The African Studies Centre (Afrika-Studiecentrum) is a scientific institute in the Netherlands that undertakes social-science research on Africa with the aim of promoting a better understanding of historical, current and future social developments in Sub-Saharan Africa. The centre is an interfaculty institute of LeidenUniversity. The present director is Marleen Dekker. The institute is located in the Pieter de la Court Building of Leiden University’s Faculty of Social Sciences.
Abstract African Indigenous religions have undergone massive changes in their encounters with modernity, and studies of conversion to the Abrahamic religions abound, often addressing the religious changeover itself. Based on long-term fieldwork of the Kapsiki/Higi of North Cameroon and northeastern Nigeria, this article instead focuses on the internal processes which cause the waning of such a religion. Acknowledging the notion that these religions ‘dwell’ in the historical environment, plus the primacy of ritual in them, this essay follows a series of rituals as they respond to new challenges, and monitors the way they adapt through a mechanism dubbed ‘cultural drift’. The factors highlighted are 1. The world that gave rise to Indigenous religions longer exists and its particular challenges have disappeared, and cultural drift morphs into a mechanism for decline; 2. Such local religions are inherently vulnerable, and the article analyzes the internal dynamics leading to such vulnerability.
This study analyses the interactions between rapid urbanization and climate change in Sahelian cities, with a particular focus on their impacts on public health, particularly respiratory and cardiovascular diseases exacerbated by heat islands, air pollution, and extreme weather events. The aim is to identify appropriate solutions to strengthen urban resilience and improve the health of vulnerable populations. Using a methodology combining in-depth document analysis and exemplary case studies, the article highlights innovative approaches such as urban greening, sustainable mobility, and waste management systems tailored to local realities. The findings reveal that integrated urban policies can mitigate the health impacts of climate change while promoting sustainable and inclusive urban environments. By translating these findings into concrete recommendations for policymakers, this research contributes to enriching urban planning frameworks in the Sahel, with direct implications for social justice and the reduction of health inequalities.
In many African religions, traditional authority figures such as chiefs or kings also serve as spiritual leaders. A key ritual they perform is rainmaking, since rain symbolizes power and is closely linked to the chiefdom. I explain how these rainmaking rituals vary among different ethnic groups, emphasizing a strong mental connection between the leader and the community's well-being. Both the discourses and ritual practices related to rainmaking highlight this bond, transforming rain into a political-religious sphere that can sometimes pose serious risks to the ruler. This relationship is not just a historical issue but remains highly relevant today, especially as climate change has renewed interest in this type of religious practice.
