Colonialism is defined as the

Step 1: Analyze the question The question asks for the definition of colonialism, which is a basic concept in Government (Nigerian and West African political history).

Step 2: Explain the concept Colonialism is the policy or practice by which a powerful country takes control of another territory, governs its people, and exploits its resources, usually for the benefit of the colonizing power. Examples include British rule over Nigeria, Ghana, and Sierra Leone, and French rule over Senegal and Côte d'Ivoire.

Key features:

• A foreign power takes political control
• The local people lose self-rule (sovereignty)
• Resources and labour are exploited for the colonizer's benefit

Step 3: Evaluate each option

• A. Struggle against foreign domination: This describes nationalism or anti-colonial resistance, which is the reaction to colonialism, not colonialism itself.
• B. Political struggle for independence: This describes the nationalist movement or the fight for self-government, again the opposite of colonialism.
• C. Economic dependence on developed nations: This describes neo-colonialism or economic dependency. It can be a result of colonialism, but it is not the definition.
• D. Imposition of foreign rule on a territory: This matches the definition. A foreign power imposes its authority and control over another territory and its people.

Step 4: Answer The correct option is D.

Step 5: Exam tip Remember the pairs:

• Colonialism = foreign rule imposed on a people
• Nationalism = the struggle against that rule
• Neo-colonialism = indirect economic/political control after independence

If an option talks about "struggle" or "fight," it is about nationalism, not colonialism.