The literature on African nationalism is replete with conceptual categories that describe the various stages and types of African nationalism and the resistance to colonial rule. Among the foremost scholars on African nationalism are J. Ade Ajayi and Terrence Ranger. The works of these scholars appear to have created a conceptual disagreement on the roots of African nationalism. The article analyzes the nature of this debate with a view to establishing a common ground on the roots of African nationalism.