Colonialism is the practice of acquiring and maintaining control over another country or territory, establishing settlers, and exploiting it economically. Colonialism often involves the imposition of political, economic, and cultural systems by the colonizing power on the indigenous population. Nkrumah writes Neo-Colonialism from the position of someone who has helped to free his country from colonialism. He helped to liberate Ghana from the colonialist rule of Great Britain, though he argues that the structures of colonialism did not entirely vanish post-independence.

“Developing country” is a controversial term usually used by western powers to denote a country with a lower level of industrialization, lower standards of living, and often weaker infrastructure compared to western nations. Developing countries typically face challenges related to poverty, healthcare, education, and economic growth. In Neo-Colonialism, Nkrumah highlights the pejorative nature of the term, contrasting the “lesser” status imposed upon Black-majority former colonies with those of white-majority former colonies, such as Canada and Australia, who—unlike African nations—are taken seriously as equals by the imperial powers.

Foreign aid denotes financial, technical, or humanitarian assistance provided by one country or international organization to another, usually aimed at supporting development, disaster relief, or addressing poverty. Foreign aid can come in the form of grants, loans, or resources to help improve the recipient nation’s conditions.