The emergence of street‑youth gangs in Lagos has deep historical roots, tracing back to the 1920s. During this period, young male migrants, often displaced by economic hardship or orphaned, formed informal groups operating in crowded public spaces such as railway stations, markets, and busy streets. One of the earliest recorded groups, known as the Jaguda boys, engaged in pickpocketing, staged distractions, and occasionally received payments from market women for protection, providing both a survival strategy and a form of local order.
During and after World War II, a new group known as the Boma boys emerged. They primarily served as guides for sailors, migrants, and travellers arriving at the Lagos Marina and port areas. Although their activities included legitimate guidance services, some members were associated with minor criminality and informal protection rackets. Over time, the Boma boys declined or evolved into more structured street groups, laying the foundation for contemporary informal youth gangs.
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The Rise of Modern Area Boys
By the 1980s, Lagos faced rapid urbanisation, population growth, and rural‑urban migration. These factors, combined with structural adjustment policies and widespread unemployment, created a socio-economic environment in which informal street-based livelihoods became necessary for survival. The modern Area Boys, also referred to as agberos or touts, emerged in this context.
Area Boys typically operate in motor parks, bus stops, markets, and busy junctions, offering informal labour, carrying luggage, assisting commuters, or guiding passengers. Alongside these services, they engage in extortion, collecting levies or “ground money” from traders, transport operators, and market women. These practices, while coercive, reflect a hybrid role in the informal economy, providing both order and disruption, filling a void left by weak formal governance and law enforcement.
Socio-Economic Context and Migration
Research indicates that a significant proportion of Area Boys are migrants from outside Lagos State, drawn by the city’s economic opportunities yet confronted with limited formal employment. Studies conducted in Lagos Island and Shomolu Local Government Areas suggest that only about 25–30% of the youth involved originate from Lagos, while the majority come from neighbouring states, including Ogun, Oyo, Ondo, Edo, and Imo.
The structural causes behind the phenomenon include urban poverty, unemployment, population pressure, and inadequate social services. Many youths have limited access to education or vocational training, making street-based informal livelihoods one of the few viable survival strategies. While their activities impose challenges for local residents and commuters, they also highlight the resilience and adaptability of marginalized urban populations.
Structure, Behaviour, and Influence
Area Boys are loosely organised, often forming networks or gangs associated with particular motor parks, bus stops, or neighbourhoods. Territoriality is a central feature of their organisation, with specific areas controlled informally to enforce rules, collect levies, and maintain visibility. While violent confrontations occur, their social influence extends to informal security, portering, and assistance for market traders and transport operators.
Some groups have historically been co-opted by political actors or transport unions. Their involvement ranges from crowd control and voter mobilisation to informal security enforcement, often blurring the line between legitimate social roles and coercive power. These arrangements demonstrate the intersection of informal economy, social control, and political patronage in urban Lagos.
Government Response and Rehabilitation Efforts
Authorities in Lagos have periodically attempted to curb the influence of Area Boys through raids, arrests, and rehabilitation programmes. Notable interventions have targeted motor parks, bus terminals, and market areas where gangs are most visible. Efforts also include vocational training, skill acquisition programmes, and youth engagement initiatives designed to provide alternative livelihoods.
However, studies show that these interventions have limited long-term effectiveness unless broader socio-economic factors are addressed. Without sufficient employment opportunities, social inclusion, and urban planning, the recruitment of youths into informal street-gang networks continues, perpetuating cycles of marginalisation and insecurity.
Social Impact and Contemporary Relevance
The presence of Area Boys has a complex social impact. On one hand, they provide informal labour, assist in transporting goods, and offer a form of local order. On the other hand, extortion, harassment, and the threat of violence create insecurity for traders, commuters, and residents. The duality of their role reflects the broader dynamics of informal economies in rapidly urbanising megacities, where state institutions struggle to meet the needs of the population.
Understanding the history of Area Boys provides insight into how socio-economic pressures, migration, and weak governance shape urban informal networks. It also highlights the necessity of integrated policies that combine social welfare, employment generation, youth engagement, and law enforcement to address underlying causes rather than merely treating symptoms.
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Author’s Note
The evolution of street-youth gangs in Lagos, from colonial-era Jaguda boys to contemporary Area Boys, illustrates the interplay of migration, economic necessity, urbanisation, and informal power structures. Their continued presence underscores the complexity of urban governance, the challenges of integrating marginalized youths into the formal economy, and the resilience of informal social networks. Historical and contemporary evidence emphasises that sustainable solutions require addressing structural causes, including poverty alleviation, education, and inclusive urban planning.
References
- Jonah Uyieh, “Eko Gb’ole O Gbole’: A Historical Study of Youth and Tout Culture in Shomolu Local Government Area, Lagos, 1976–2015,” Journal of African Cultural Studies, Vol. 30, Issue 3 (2018).
- “Nigeria: Area Boys, a growing menace on the streets of Lagos,” IRIN / The New Humanitarian, 2005.
- I. Eshiet, “The Challenge of Area Boys’ Menace in Lagos Metropolis, Nigeria: The Role of the State,” in Globalization and Social Pathologies (Department of Sociology, University of Lagos, 2010).
