Nigerian Realities: Can we ignore Traditional Leadership in developing successful CBR?

Bertine Vermeer , Marije T Cornielje , Huib Cornielje , Erik B Post , Mike A Idah
Share:
Articles
DOI: https://doi.org/10.5463/dcid.v26i1.390
Submitted: 2020-09-14 08:37:34
Published: 2015-05-09

Purpose: To study the role of traditional leaders (Sarakuna) who provide a form of social welfare for persons with disabilities in the Hausa society of Northern Nigeria. From the results of this study, lessons are derived for cooperation with Sarakuna in (emerging) Community Based Rehabilitation programmes.

Methods: A literature study was done using different (non-)electronic sources. In addition, 26 semi-structured interviews were conducted with different stakeholders (e.g., non-governmental organisations, disabled people’s organisations), and 8 focus group discussions were held with (leaders of) persons with a disability. Question-led analysis was utilised by considering 4 dimensions: rehabilitation outcomes, rehabilitation services, involvement of beneficiaries, and social acceptability.

Results: Not much literature is available on the role of traditional leadership in rehabilitation programmes and social welfare. Nevertheless, this study found indications that traditional leadership is still present in contemporary Northern Nigeria. Some Sarakuna improve the socio-economic position of persons with disabilities by functioning as mediators and by their ability to provide social insurance. Their cooperation with multiple stakeholders enables them to distribute food and clothes. Also, since they possess essential information, NGOs are helped to access the community of persons with disabilities. Sarakuna are in a position to promote the inclusion and rehabilitation of persons with disabilities, but often lack necessary skills and training; yet, Community Based Rehabilitation programmes often ignore them.

Conclusions and Implications: Community Based Rehabilitation programmes should take better note of social contexts and therefore should also work in the specific context of traditional leadership. In this way, rehabilitation programmes are more likely to meet the expectations of persons with disability.

Keywords

Hausa culture Nigeria persons with a disability social welfare rehabilitation programmes Sarakuna

Authors

Bertine Vermeer

Bertine Vermeer obtained a Masters degree in Management, Policy Analysis and Entrepreneurship from VU University of Amsterdam in The Netherlands in 2010. Currently, she works as a Programme Coordinator with the Board for Special Needs (BSN), which is the international branch of the Reformed Congregations.

Marije T Cornielje

Marije Cornielje graduated in 2013 in the field of International Development Sociology and Research from Wageningen University. She has conducted research in Nepal, Bangladesh, Ireland, Malawi and Netherlands. The topics that she addressed were evaluation of rehabilitation programs, sexual and reproductive health, and well-being and social networks of elderly. Marije is a staff member at Enablement.

Huib Cornielje

Huib Cornielje is trained as a physiotherapist. From 1984 to 1993 he worked in various rehabilitation programmes in South Africa. He holds an MSc degree from the University of Witwatersrand and a Higher Diploma in Adult Education from the same university in Johannesburg. He obtained an MPH at the Netherlands School for Public Health in 1996. Since 1999, Huib is Director of Enablement.

Erik B Post

Erik Post has extensive experience in specialised disease control programmes (tuberculosis and leprosy) in different regions of Africa, Asia and South America. Currently, Erik works for the Royal Tropical Institute as a Senior Health Advisor. He has a good track record of managing projects in-country and from the perspective of NGO headquarters. He has conducted numerous evaluations and technical support missions. He focuses on innovations and pilots in disease control programs, specifically, with a strong focus on achieving practical results and bridging the gap between policy and practice.

Mike A Idah

Mike Idah is a trained Public Administrator with extensive knowledge of disability and rehabilitation management in an inclusive society with an experience of for more than 18 years. He works as the Rehabilitation and Development Advisor with The Netherlands Leprosy Relief in Nigeria. His responsibility is to provide strategic and technical support to partner organisations (local NGOs and government) involved with disability services. Mike also works very closely with the DPOs in the area in terms of their capacity building.

How to Cite

Bertine Vermeer, Marije T Cornielje, Huib Cornielje, Erik B Post, Mike A Idah (2015-05-09). Nigerian Realities: Can we ignore Traditional Leadership in developing successful CBR?. Disability, CBR & Inclusive Development, Vol. 26 No. 1 (2015): Spring 2015, 50-62. https://doi.org/10.5463/dcid.v26i1.390

Download Citation

License

Copyright © 2015 The Author(s)

Creative Commons License

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.

View License

Authors who publish with this journal agree to the following terms:

Authors retain copyright and grant the journal right of first publication with the work simultaneously licensed under a  Creative Commons Attribution License By-NC-ND 4.0  that allows others to share the work with an acknowledgement of the work's authorship and initial publication in this journal.
Authors are able to enter into separate, additional contractual arrangements for the non-exclusive distribution of the journal's published version of the work (e.g., post it to an institutional repository or publish it in a book), with an acknowledgement of its initial publication in this journal.
Authors are permitted and encouraged to post their work online (e.g., in institutional repositories or on their website) prior to and during the submission process, as it can lead to productive exchanges, as well as earlier and greater citation of published work (See  The Effect of Open Access ).

Similar Articles

1-10 of 510

You may also start an advanced similarity search for this article.

Most read articles by the same author(s)

<< < 1 2 3 4 > >>