This thesis explores the relationship between colonial duration and economic development as measured in GDP per capita (PPP) in Sub-Saharan Africa. The thesis explores the tension within the theory on the topic of colonialism and its impacts on economic development. It explores mainly the contention between Acemoglu et al (2001) and Easterly and Levine (2016). The tension is tested specifically around colonialism's impact on Sub-Saharan Africa through a cross-country regression analysis where the relationship between colonial duration and GDP per capita is tested. In combination with this institutional, geographic and demographic controls are added. What the results show is a positive and robustly stable relationship between colonial duration and GDP per capita, with the caveat that the relationship is non-linear and driven by very long duration nations. The result aligns more with Easterly and Levine (2016) over Acemoglu et al (2001), and suggests a revisiting of the institutional explanation.