摘要
African artists demonstrate social commitment and sensibility in various ways as they create works that both sensitise and conscientise people in their milieu. Although ecocriticism itself is a relatively new theory, African artists have been preoccupied with issues bothering around environment in order to protect and preserve it. ljala genre has been studied by different scholars such as Babalola S. A. （1966）, Olukoju E. O. （1978） and Alagbe ＇Sayo （2007） from diverse perspectives; however, its ecocritical relevance has not been investigated. It is in view of the foregoing that this paper carries out an ecocritical reading of ljala chant： an example of Ogundare Foyanmu＇s selected ljala chant. The paper aims at establishing environmental consciousness in the work of this oral artist. It is observed that though ecocritical theory itself is new in African literature, African artists have shown commitment towards environmental protection in their works from time immemorial. Foyanmu conscientises the people to desist from sneeringly underrating the effect of water hazard. The paper, therefore, has no doubt, established that the subject ofljala genre is not in any way limited to hunting or hunters＇ life. It is also used to address other relevant socio-political and economic issues
