Prince Chiagozie Ekoh, Uzoma O. Okoye, Patricia Uju Agbawodikeizu, Elizabeth Onyedikachi George and Chukwuemeka Ejimkaraonye
This study aimed at exploring support for older people in protracted displacement in Nigeria, emphasising the available support and the gap in the support provided to them.
Abstract
Purpose
This study aimed at exploring support for older people in protracted displacement in Nigeria, emphasising the available support and the gap in the support provided to them.
Design/methodology/approach
Qualitative interviews were used to collect data from ten displaced older people in New-Kuchingoro internally displaced persons (IDP) camp Abuja, Nigeria. The collected data were analysed thematically with NVivo 12.
Findings
Results show that older people received material, emotional and psychological supports from their families, neighbours, friends, religious organisations and non-governmental organisations. Several gaps were identified in the support provided to displaced older people. For example, their special nutritional or medical needs were neglected, and their support was primarily material, sporadic and spontaneous, as there is no existing framework guiding the care and support of older people in displacement.
Research limitations/implications
This study provides a foundation for further research on older people in displacement, an area that has received minimal scholarly attention.
Practical implications
The paper recommends that researchers and displaced persons’ care providers should pay more attention to the peculiar support needs of this less visible vulnerable group and adopt the internal displacement policy for the long-term protection of older people in displacement.
Originality/value
Older people in displacement remain less visible as humanitarian aid programmes and research focus more on women and children. This lack of attention may put older people in displacement at more risk as their peculiar needs may not be met. To the best of the authors’ knowledge, this study is the first to examine the gap in support for older people in displacement in Nigeria.
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Prince Chiagozie Ekoh, Patricia Uju Agbawodikeizu, Elizabeth Onyedikachi George, Chigozie Donatus Ezulike and Uzoma Odera Okoye
The novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic has further intensified the vulnerability of older persons in displacement and rendered them more unseen. This study aims at…
Abstract
Purpose
The novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic has further intensified the vulnerability of older persons in displacement and rendered them more unseen. This study aims at exploring the impact of COVID-19 on older people in displacement.
Design/methodology/approach
Data were obtained using semi-structured interviews from 12 older persons at Durumi IDP camp Abuja, while observing strict infection control measures. The data were inductively coded with Nvivo and analysed thematically.
Findings
Findings revealed that the economic and psychosocial fallout of the COVID-19 pandemic has increased older persons in displacement poverty, psychological stress and placed them at risk of ageism, social isolation and may subsequently lead to secondary displacement, thereby losing all progress, development and resilience built after initial displacement.
Social implications
This paper concluded by encouraging the need for all stakeholders to pay more attention to this invisible yet vulnerable group to ensure no one is left behind as people fight through this pandemic and its social implications.
Originality/value
To the best of the authors’ knowledge, this study is the first to explore the impact of COVID-19 on older people in displacement in Nigeria. This is because they have been relatively invisible to research endeavours.
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Institutionalized older adults in care homes and long-care facilities have been identified as being at greater risk of COVID-19 related morbidity and mortality. Thus, this paper…
Abstract
Purpose
Institutionalized older adults in care homes and long-care facilities have been identified as being at greater risk of COVID-19 related morbidity and mortality. Thus, this paper aims to explore the impact of COVID-19 on care homes in south-east Nigeria given the recent increasing popularity of care homes in Nigeria.
Design/methodology/approach
The study adopted qualitative research method, and data was collected from 10 older residents and 5 caregivers using interviews from two care homes, while ensuring the safety of the researcher and participants. The collected data was analyzed using thematic analysis.
Findings
Findings revealed that the physical health impact of the COVID-19 pandemic is not a major problem in the homes. However, fear and anxiety, social disconnection and economic hardship were the major problems identified by the older residents and caregivers in the homes.
Originality/value
The popularity of care homes in Nigeria is growing as family structures continue to change. However, previous studies which have revealed devastating effect of COVID-19 on institutionalized older adults have been from the global north. This is the first study designed to bridge the gap in literature and contribute to knowledge on this topic from Nigeria and Sub-Saharan Africa.
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Prince Agwu, Uzoma Okoye, Prince Ekoh, Ngozi Chukwu, Chinyere Onalu, Ijeoma Igwe, Paul Onuh, Gift Amadi and George Nche
Sex work migration involves a huge number of females from Nigeria, and has attracted concerns within and across the country. To add to ongoing conversations about responsible…
Abstract
Purpose
Sex work migration involves a huge number of females from Nigeria, and has attracted concerns within and across the country. To add to ongoing conversations about responsible migration, our review underscores the prevalence of sex work migration in Edo State, Nigeria, the drivers and interventions.
Design/methodology/approach
The review adopted exhaustive search terms coined with the aid of “Boolean Operators”. Search terms were entered into several search engines and databases to elicit peer-reviewed and grey literature within sex work migration and human trafficking for commercial sex. An output of 578 studies was recorded with 76 (43 academic papers and 33 grey literature) meeting the inclusion criteria.
Findings
The study acknowledged wide-spread prevalence of sex work migration involving Nigerian females who are largely from Edo State. It achieved a prioritization of the factors that drive sex work migration based on how frequent they were mentioned in reviewed literature: economic (64.4%), cultural (46%), educational (20%), globalization (14.5%) and political factors (13.2%). Several interventions were highlighted together with their several limitations which include funding, absence of grass-roots engagement, dearth of appropriate professionals, corruption, weak political will, among others. A combination of domestic and international interventions was encouraged, and social workers were found to be needful.
Originality/value
Our systematic review is the first on this subject, as none was found throughout our search. It seeks to inform policy measures and programmes, as well as horizontal efforts poised to tackle the rising figures of sex work migrants and attendant consequences in Nigeria.
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Emmanuel Ogbu, Isaiah Adisa and Chiebuka Uzoebe Prince
The COVID-19 pandemic imposed movement restrictions and limited access to modern medical services, prompting the search for alternative solutions, such as indigenous herbal…
Abstract
The COVID-19 pandemic imposed movement restrictions and limited access to modern medical services, prompting the search for alternative solutions, such as indigenous herbal medicines. In Southwest Nigeria, female herbal producers, often with limited economic resources, play a significant role in herbal medicine production. Despite facing multiple challenges, these producers have demonstrated remarkable creativity in navigating the barriers. However, without deliberate efforts to preserve their creative values, indigenous herbal businesses face the threat of extinction. This chapter investigates the resourcefulness of female herbal producers during the COVID-19 pandemic in Southwest Nigeria and proposes strategies for sustaining their trade. Qualitative data were collected to identify the treatment patterns and trade dynamics among female herbal producers in the region. The findings indicate that movement restrictions during the pandemic disrupted herbal producers' access to treatment materials, yet they managed to meet their communities' health needs. These women often serve as first responders and primary healthcare providers in many local communities in Southwest Nigeria, and collaboration with the government will further enhance their effectiveness. The sustainability of indigenous herbal medicine production and trade by women can become a pathway to promote women's economic empowerment in Nigeria if given the necessary support. The chapter concludes with policy recommendations for sustaining the ingenuity of female herbal producers in Nigeria.