundamental human right and the very basis of development and responsible citizenry.

The Scope and Structure of the UNESCO General History of Africa

The complete collection consists of fully illustrated volumes, each accompanied by detailed annotations, a comprehensive bibliography, and an index. This monumental work represents years of collaboration among historians and specialists, overseen by an International Scientific Committee composed of two-thirds African members.

The main objective of Phase Two, entitled "The Pedagogical Use of the General History of Africa" is to contribute to the regenerating of the teaching of African history on the basis of the General History of Africa in African Union member States with the view to promote the African regional integration process.

Africa tells its own story: UNESCO releases three new volumes of the "General History of Africa"

Key Volumes and Their Focus

The General History of Africa is structured into eight main volumes, each covering a distinct historical period:

Volume I: Methodology and African Prehistory. This volume explores African prehistory and its methodology. It examines how African societies value their past, the growth of historiography, and key sources and techniques. The second half focuses on early humans and Africa’s prehistory by region-North, South, East, West, and Central-with emphasis on the Nile Valley, prehistoric art, agriculture, and metallurgy.
Volume II: Ancient Civilizations of Africa. This volume covers nearly nine thousand years of African history, from the end of the Neolithic era (around the eighth millennium BCE) to the seventh century CE. It examines major civilizations across key regions-the Nile corridor, Egypt and Nubia, the Ethiopian highlands, the Maghrib and Sahara, and other parts of Africa including Indian Ocean islands. A significant portion focuses on Egypt’s central role in early African history.
Volume III: Africa from the 7th to the 11th Century. This volume covers the history of Africa from the seventh to the eleventh century. Two movements to have major and lasting cultural, political and economic significance on the Continent’s history are covered by this period: the increasing influence of Islam and its dissemination and interaction with traditional African culture in northern and western regions, and the Bantu expansion in the south.
Volume IV: Africa from the 12th to the 16th Century. This volume covers the history of Africa from the twelfth to the sixteenth century. This period constitutes a crucial phase in the continent’s history in which Africa developed its own culture and written records became more common. There were several major characteristic themes: the triumph of Islam; the extension of trading relations, cultural exchanges and human contacts; the development of kingdoms and empires.
Volume V: Africa from the 16th to the 18th Century. This volume covers the history of Africa from the beginning of the sixteenth century to the close of the eighteenth century. Two major themes emerge: first, the continuing internal evolution of the states and cultures of Africa during this period; second, the increasing involvement of Africa in external trade- with major but then unforeseen consequences for the whole world.
Volume VI: Africa in the 19th Century until the 1880s. This volume covers the history of Africa from the beginning of the nineteenth century to the onset of the European ’scramble” for colonial territory in the 1880s. In spite of growing European commercial, religious and political presence during the century, outside influences were felt indirectly most African societies, and they made a variety of culturally distinctive attempts to modernize, expand and develop.
Volume VII: Africa under Colonial Domination (1880-1935). This volume examines the period of partition, conquest and occupation from the beginning of the ‘European Scramble for Africa’ to the Italian fascist invasion of Ethiopia in 1935.

Key Historical Developments and Civilizations

Africa's rich history is marked by the rise and fall of numerous civilizations and significant socio-political developments. Here are some notable examples:

Ancient Egypt and Nubia: Volume II dedicates a significant portion to Egypt’s central role in early African history. Egypt's disintegration liberated the more Egyptianized Kingdom of Kush in Nubia, and later in the 8th century BCE the Kushite king Kashta would expand his power and influence by manoeuvring his daughter into a position of power in Upper Egypt, paving the way for his successor Piye to conquer Lower Egypt and form the Kushite Empire.
The Kingdom of Aksum: The Kingdom of Aksum grew from a principality into a major power on the trade route between Rome and India through conquering its unfortunately unknown neighbours, gaining a monopoly on Indian Ocean trade in the region.
The Sokoto Caliphate: Founded in 1804 by the Islamic scholar Usman dan Fodio, became one of the largest and most powerful states in the region, uniting diverse ethnic groups under Islamic law and promoting education and trade across its vast territory.
The Ashanti Kingdom: Which flourished from the 17th to the 20th century, was a powerful and influential empire that dominated much of modern-day Ghana in the 19th century. By 1850, it spanned approximately 125,000 square miles and housed around five million people. At its heart was the majestic capital, Kumasi, renowned for its opulent royal court. However, the empire’s prosperity was tainted by its significant role in the transatlantic slave trade.

The 19th century was a crucial time in African history, marked by significant changes in politics, economies, and cultures across the continent. African societies continued to evolve, building on their rich traditions while addressing internal challenges and engaging with external influences like the transatlantic slave trade and Islamic reform movements.

Africa in 1890

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The Impact of Colonialism and the Struggle for Independence

From 1870 to 1914, driven by the great force and hunger of the Second Industrial Revolution, European colonisation of Africa developed rapidly, as the major European powers partitioned the continent in the 1884 Berlin Conference, from one-tenth of the continent being under European imperial control to over nine-tenths in the Scramble for Africa.

European colonialism had significant impacts on Africa's societies, and colonies were maintained for the purpose of economic exploitation of human and natural resources. Colonial historians deprecated oral sources, claiming that Africa had no history other than that of Europeans in Africa.

The rise of nationalism facilitated struggles for independence in many parts of the continent, and, with a weakened Europe after the Second World War, waves of decolonisation took place. This culminated in the 1960 Year of Africa and the establishment of the Organisation of African Unity in 1963 (the predecessor to the African Union), with countries deciding to keep their colonial borders.

The Concept of Global Africa

New volumes (IX - X - XI) introduce the innovative concept of Global Africa, which views the continent as a central and interconnected part of world history and culture. It highlights Africa’s influence through diasporas, trade, migrations, and cultural exchanges, emphasizing its vital contributions to global societies and portraying it as an active force shaping history, creativity, and development worldwide.

Volume XI explores contemporary challenges in Africa and its diasporas from a Global Africa perspective, highlighting women, youth, creativity, knowledge, and political change.

In this perspective, the creation of the African Union (AU) and the implementation of the NEPAD philosophy of developing Africa-led solutions to African challenges offered a new and favorable context for a political leadership committed to African regional integration and provided a mechanism for addressing history teaching within the continent as a whole.

UNESCO’s Ongoing Efforts

In 2009 UNESCO launched the second phase of the project focusing on the implementation of the GHA entitled, the "Pedagogical Use of the General History of Africa." This phase, which constitutes a priority in the cooperation between UNESCO and the African Union, falls within the framework of the Action Plan of the Second Decade for Education in Africa (2006-2015).

The Action Plan emphasizes the strengthening of the links between education and culture and improving the quality of pedagogical contents such as internet resources and audiovisual materials. To successfully implement the second phase of the project, UNESCO has had to have the project validated by different African institutional and academic stakeholders including the Ministers of Education and various professional associations including historians, history teachers, pedagogues, et al.