The Transformation of Leprosy Control Centre, Saye, Zaria, 1900-2000

Abstract

This paper discussed the establishment of the Leprosy Control Centre, Saye, Zaria, 1900-2000. The paper examines
the establishment of the Saye Leprosarium, its development, and its challenges. The paper has adopted a historical
approach through the use of oral, written and archival sources. Interviews were conducted with the relevant people
in both English and Hausa. The data obtained in the Hausa language were analyzed and transcribed into English.
For the written sources, relevant books, articles, journals, magazines, dissertations, and theses, among others, were
consulted and scrutinized in order to obtain a comprehensive and accurate result. Findings revealed that the
establishment of the Leprosy Centre at Saye, Zaria, by the Colonialists was because of the rampant cases of Leprosy
in Zaria City and the need to curtail the rapid spread of such a contagious disease. The Leprosy Control Centre
influenced not only the medical status of the Zaria metropolis but also the socio-economic lives of the surrounding
areas.