Important Sideshow: Nigerian Soldiers and the Cameroon Campaign of the First World War (1914-1916)

Congratulations to Adeboye Tinubu for successfully defending his MA thesis, "Important Sideshow: Nigerian Soldiers and the Cameroon Campaign of the First World War (1914-1916) on August 12, 2022. His committee members included Timothy Stapleton (Supervisor), David Bercuson, Rowland Appentik, and Paul Chastko.

We asked Boye to provide us some insight into his thesis, and his Graduate studies experience in the Department of History at the University of Calgary.

Tell us about your thesis topic.

My thesis explores the crucial role of Nigerian soldiers who formed the core of the British force in the Cameroon campaign of the First World War. Because of the complicated history of the First World War, campaigns in Africa were often dismissed as ‘sideshows’ that had little or no impact on the eventual outcome of the war. This assessment of the war ignores the vital role of the thousands of Nigerians who helped preserve British colonial institutions in West Africa by ousting the Germans from Cameroon. My thesis concludes that the campaign was indeed an important one that laid the foundation for the post-colonial trajectory of the Nigerian military and, in a way, completed the scramble for and partition of Africa, in this case, West Africa.

What was the most valuable outcome of the Graduate program for you?

Looking back, this was just an idea some months ago; today, it is a complete dissertation. The various stages involved have shaped my understanding of what it means to write a thesis. I have been able to sharpen my writing and research skills, both of which I am sure will come in handy at some point going forward.

What are the next steps/plans for you?

I will be starting a PhD program at the University of Calgary this fall. The idea is to continue building on this dissertation by examining the experience of Nigerian soldiers who formed the bulk of the Economic Community of West African States Monitoring Group (ECOMOG) troops mobilized to Sierra Leone and Liberia in the early 90s. I would also like to turn some aspects of my MA dissertation into a journal article.