Financial Incentives to Support Family Care-Givers of Older Adults in Nigeria: a Policy Consideration

Ageing has become a global phenomenon and indeed a critical policy issue receiving some recognition by governments of developed countries where it is reflected in the government’s vital document of economic and social development strategy. Globally, the greatest increase in the number of older people is occurring in the developing and middle income countries and Nigeria is not an exception. All over the world, family caregivers continue to be the primary source of care-giving for elderly people, and their own care-related stress, financial strain and compromised health – is often overlooked.  However, many developed countries have implemented a number of policies that directly or indirectly target family carers of elderly persons. This is based on the fact that they realise that care-giving is associated with a significant reduction in employment and hours of work, especially for individuals providing a high intensity of care. This paper therefore is an attempt to propose one way of supporting and maintaining the supply of family care in Nigeria so  that this very important societal resource is harnessed. The paper present what is happening in other countries and based on that suggest what could be done in Nigeria to support care givers of elderly people. Keywords: care-giving, financial, incentive, family, elderl

Complex roles of families in enabling sex trafficking in Edo, Nigeria

Families are an expected haven for their members but could present threats in some contexts. Part of a large-scale PhD study with 101 participants, empirical findings on the roles played by families in encouraging sex trafficking in Edo, Nigeria are presented here. Using in-depth interviews and group discussions, data were elicited from actors within trafficking in persons. Core findings included the exploitation of roles and responsibilities in families towards enabling sex trafficking, the abuse of shared meanings of family in communities, and the exploitation of vulnerable families. Vulnerable families were identified to lack fathers or those whose parents were older adults and/or uneducated. Thus, women in such families were at greater risk of being trafficked. For conceptual understanding of these family roles in sex trafficking, we employed structure-agency insights. In all, anti-sex trafficking interventions must begin with families as the smallest unit of interventions.<br/

Complex roles of families in enabling sex trafficking in Edo, Nigeria

Families are an expected haven for their members but could present threats in some contexts. Part of a large-scale PhD study with 101 participants, empirical findings on the roles played by families in encouraging sex trafficking in Edo, Nigeria are presented here. Using in-depth interviews and group discussions, data were elicited from actors within trafficking in persons. Core findings included the exploitation of roles and responsibilities in families towards enabling sex trafficking, the abuse of shared meanings of family in communities, and the exploitation of vulnerable families. Vulnerable families were identified to lack fathers or those whose parents were older adults and/or uneducated. Thus, women in such families were at greater risk of being trafficked. For conceptual understanding of these family roles in sex trafficking, we employed structure-agency insights. In all, anti-sex trafficking interventions must begin with families as the smallest unit of interventions.<br/

Perceived Barriers to Accessing and Adhering to Antiretroviral Therapy by People Living with HIV/AIDS (PLWHAs) in Akwa Ibom State, Nigeria

There have been various studies on barriers to accessing and adhering to Anti Retroviral Therapy by People with HIV/AIDS. This paper presents empirical data using questionnaire and interview on barriers to accessing ART by PLWHAs.  The study was carried out in Akwa Ibom state Nigeria using a cross sectional survey design with questionnaire and in-depth interview. Five hundred and forty (540) respondents were drawn from twenty (20) support groups in the state. They were selected only on the basis of their willingness to participate in the study. Ten respondents who were not administered questionnaire to were interviewed. Findings suggest that side effects of the drugs appear to be a major barrier as 67.2 percent of the respondents attested to that. Also it was found that due to fear of stigmatization, some of the PLWHAs visit ART centres far from their place of residence  and so distance and waiting period before one is attended to by health personnel became a barrier for them but not for others. We suggest the need for more enlightenment of the public to reduce stigmatization. Also health personnel should educate the PLWHAs more on how to manage the side effects. There is also need to sustain the progress made so far in reducing some of the barriers to accessing ART and one way of sustaining is by educating and organising on the job training for health personnel periodically. Keywords: Barriers, Access, ART, Side effects, PLWHAs, Nigeria

Should Internal Displacement Mean Deprivation of Healthcare for Women and Children in Nigeria?

Nigeria accounts for a high percentage of globally displaced persons, most of whom are women and children. Health conditions of women and children in camps of Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) have been topical, and so much of concern is on their access to quality healthcare services in the camps. The study adopts Key Informant Interviews (KIIs) in capturing responses of 12 officials from the Kuje and Fariya IDP Camps in Abuja and Maiduguri respectively. It also adopted the use of thematic analysis in analyzing the data. Findings showed that healthcare facilities exist in these camps, despite occurrences indicating poor health conditions of the IDPs. The study concluded that health inequities persist in both camps, and that the challenges facing the available health facilities should be adequately addressed. Among the challenges were corruption, poor staffing, poor environmental conditions, bureaucratic bottlenecks, and absence of adequate and well-trained social service professionals

Comparative conceptions of social work:context, sources of knowledge and the professional role in Scotland and Nigeria

This chapter will explore the idea that social work is an internationally defined profession with shared aspirations and values, yet is characterised by localised priorities, nuances and sources of underpinning knowledge. It is this balance between the shared international vision for social work and the importance of recognising, generating and using indigenous knowledge within social work education that forms the core of this chapter. The discussion will acknowledge the disproportionate influence and presence of knowledge generated in the Global North globally, and consider its contribution, limitations and future alongside the crucial role of ‘local’ knowledge. The chapter will argue that social work knowledge wherever it is used and understood, must have a socio-cultural relevance to facilitate its application and impact. The chapter will draw from on the findings fromof a research project involving Scottish and Nigerian social work students, which will illustrate how these contextual and cultural contexts dimensions shape the motivations and perspectives of social work students. Additionally, the movement of knowledge across geographical and cultural boundaries will be considered in order to create a new vision for what the term international social work practice and education might mean and contain

Complexities Involved in Establishing a Culturally Relevant Social Work Curriculum in Nigeria

This chapter discusses findings from an empirical study that explored issues surrounding the development of a culturally relevant social work curriculum for Nigeria. It begins with a focus on conceptualisations of culture within the African social work discourse on indigenisation and culturally relevant social work with reference to ‘indigenising’ social work education. Secondly, it contextualises this cultural discourse through a discussion of the findings from a literature review of publications on Nigerian social work, and from a focus group with Nigerian social work academics. These findings relate to communal and cultural ways of being, ethics, and ethnicity. They show the complexities involved in developing a culturally relevant curriculum that strives to adhere to international social work standards and values in a context with divergent cultural, religious, and ethnic beliefs and traditions. The chapter closes with a reconceptualisation of a culturally relevant social work curriculum and offers three recommendations for progressing towards achieving this outcome

Complexities Involved in Establishing a Culturally Relevant Social Work Curriculum in Nigeria

This chapter discusses findings from an empirical study that explored issues surrounding the development of a culturally relevant social work curriculum for Nigeria. It begins with a focus on conceptualisations of culture within the African social work discourse on indigenisation and culturally relevant social work with reference to ‘indigenising’ social work education. Secondly, it contextualises this cultural discourse through a discussion of the findings from a literature review of publications on Nigerian social work, and from a focus group with Nigerian social work academics. These findings relate to communal and cultural ways of being, ethics, and ethnicity. They show the complexities involved in developing a culturally relevant curriculum that strives to adhere to international social work standards and values in a context with divergent cultural, religious, and ethnic beliefs and traditions. The chapter closes with a reconceptualisation of a culturally relevant social work curriculum and offers three recommendations for progressing towards achieving this outcome