West African Town Research Articles

Cities and Suburbs: Urban Life in West Africa.

CITIES AND SUBURBS presents data from surveys conducted in eight West African towns. Framing the resulting quantitative data are succinct and informed discussions of a large number of topics. The latter include: demography, migration, occupational categories and mobility, labor force participation, housing, marriage, kinship, friendship networks, ethnic relations, voluntary associations, getting help in time of difficulty, social class perceptions, and urban typology and development. Some readers may regret the omission of health care and medical practices and beliefs. The specific localities surveyed are: Tema, a port and industrial town in southeastern Ghana, originally surveyed in 1968, with additional data collected in 1970; Ashalman, a suburb of Tema, surveyed in 1970; Aba, the largest town in Imo State, Nigeria, located 225 kms. south of Enugu and 77 kms. north of Port Harcourt, surveyed in 1970; Abeokuta, on the Ogun River some 105 kms. north of Lagos and surveyed in 1970; Ajegunle, a heterogeneous suburb of Lagos; Kakuri, a perhaps equally heterogeneous suburb of Kaduna (251 kms. southeast of Kano), Nigeria, and surveyed in 1970; Banjul, capital of the Gambia, surveyed in 1976; and Serekunda, a suburb of Banjuld, surveyed at the same time. The dates at which the surveys were conducted are important, given the speed of change in modern West Africa. The expulsion of aliens from Nigeria, for example, would presumably have changed the make-up of some of the towns studied. Thus, Peil is giving us a snapshot, that is, data collected at a single point in time. Those of us concerned with social processes, that is, with phenomena which occur over time, are forced by one-point-in-time snapshot studies to infer rather than directly observe these processes. As more such snapshots accumulate, of course, our inferences are likely to grow more valid. Peil's work will in this manner be invaluable to future research-

Urban Women in the Labor Force

Data from sample censuses and interviews in eight West African towns are used to examine the importance of various factors in women's participation in the urban labor force. Participation is shown to vary considerably with local values and opportunities. Of the personal variables, marital status and education (especially secondary edu cation) are the most important, followed by age; husband's socioeconomic position appears to be relatively unimportant. Differences in income between men and women at the same occupational level and the implications of the expansion of female educa tion for increasing competition for wage employment are discussed.

Habits of malaria chemoprophylaxis and an analysis of breakdowns in a West African mining town.

In a West African community approximately 80% of the non-African personnel were taking malaria prophylactics in the recommended manner. The non-takers stated that they were afraid of side-effects of the drugs and/or under-estimated the risks of the disease. During one year 123 patients with clinically suspected malaria were studied. All patients with positive slides were cured with regular dose of 1.5 g chloroquine base. No chloroquine resistance was therefore demonstrated, although 4-aminoquinoline prophylaxis had been given for almost 20 years to thousands of non-African non-immunes as well as in pregnant women and children in the town. Common reasons for 'breakdowns' were febrile disease other than malaria, false positive diagnosis and improper chemoprophylaxis.

The Changing Patterns of Retail Outlets in West African Urban Areas: The Case of Benin, Nigeria

In spite of the growing significance of other retail channels in the commercial activities of West African towns, much emphasis has often been placed on market places in the analysis of the commercial structure of West African towns. Within the conceptual framework provided by a simple descriptive model of retail distribution in West African urban centres, this paper examines the relative roles of traditional market places and other retail outlets in the contemporary commercial structure of one such town Benin, Nigeria.The empirical analysis was based on a representative number of 22 retail and service functions selected from about 45 urban commercial activities identified in Benin. The analysis of the functional structure and spatial pattern of commercial centres in the urban area shows that a large proportion of certain retail outlets is now carried out outside the market places. The paper concludes that future planning of commercial areas in West African towns should take note of the growing importance of other retail outlets relative to the traditional market places.

The Changing Patterns of Retail Outlets in West African Urban Areas: The Case of Benin, Nigeria

In spite of the growing significance of other retail channels in the commercial activities of West African towns, much emphasis has often been placed on market places in the analysis of the commercial structure of West African towns. Within the conceptual framework provided by a simple descriptive model of retail distribution in West African urban centres, this paper examines the relative roles of traditional market places and other retail outlets in the contemporary commercial structure of one such town Benin, Nigeria.The empirical analysis was based on a representative number of 22 retail and service functions selected from about 45 urban commercial activities identified in Benin. The analysis of the functional structure and spatial pattern of commercial centres in the urban area shows that a large proportion of certain retail outlets is now carried out outside the market places. The paper concludes that future planning of commercial areas in West African towns should take note of the growing importance of other retail outlets relative to the traditional market places.

