Concept:The French policy of Assimilation sought to turn West Africans into French citizens by imposing French culture and political structures, but it severely retarded their political growth.
Explanation:Under Assimilation, only a few educated Africans were granted French citizenship and voting rights.
The majority of the local population was excluded from political participation.
Indigenous political institutions were dismantled in favor of French administrative control.
This left the colonies with little experience in self-government or democratic practice.
When independence movements began, the colonies therefore lacked strong political leadership and institutions.
This resulted in a much slower pace of political development compared to other colonies.
Answer:C. slow pace in their political fortunes