The role of ideas in integration movements in Africa: The case of Nkrumah and Nyerere

The aim of this study; To investigate the role of ideas, primarily through Ghanaian leader Kwame Nkrumah and Tanzanian leader Julius Nyerere, in the integration process of African countries to guarantee their independence after the decolonization process and to protect themselves against European countries. In the study; The assertion that ideas have an important place in formations such as Pan-Africanism and the African Unity Organization, which are the most important integration initiatives in the continent, and the Non-Aligned Movement, which also receives support from Africa, has been confirmed by the leadership review conducted through Nkrumah and Nyerere. In the study, in which primary sources were preferred; A theoretical framework for integration was drawn respectively, three integration initiatives (Pan-Africanism, African Unity Organization, and Non-Aligned Movement) were examined, and a leader review was made on the ideas of Nkrumah and Nyerere for integration in the continent. Besides, the general wishes and reservations of the continental countries and their leaders against these formations were examined by giving place to other opinions that came to the fore with their ideas in Africa in the said integration efforts. It was observed that they played an important role in the initiation of integrations such as the Non-Aligned Movement, Pan-Africanism, and the Organization of African Unity, especially with the ideas of Nkrumah and Nyerere. This also constitutes a case study highlighting the importance of the role of ideas in integrations.