Akinpelu Olanrewaju Olutayo

Chief Lamidi Adedibu and patronage politics in Nigeria

Since the acceptance of multi-party democracy as the most viable alternative to autocracy and military rule in Africa, democratic rule has become the vogue. Nigerias attempt at democracy was (and is) accompanied by patronage politics, whereby certain personalities exact great influence on the political process. This study spotlights Chief Lamidi Adedibu and his patronage style in Nigerian politics, and shows that Adedibu gained political ‘patronic’ prominence during Nigerias Third Republic in the 1990s, through the provision of the survival needs of the poor majority who are, mostly, used as thugs for protection against challenges from opponents and for political leverage. Since then, he has remained a ‘valuable tool’ of ‘any government in power’ and politicians ready to provide the necessary goods for onward transmission to clients.

Mistreatment of women during childbirth in Abuja, Nigeria: a qualitative study on perceptions and experiences of women and healthcare providers

BackgroundGlobal efforts have increased facility-based childbirth, but substantial barriers remain in some settings. In Nigeria, women report that poor provider attitudes influence their use of maternal health services. Evidence also suggests that women in Nigeria may experience mistreatment during childbirth; however, there is limited understanding of how and why mistreatment this occurs. This study uses qualitative methods to explore women and providers’ experiences and perceptions of mistreatment during childbirth in two health facilities and catchment areas in Abuja, Nigeria.MethodsIn-depth interviews (IDIs) and focus group discussions (FGDs) were used with a purposive sample of women of reproductive age, midwives, doctors and facility administrators. Instruments were semi-structured discussion guides. Participants were asked about their experiences and perceptions of, and perceived factors influencing mistreatment during childbirth. Thematic analysis was used to synthesize findings into meaningful sub-themes, narrative text and illustrative quotations, which were interpreted within the context of this study and an existing typology of mistreatment during childbirth.ResultsWomen and providers reported experiencing or witnessing physical abuse including slapping, physical restraint to a delivery bed, and detainment in the hospital and verbal abuse, such as shouting and threatening women with physical abuse. Women sometimes overcame tremendous barriers to reach a hospital, only to give birth on the floor, unattended by a provider. Participants identified three main factors contributing to mistreatment: poor provider attitudes, women’s behavior, and health systems constraints.ConclusionsMoving forward, findings from this study must be communicated to key stakeholders at the study facilities. Measurement tools to assess how often mistreatment occurs and in what manner must be developed for monitoring and evaluation. Any intervention to prevent mistreatment will need to be multifaceted, and implementers should consider lessons learned from related interventions, such as increasing audit and feedback including from women, promoting labor companionship and encouraging stress-coping training for providers.

By slapping their laps the patient will know that you truly care for her: A qualitative study on social norms and acceptability of the mistreatment of women during childbirth in Abuja Nigeria.

Background Many women experience mistreatment during childbirth in health facilities across the world. However, limited evidence exists on how social norms and attitudes of both women and providers influence mistreatment during childbirth. Contextually-specific evidence is needed to understand how normative factors affect how women are treated. This paper explores the acceptability of four scenarios of mistreatment during childbirth. Methods Two facilities were identified in Abuja, Nigeria. Qualitative methods (in-depth interviews (IDIs) and focus group discussions (FGDs)) were used with a purposive sample of women, midwives, doctors and administrators. Participants were presented with four scenarios of mistreatment during childbirth: slapping, verbal abuse, refusing to help the woman and physical restraint. Thematic analysis was used to synthesize findings, which were interpreted within the study context and an existing typology of mistreatment during childbirth. Results Eighty-four IDIs and 4 FGDs are included in this analysis. Participants reported witnessing and experiencing mistreatment during childbirth, including slapping, physical restraint to a delivery bed, shouting, intimidation, and threats of physical abuse or poor health outcomes. Some women and providers considered each of the four scenarios as mistreatment. Others viewed these scenarios as appropriate and acceptable measures to gain compliance from the woman and ensure a good outcome for the baby. Women and providers blamed a womans “disobedience” and “uncooperativeness” during labor for her experience of mistreatment. Conclusions Blaming women for mistreatment parallels the intimate partner violence literature, demonstrating how traditional practices and low status of women potentiate gender inequality. These findings can be used to facilitate dialogue in Nigeria by engaging stakeholders to discuss how to challenge these norms and hold providers accountable for their actions. Until women and their families are able to freely condemn poor quality care in facilities and providers are held accountable for their actions, there will be little incentive to foster change.

The communication and emotional support needs to improve women's experience of childbirth care in health facilities in Southwest Nigeria: A qualitative study

To improve womens childbirth experiences in health facilities, their psychosocial and communication needs have to be met. However, what constitutes these specific needs is poorly understood, particularly in Sub‐Saharan Africa. This paper explores womens needs for communication and emotional support during facility‐based childbirth.

Healthcare providers’ perspectives on labor monitoring in Nigeria and Uganda: A qualitative study on challenges and opportunities

To explore current practices, challenges, and opportunities in relation to monitoring labor progression, from the perspectives of healthcare professionals in low‐resource settings.

Defining quality of care during childbirth from the perspectives of Nigerian and Ugandan women: A qualitative study

To explore what “quality of care” means to childbearing women in Nigeria and Uganda, as a means of ensuring that womens voices and opinions are prioritized when developing interventions to improve quality in maternity care provision.

Negotiating quality standards for effective delivery of labor and childbirth care in Nigeria and Uganda

“Negotiated standards” describe a level of quality of care that is acceptable and achievable within a specific health system, based on consensus between key stakeholders. This paper presents the development of negotiated standards for effective labor and childbirth care in selected hospitals and communities in Nigeria and Uganda.

‘Verstehen’, Everyday Sociology and Development: Incorporating African Indigenous Knowledge

Though language and oral tradition have long been appreciated among the indigenous people of Africa as the vehicle of knowledge and central to societal development, social scientists and even sociologists have not utilized these sufficiently in undertaking their researches. Knowledge and theories are mainstreamed and applied relative to Africa without significant appreciation of elements of knowledge that could positively impact theories and methodologies most relevant to and from those societies. This is in spite of recognitions of contextual content of ‘everyday sociology’ as necessary for ‘verstehen(ing)’. This challenge also interface with policy papers on the continent. Many policies on the continent fail because their knowledge base is not localized through appropriately indigenous knowledge, thereby leading to failure. This article attempts to show how the incorporation of indigenous knowledge structures into sociology and development policies can assist in development of Africana sociology that will be useful for both theory and practice.

Social capital and human development in Nigeria: the case of Lalupon Community, Ibadan, Oyo State

In recent times, more often than not, social capital has been presented as the virtue through which third world communities may develop. Indeed, the bonds of love, trust, friendship and kinship as social ingredients of social capital have become the salvaging grace for the third world in the face of strangulating economic decline and crisis. Through qualitative methodology, this study utilized key informant interview, in‐depth interview and focus group discussion to generate data at Lalupon – a community noted for preponderance of social capital induced groups. The study discovered that Lalupon social capital is sustained not only because of economic hardship, but also the ethnogenesic notions of distinct social identity, which attaches interpretive identity meanings, distinct from Ibadan to the residents. As this seemingly alienates the community from state resources, Lalupon thus utilizes its identity‐based social capital/groups to provide human/community development.

Privatization and the Social Value of Water in Africa

Privatization and the Social Value of Water in Africa The paper assesses the current clamor and actual privatization of water in Africa. Though this is said to be done in view of wastage and declining access of people to water, this paper submits that the transformation of the social value of water to economic, is rather a continuation of capitalist quest for profit making, which eventually is at the expense of the poor majority.