SOCIAL WORK FOR SOCIAL DEVELOPMENT IN AFRICA

Most schools of social work in Africa are yet to adopt and entrench a developmental approach to their professional education and training- a situation which has invariably snowballed into the non-utilization of a development-oriented practice among many existing practitioners. This scenario poses a legitimate challenge and concern to a profession whose historical commitments to social development reflects in both assertions and actions. The text: Social Work for Social Development in Africa; amplifies the inadequacy of existing social work practice models in contemporary Africa and advocates for a return to the developmental paradigm as was the case in pre-colonial Africa- away from the apron string of remedial stranglehold or more aptly ‘professional imperialism’). Such act is integral as it would not only reinforce the underlying substance of social work, but will equally assure the effectivity of practitioners in displaying profound understanding of, appreciation for, and sensitivity to the perennial developmental conundrum bedeviling the region. Convincingly, drawing on a somewhat discursive radar, the author, brilliantly weaved age-old discordant tunes to match current intermittent but vehement debates in push for post-modernist professional relevance in the context of an emerging continent like Africa. Succinctly, the text typifies a clear-cut masterclass from an apparent authority in the field, and commands a trenchant readership imperative to social work professionals (researchers, educators, practitioners, and students) within the African region and beyond.