Uche C. Isiugo-Abanihe

Child fosterage in West Africa.

Ethnographic studies in West Africa show that the practice of sending children away to be raised by relatives and nonrelatives is widespread among ethnic groups. This paper explores the demographic relevance of the practice. The fostering information is obtained from 2 sources: the responses given by women to the question on children away from home and by linking all children to their mothers with the unmatched children being treated as fosters. The characteristics of these children their surrogate mothers and those of the biological mothers are explored and the determinants of child fostering are discussed as correlates of these attributes. The results are indicative of high incidence of child fosterage in Ghana Sierra Leone Liberia and Nigeria. Child fostering facilitates female laborforce participation and may affect the fertility decisions of both natural and foster parents mainly because it serves to reallocate the resources available for raising children within the society. It may also have consequences for child survival depending partly on how the culture treats children outside of their maternal homes. West African child fostering or relocation is distinguished not only by its high prevalence but by the young age at which it begins. It is partly the consequence of a need to reallocate resources within the extended family or related kin group ensuring maximum survival for the unit and strengthening kinship ties. In many societies in West Africa child fosterage is simply an accepted means of raising children. Even West African immigrants in America and Europe a reported to send their children to foster homes. 1 of the major reasons fostering starts early is the practice of sending children away for weaning when the parents want to resume sexual relations. Sending children away steadily increases with age up to the age of about 5 and then increases are much slower. Male children constitute 45% of all fosters. Urban residence seems to increase the dominance of female fosters over male fosters. Urban nonfosters clearly attend school more than urban fosters. The number of surviving children is positively related to fostering out of children. Maternal educational attainment appears to be negatively related to fostering children out. (summaries in ENG SPA FRE)

Reproductive Motivation and Family- Size Preferences among Nigerian Men

Data collected from 3,073 couples in four Nigerian cities and one semi-urban settlement were used to examine reproductive decision-making and male motivation for large family size. The report concludes that the characteristic male-dominant and patrilineal traditions support large family size and that mens reproductive motivation, to a large extent, affects the reproductive behavior of their wives. Therefore, the factors influencing mens reproductive outcomes and intentions are considered important for fertility transition in Nigeria. Male education, age at marriage, monogamy, interspousal communication, and intention not to rely on children for old-age support are significantly related to smaller actual family size and preferences for smaller families, while being in a male-dominant family setting has a strong relation with large family size and preferences for larger families. The policy implication of this study is the need for programs targeted at men and designed to change their attitudes about population matters and motivate them, and hence their wives, to produce smaller families.

The effect of child fostering on feeding practices and access to health services in rural Sierra Leone.

In Sierra Leone, where infant and child mortality rates are quite high, a large proportion of small children from 1 to 5 yr are fostered: living away from their mothers. This paper examines the relationships between fosterage and child feeding practices and childrens access to Western medical care. Ethnographic data from field studies in Sierra Leone are combined with quantitative data from Serabu Hospital, which show that fostered children are underrepresented in hospital admissions and that young fosters present more problems of malnutrition. (Fostered girls appear to be at more risk in both these categories than boys.) Unlike young fosters, however, older ones do not appear to be at more risk than children with mothers. We draw connections between these results and patterns of intra-household discrimination in food allocation and access to medical treatment for young fostered children: especially those sent to elderly rural caretakers. Finally, we examine the implications of the findings for applied issues, arguing that fostered children may slip through the cracks of maternal-child health care programs.

THE SOCIO-CULTURAL CONTEXT OF HIGH FERTILITY AMONG IGBO WOMEN

The Igboland of Nigeria has been under the influence of socio-economic change since the turn of the century, as typified by a high literarcy rate, a highly migratory population, the predominance of Christianity, and built-up towns and villages. Yet Igbo fertility has remained high even by Nigerian standards. Part of the explanation for high Igbo fertility is the prevalence of peculiar socio-cultural institutions which tend to encourage or support high fertility. In this study fertility differentials, reproductive behaviour and fertility preferences and intentions are examined as a function of three well-recognised cultural institutions or contextual factors: the bestowal of high fertility honour or title to women of a given family size, patriarchal relations, and patrilinearity and son preference, together with individual status indicators. Our findings suggest that socio-cultural institutions establish or condition relationships and behaviours among the Igbo; in other words, individual fertility behaviour takes place within the context of complex social organisation and under the influence of multiple social, cultural and ideological realities.

