The development and social impact of the Sudan Interior Mission’s leprosy work in Bauchi Province, northern Nigeria, 1937–1978

Leprosy was a widespread disease in pre-colonial and colonial northern Nigeria, and the British colonial authority’s determination to control the ailment inspired partnerships involving Christian missions and Native Authorities, leading to the creation of leprosaria in some provinces of the region in the mid-1930s. This article examines the distinctive experience of Bauchi Province in northern Nigeria, where the commencement of the Sudan Interior Mission’s leprosy work was significantly delayed due to the distrust and denial displayed by the provincial authorities, and analyses archival documents, oral interviews and secondary data sources to underscore the interplay of colonialism, religion and local politics, assessing their influence on leprosy control. We examine the events leading up to the establishment of the Bayara Leprosarium in Bauchi Province in 1952, tracing its evolution and assessing its subsequent social impact. Despite the delay, we show that the subsequent commencement of leprosy work yielded effective leprosy control, the medical training of indigenous staff, and internal migration to the area, fostering a more harmonious relationship between the government and medical-missionary activity in Bauchi Province.