In May 1953, the Legislative Assembly asked the British Government to submit to British Parliament a bill on the proclamation of the Gold Coast a sovereign independent state within the Commonwealth. This decision was supported by the masses, but the feudal elements who threw in their lot with British imperialism and served as its reliable social mainstay, tried to split the united national front. They were supported by separatist elements motivated by their narrow selfish interests. Several political parties were organised and an intricate struggle began over the future state structure. Ashanti feudal elements demanded the establishment of a federal state and threatened to dismember the country into several miniature states. Busia, a representative of pro-colonial circles, went to London and asked the British authorities not to hurry with independence.

Work to regenerate culture, extend the educational and health systems and revive national art became an important aspect of life in independent Sierra Leone. For many years the colonialists spent paltry sums on education and the health services. As a result, the overwhelming majority of children did not attend school. Even after the Second World War, in 1950, the country had only 292 schools (including 15 secondary schools), attended by 37,300 pupils. In other words, only one out of 30 school-age children studied. According to the 1963 population census, more than 90% of the country's entire adult population were illiterate.

The country was short of hospitals and other medical institutions. Until recently there was only one doctor per 40,000-50,000 rural inhabitants. In these conditions widespread diseases became a scourge of the rural population. But in the towns, too, medical aid was practically inaccessible to the majority of the people.

The sharpest contradictions between Britain and Egypt arose over the Sudan. Controlling the latter, the British could at any time deprive Egypt of water, without which the country would turn into a desert. The British imperialists always utilised this as an instrument for pressuring Egypt. An anti-imperialist movement, warmly backed by the Egyptian people, was developing in the Sudan. The Wafd, too, supported this movement. The British imperialists were interested in ousting the Wafdist Government, which was a hindrance to them.

The first steps in building a national industry were taken. Libya's first five-year economic development plan was adopted in 1963 and the second five-year plan was approved in 1967. Measures are being implemented to create a national industry, develop agriculture, the transport system, power facilities, housing construction, education, and the health services. State credit institutions ― a central bank and an agricultural and industrial bank ― were set up to promote economic progress. The government is taking measures to restrict the activity of foreign banks, but Italian, British and other foreign banks (Banco di Roma, Banco di Napoli, Barclay Bank and others) continue to exert a considerable influence on the economy. The positions of private national capital have been somewhat extended. It is represented chiefly in industry processing farm produce (small food, textile, leather and other factories).