Weapons were important in the conduct of war in pre-colonial West Africa.

Leaders of West
African states and kingdoms were aware of the importance of weapons and paid serious
attention to their forms, acquisition and usage in war. The weapons that were used in pre-
colonial West African could be categorised into two types namely, weapons of offence and
weapons of defence. The first broad category of weapons i.e. weapons of offence could be
further categorized into two groups namely: projectiles, and shock weapons. The weapons
were employed in different ways and with different degrees of efficiency in warfare across
West Africa.
Weapons of offence were those that were used to attempt to kill the foe or enemy soldier.
Of the weapons of offence, in the category of projectiles were the arrow, spear, javelin, sling
and other such weapons with pointed heads that were shot from a distance. As the name
indicates, projectile weapons were fired or thrown at the enemy at a fairly long range which
was why the heads of the weapons were made as sharp as possible and sometimes even
poisoned to achieve maximum damage. Different records indicate that firearms were not
indigenous to West Africa but this category of weapons became prominent from the 17 th
century as Europeans brought a fairly large quantity of them to West Africa. There were also
indications that guns were imported to West Africa from North Africa through the Saharan
route. Guns imported through the trans-Saharan route were however few compared to what
was brought through the Atlantic. In the course of 18th and 19th centuries, firearms became
prominent as weapon of war and it became a major, and certainly one of the most important,
projectiles used in war.
Shock weapons were also prominently used in pre-colonial West African wars. In
this category is to be found the sword, machete, knife, bludgeon, sling and the lance, among
others. Shock weapons, by their definition and design, were employed and handled by
individuals who could carefully and effectively handle them. Since the weapons were used at
a close range, those who used them had to be skilful and strong. It would appear that the sword
was the most important shock weapon that was used in warfare in pre-colonial West Africa.
Although the makes of the sword common in West Africa was different from the ones
commonly used in Europe during the same period, it was as popular in West Africa as in
Europe and elsewhere. Some of the swords were single edged and others double edged. In
West Africa, the sharp pointed end of the sword was at times poisoned like some projectiles to
cause maximum damage. Shock weapons were undoubtedly important in many pre-colonial
West African wars.
For weapons of defence, the shield was by far the most important in West Africa during
the pre-colonial period. This was made mainly of metal but there were also types of shield
made of different woven material and leather. The shield was used to protect the soldier and
ward off arsenals shot by the enemy. The armour that soldiers wore in Europe was protective.
shield was almost entire unknown in West Africa before the advent of Europeans. Some
analysts have argued that the absence of this kind of armour in West Africa was as a result of
the inability of people to produce it. Others have contended that West Africans were not
interested in this kind of armour because of their weight, which made mobility difficult for
soldiers. The shield was eventually brought from Europe to West Africa and it became fairly
common from the 18th century onwards. Some scholars have stated that the armour had been
introduced from North Africa through the Sahara before the Europeans popularised it. This
perspective seems correct but more of the weapon certainly came by the way of the Atlantic
than through the Sahara.
The description of the general nature of arms and ammunitions available and utilized in
pre-colonial West Africa presented above reveals the wide ranging pattern. The varieties also
reflected differences in the structure of the geographical location of the different West African
states. Thus, while weapons made of iron were common is some part of West Africa, wooden
weapons were prominent in other parts of sub-region. This was generally influenced by
availability made largely possible by the geography. The same can be said of the use of
cavalry corps by some West Africa states as opposed to the lack of knowledge of fighting on
horse back in some other West Africa states. The general pattern was that the Calvary corps
was available and widely utilized by states in the northern part of West Africa which occupied
the Savannah Zone. This is not surprising because the geographical location of the savannah
made it easy for horse to be obtained from the North and the horses to be utilized in battle.
This is not to suggest, however, that West African states only utilized arms and ammunition
available in their respective geographical locations. Many imported arms from others states
which made the difference in many wars. However, the general pattern was that different West
Africa states utilized different ammunition that could be easily obtained in their physical
environment.
 Pre-colonial West African states that had iron deposits, skilled blacksmiths and craftsmen
to produce weapon were known to do well with their wars of other states. This is because
weapons made of iron were generally superior to those made of wood. In some instances,
some states that had iron weapons declined to sell them to neighbouring states. Some even
made effort to keep the knowledge from enemy states so as to maintain an advantage in the
advent of war. In a number of pre-colonial West African states, monarchs kept the royal arsenal
which was closely protected. Blacksmiths were also strictly controlled in some states to ensure
regular supply of arms to the states and prevent them from being sold to the enemies. It is
therefore clear that the importance of procuring arms and ammunition and utilizing them
affectively for warfare was recognized in pre-colonial West Africa.