The Overseas Development Institute was invited by the Noel Buxton Foundation to organise a series of lectures for 1980. The theme chosen was Europe and Africa. The series started with a lecture on the legacy of the colonial relationship, considering some of the economic, political and social consequences of that relationship and some of the important African qualities which both pre-dated and survived it. It was followed by a study of the present contractual relationships between the ECC and Africa while Alastair Macleod-Smith asked the provocative question 'is the International Mining Industry necessary to Africa?'

All the lectures are presented in this book. It is hoped that their publication will encourage further study on the subject.