Author: Christiana Alabi-Akande

While one type of IUD may lead to heavier, more painful periods, another can make menstruation lighter or even stop it altogether. When should side effects become a medical concern? This piece separates myths from medical evidence, examines why different IUDs affect women differently, and outlines what every woman should know before choosing the contraceptive method  After giving birth to her third child in 2014, Maryanne Okeke, 40, knew she wanted to space her children. However, she avoided modern contraceptives because of frightening stories she had heard from other women. Some complained of severe bleeding after using contraceptives. Others said…

Data shows 4.9 million children need life-saving humanitarian support, yet no federal or state budget specifically provides for early childhood development in crisis settings. A new report has raised fresh concerns about Nigeria’s investment in its youngest and most vulnerable citizens, revealing that millions of children affected by conflict, displacement, climate shocks and economic hardship remain “fiscally invisible” because neither the federal nor state governments have dedicated budget lines for early childhood development in humanitarian crisis settings. The report, ‘Financing Early Childhood Development in Crisis (ECDiC) in Nigeria: From Fiscal Invisibility to Child-Level Results’, developed by the Moving Minds Alliance…

Today marks 27 years of uninterrupted democratic governance in Nigeria. While many spend the day watching Democracy Day analyses and celebrations, some children and teachers remain in captivity, enduring the consequences of violent attacks on schools. In this report, DevReporting chronicles the wave of attacks on Nigerian schools and the abduction of innocent students and educators, tracing the crisis from the Chibok kidnapping to recent incidents across the country. Known as Jijinigbe in Yoruba, Ntọrọ mmadụ in Igbo and Garkuwa da Mutane in Hausa, kidnapping in Nigeria has evolved from isolated criminal incidents into a nationwide security crisis. While Nigeria…

When Lagos introduced mass housing under former Governor Lateef Jakande in the ’80s, civil servants, factory workers and low-income earners could buy homes through instalment payments that stretched over 30 years. Four decades later, findings by DevReporting show that many of Lagos’ ‘low-cost’ homes now cost between ₦5 million and ₦25 million, with repayment conditions that exclude 70 per cent of the city’s working population, who earn below ₦100,000. Only 7 per cent (1,400,000) of Lagos residents earn above ₦200,000. An analysis of government procurement records from 2020-2025, housing prices, mortgage requirements, labour income data and interviews with allocatees, reveal…

Following this year’s Nurses’ Week, observed globally from 6 to 12 May, DevReporting celebrates Principal Nursing Officer Olusolape Olanrewaju of the State Hospital, Abeokuta, Ogun State, for redefining maternal healthcare through an uncommon blend of compassion, music, humour and health education. In this interview with CHRISTIANA ALABI-AKANDE, she speaks about her childhood, passion for nursing, life in the labour room, surviving occupational risks, and how empathy-driven healthcare can help improve maternal and child health outcomes. https://youtu.be/UDzpzSOOJnQ?si=7zGyhLzpm6yCePM9 DR: Beyond the personality many people know on social media, who is Nurse Olusolape? Olusolape: I was born over 40 years ago in a…

The Minister of Marine and Blue Economy, Adegboyega Oyetola, on Thursday said Nigeria’s ambition to unlock the vast potential of its maritime sector will depend largely on investments in human capital, declaring that the future of the blue economy “will be built in classrooms, laboratories and research centres”. Mr Oyetola spoke at the commissioning of the Institute of Maritime Studies multi-purpose building donated to the University of Lagos (UNILAG) by the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA). Describing the project as a “defining milestone”, the minister said the facility underscores the federal government’s shift towards knowledge-driven development in the marine…

Nigeria has launched the first Artificial Intelligence (AI) UniPod at the University of Lagos (UNILAG), marking the start of a national rollout of innovation hubs aimed at strengthening research, entrepreneurship, and technology development in tertiary institutions. The initiative, a collaboration between the Federal Government, the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), and UNILAG, is the first of seven hubs to be established across Nigeria under the UNDP’s Timbuktoo project, which seeks to catalyse innovation across Africa and translate it into tangible, homegrown solutions capable of driving sustainable development, economic growth, and job creation. Shift to innovation-led development Speaking at the launch,…

From Ibadan to remote communities, parents are routinely asked to pay for examination materials, development levies, security fees and even basic classroom supplies. Individually, the charges seem small; together, they are pushing some children out of school. Across Oyo State, school-age children are often seen hawking goods, running errands or engaged in other economic activities during class hours. For many families, the problem is not a lack of interest in education, but the growing burden of unofficial costs attached to a system meant to be free. The contradiction is striking. In June 2025, the Oyo State Executive Council approved ₦63.48…

The Oyo State chapter of the Civil Society Action Coalition on Education for All (CSACEFA), in collaboration with Educare Trust, has expressed concern over the delay in the enrolment of out-of-school children (OOSC) in the state, following a nationwide mop-up exercise conducted by the National Commission on Almajiri and Out-of-School Children Education (NCAOOSCE). Addressing newsmen in Ibadan, the Programme Director of Educare Trust and Coordinator of the Civil Society Action Coalition on Education for All (CSACEFA) caretaker committee, Folorunsho Moshood, explained that the NCAOOSCE carried out a mop-up exercise nationwide, including Oyo State, between 22 June and 17 July 2025.…

Olalekan Fabilola is the creator and host of ‘Masoyinbo’, a popular Yoruba cultural game show that blends language, history and entertainment. Through the programme, he has carved a distinct space for indigenous knowledge in Nigeria’s contemporary media landscape, reaching audiences across generations. In this interview with DevReporting, Mr Fabilola speaks on the idea behind Masoyinbo, the power of indigenous language, and why culture remains a critical tool for development. Excerpt DR: Anywhere you appear today, many people recognise you by the programme you currently host, ‘Masoyinbo’. So, who is Masoyinbo? Masoyinbo: I am having mixed feelings about whether to speak…