The administration of the French speaking West African Territories was centralized under one Governor General based ir

Analyze the question: It asks where the Governor General of French West Africa (Afrique Occidentale Française, AOF) was based.

Concept: French West Africa was a federation created in 1895 (formally organized in 1904). It brought together eight territories: Senegal, French Sudan (now Mali), Guinea, Ivory Coast, Dahomey (now Benin), Niger, Upper Volta (now Burkina Faso) and Mauritania. The French used a policy of centralization and direct rule (assimilation). This meant that one Governor General controlled the whole federation, and each territory was run by a Lieutenant Governor who reported to him.

Solution:

• Saint-Louis was the early capital of Senegal, and Goree was an early French trading post and a former slave-trade island. Neither was the federal capital in the AOF period.
• From 1902, the Governor General of French West Africa was based in Dakar, Senegal. It had a major port and was a strong administrative and military centre.
• Bamako was the capital of French Sudan, Cotonou was in Dahomey, and Guinea was a territory (its capital was Conakry). These were territorial centres, not the federal headquarters.

Tip: Remember "French = Dakar, British = Lagos/Accra." The French centralized everything in one federal capital, Dakar, while the British used indirect rule and ran their colonies separately. This contrast between French centralization and British indirect rule is a common NECO and WASSCE topic.