Population dynamics and drought: A village in Niger

Summary The paper reports the results of demographic research in a rural village of about 1500 Hausaspeaking farmers in southern Niger, during the winter of 1973-74. The research site lies at the heart of the Sahel-sudanic zone just to the south of the Sahara, where drought, and in some areas, famine have exacted a heavy human, animal, and economic toll since 1968. The study was designed to measure and explain the change in the size and structure of the population during the years 1969-73. Social anthropological field techniques were used to ensure full and accurate reporting by community residents on all census topics. Data on rainfall and crop yields, on health and sanitary conditions, and on the political economy, social organization, and culture of the village were gathered in order to interpret the demographic situation The analysis of this data yields the following conclusions: 1. The population of the village appears younger (mean age: 15 years) and growing faster (mean doubling time: 23 years) than reported for Niger as a whole in 1972. 2. Contrary to what the researchers expected, the crude death rate, while relatively high to begin with, actually declined during the drought period (mean: 14.81); the crude birth rate remained very high (mean: 46.01), and the crude rate of increase rose from 1969 to 1973. 3. There was virtually no family out-migration from the target village during the drought, although the number of adult males participating in seasonal migrations to large West African towns rose from 35 per cent in 1969-70 to 75 per cent in 1973-74. 4. Problems of food production and distribution were acute, but thanks to the availability of donated foods, these were sufficiently short-lived during this drought cycle to make no discernible impact on population, although prolonged protein/calorie malnutrition among the very young may affect future fecundity.

Some Factors In the Growth of West African Market Towns

Some Factors In the Growth of West African Market Towns

Some urban developments in Tropical Africa

This essay describes some of the more important urban developments in Tropical Africa. Structures and types of West African towns and urban problems in East Africa are chosen to outline some of the processes of African urbanization. Particular reference is made to the historical growth as well as to the functional aspects of urban settlements in Africa.

Politics of the Kola Trade: Some Processes of Tribal Community Formation among Migrants in West African Towns

IntroductionIn his important pioneering study of migrations into Ghana, Rouch makes the observation that different tribal groups of migrants organize themselves differently in the foreign towns to which they migrate. The forms of their organization fall into a continuum between two extremes. At the one end are migrants who form only segmental, temporary, tribal groupings. At the other end are migrants who form autonomous, multi-purposive, tribal communities. Banton makes a similar observation in his study of migrants in Freetown. Neither Rouch nor Banton analyses this difference in detail, though both tend to explain it in terms of differences in tribal traditional culture.

The West African Town its Social Basis

Although urbanism in terms of “a relatively large, dense, and permanent settlement of socially heterogeneous individuals” is not a general characteristic of traditional life, it is far from being unique in West Africa. In 1911 there were already twenty-nine towns of over 3,000 inhabitants in what is now southern Ghana, and this degree of urban concentration is small compared with western Nigeria. The Yoruba of that region have six cities of more than 100,000, including Ibadan, which is the largest Negro city in Africa. In 1931 some 28 per cent of the Yoruba lived in nine cities of 45,000 inhabitants, while 34 per cent of the population lived in sixteen cities of over 20,000 inhabitants. In addition, there were twenty-seven centers with populations between 10,000 and 19,999. Bascom has calculated that the estimated index of urbanization of Yoruba cities falls between that of the United States and Canada and that the distribution of population in urban centers is very similar to that of France.

The Gold Coast Begins Self-Government

THE new political status of the people in Gold Coast, West Africa today is the result of continuing processes a social movement as it were with West Africans and Britishers as the major partners and participants. It can also be viewed as the results of the impact of a series of significant national and international forces and events. Some may see the political changes in the Gold Coast as moving away from and the discrediting of tribal life and the rule of the Chiefs. This, however, is only part of the picture. One can observe in most West African towns and cities many practices diffused into the culture directly from Western Civilization; yet at the same time most people in the area still adhere to a large part of the basically tribal histories, customs and traditions. Such dualism is evident in almost every phase of the life of the people during this period of transition, and will continue for a long time to come, due no doubt to a societal system of the socialization of individuals, who grow up in the deeply rooted culture, and come to internalize and cherish the great traditions of a fascinating civilization. The political roles of the Chiefs in the Gold Coast are matters for vigorous discussion. At a recent meeting of more than eight hundred delegates from the Ashanti Region of the United Ghana Farmer's Council, a resolution was adopted which asked the Asantehene (the King of Ashanti) and all paramount, divisional and sub-chiefs in Ashanti to refrain from party politics. It was thought that if the Asantehene and the other Chiefs participated in politics, this would prejudice their role as fathers and rulers of the whole people, thus endangering the prestige and culture heritage of Ashanti. Dr. Kwame Nkrumah, Prime Minister of the Gold Coast and Life Chairman of the Convention Peoples Party (CPP) this point of view notwithstandingin his Accra address on June 13, 1955 stated the position of his Party as being against despotism, and in favor of Constitutional Chieftaincy. He stressed the view that Chieftaincy like any other governmental authority could not afford to remain static, but must adapt itself to the dynamic conditions of the changing times. The system of Indirect Rule employed by Great Britain to govern the Gold Coast was similar to that used in Nigeria and many other British colonies. This method was opposed by West Africans, and was not looked upon with much favor by progressive colonial governmental

Water Supply of West African Towns

Water Supply of West African Towns

The Sanitation of West African Coast Towns

The Sanitation of West African Coast Towns