Children of War in Yoruba and Aja Culture and Society in Precolonial West Africa

Abstract

In the twentieth and early twenty-first century, the world became particularly strident in condemning the use of 'child soldiers' or the exposure of underage boys to war conditions. However, to historians of West Africa, the use of 'war-boys' was the bitter-sweet legacy of precolonial West African societies that recruited and deployed these boys as military cadets to enhance the strength of their respective states. With a focus on the military conditions of Ibadan and Dahomey, this paper examines the West African tradition of promoting the use of boy soldiers since pre-colonial times. It also deals with the implications of this practice for the state concerned and the remarkable effects on societal values and ethos. Aja and Yoruba traditions are rich in the colourful portrayal of these boys and their pivotal roles in significant historical events.