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Obstetric fistula is a chronic health condition that leaves affected women battered and traumatized, thereby exposing them to social recluse life as a result of associated discomfort and odor. Support services to those with challenging health conditions are reputed to help cushion the adverse effects on them; thus women with fistula and other chronic diseases receiving adequate support will help them to cope and recuperate from such illnesses. This study explores the factors limiting and boosting access to support services for those with obstetric fistulainNigeria. Focus Group Discussions and In-depth Interviews were employed to obtain data from 44 participants. The thematic data analysis method was deployed in analyzing the data collected. Factors like the limited number of fistula specialist doctors, poor funding, withdrawal from seeking help, long distance, and discrimination limit patients' access to support services and adequate fistula care. The study highlighted that community involvement in fistula care, adequate funding, training, and retraining of professionals will boost support services for fistula patients. The study recommends the adoption of a multidisciplinary approach in the management of obstetric fistula patients including the involvement of not only medical personnel but also social workers, families, groups, and community leaders. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Children are considered as social and economic safety nets for their elderly parents in many developing countries, including Nigeria. This perception is driven by the fact that state-sponsored welfare systems are almost non-existent thereby placing parents as the sole care providers for their young children, and grown children as the sole care providers for their older parents. What this may mean for older people without children is that they are left with inadequate material support which could affect their well-being and life satisfaction. This study examines the adequacy of material support systems for childless older adults in southeast Nigeria with the aim to inform policy and social work interventions to ensure adequate support for the older adults. Twelve childless older adults aged 75 and older partook in the in-depth interview. The collected data was analyzed thematically. Except for the government support system, childless older adults receive material support from the networks of family, community, and churches. However, the support available from these networks seems to be inadequate and irregular. The study recommends for the political will by government to ensure that the newly approved national policy on ageing benefits older adults. Social workers are highly needed to ensure that other necessary programmes are established, and also strengthen the systems that support older adults. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Social work education in Africa is faced with a myriad of challenges that require immediate attention for a sustainable future. If the principles of social justice, human rights and respect for diversities are central to the social work profession, then the education and practice of social work in Nigeria should be culturally relevant in engaging people and structures to address challenges. Participants for the study included four social work educators, 10 social work students and four social work practitioners. Findings from the research suggest the need for a paradigm shift from Western pedagogy to a more inclusive Nigerian pedagogy for a sustainable future. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The increasing phenomenon of street children aiding visually challenged beggars and the risk factors involved in such activity is of much concern to social workers in Nigeria. With low investment in social protection for vulnerable children, a large number of children are constantly involved in income‐generating activities on the street. This study through in‐depth interviews explored the experiences of children who aid visually challenged beggars in a semi‐urban city in Nigeria. Findings based on lived experiences are thematically discussed in this study. Well‐coordinated social protection measures can keep vulnerable children off the street and within the safety net of their family. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]