STABILITY OF MARITAL UNIONS AND FERTILITY IN NIGERIA

Using nationally representative data, it is shown that marital unions are relatively stable in Nigeria. Remarriage rates are high so little time is lost between unions. Consequently, the fertility of women who have experienced marital disruption is only slightly lower than for those in stable unions. Their slightly lower parity may be a function of a high incidence of reproductive impairment, which is a major reason for divorce and separation in Nigeria.

Prevalence of and Factors Associated With Extramarital Sex Among Nigerian Men

This study used data on currently married and cohabiting men aged 15 to 64 years from the 2003 Nigeria Demographic and Health Survey to examine the prevalence of and factors associated with extramarital sex. The results show that 16% engaged in extramarital sex in the 12 months preceding the survey and had an average of 1.82 partners. The results also show statistically significant association between extramarital sex and ethnicity, religion, age, age at sexual debut, education, occupation, and place of residence. Based on the study results, it could be concluded that significant proportions of Nigerians are exposed to HIV infection through extramarital sex. A fundamental behavioral change expected in the era of HIV/AIDS is the inculcation of marital fidelity and emotional bonding between marital partners. The promotion of condom use among married couples should be intensified to protect women, a large number of whom are exposed to HIV infection from their spouses who engage in unprotected extramarital sex. And, because of gender-based power imbalances within the family, a large number of the women are unable to negotiate consistent condom use by their partners.

Urban Nuptiality Patterns and Marital Fertility in Nigeria

This study indicates that urban marital patterns in nine Nigerian cities influence fertility. Fertility is also influenced by age at marriage, region of residence, ethnicity and religion; education and employment lead to marriage delay and tend to conflict with childbearing by enhancing the status of women.

Maternal and environmental factors influencing infant birth weight in Ibadan Nigeria.

Fetal weight at birth is a major determinant of survival, physical growth and mental development of an infant. About 14 percent of all births in Nigeria are born with low birth weight. Studies on birth weight in Nigeria have focused mainly on the biomedical risk factors and have largely ignored the influence the socio-cultural environment which encompasses maternal knowledge, beliefs, and practices during the prenatal period. With the premise that birth weight shows a reverse social gradient, this study examined the effects of maternal, sociocultural and environmental factors on the birth weight of infants in Ibadan. The research adopted a prospective survey design method involving multistage sampling procedure to select 1,138 pregnant women accessing antenatal care services from both orthodox and community health providers. The instrument comprised structured questionnaire, and secondary data were generated from the patients’ files retrieved from the antenatal care centres. The study identified a number of maternal, socioeconomic and environmental factors that significantly influence low birth weight and suggested actions that would help reduce the risk factors of low birth weight and promote care-seeking and demand for skilled care at all stages of pregnancy.

Demographic dynamics and development in Nigeria

Nigeria is the most populous country in Africa and has a very high population momentum with an annual growth rate of 3.2 per cent per annum. This momentum can be a panacea for development and economic growth if well harnessed. The focus of the article is to provide an overview of population dynamics in Nigeria with a view to situating this within a broader context of contemporary population and development discourse. The article benefited immensely from secondary data sources and desk review of evidence.

Determinants of Singlehood: a retrospective account by older single women in Lagos, Nigeria

Although the population of older never married women in Nigeria is increasing considerably, negligible attention has been paid to this emerging social reality. This paper examined the determinants of singlehood from the life experience of never married women. Aspects of Giddens’ Structuration theory provided theoretical framework for the study. Empirical Data were drawn from twenty-seven In-depth Interviews, two Life Histories, and seven Focus Group Discussions conducted between 2010 and 2011 in Lagos, Nigeria with involuntary and childless never married women aged 30 and above. The major determinants of singlehood among them were drive for economic empowerment and financial independence, personal mate selection preference, marital experience of other women, cultural beliefs and practices, family background factors, and higher education. Increasing singlehood among women threatens Nigeria’s traditional nuptiality pattern of early and universal marriage and could become one of the most important components of demographic transition in 21st century Lagos.