By: Mohammed Taoheed The Nigerian Academy of Education (NAE) has called on the federal government to reverse its recent decision to abolish the use of indigenous languages as the medium of instruction in early education, warning that the move threatens learning outcomes, cultural identity, and national development. In a position paper submitted to the Minister of Education, Olatunji Alausa, the Academy described the cancellation of the National Language Policy (NLP 2022) as a ‘misstep’ that disregards decades of research, constitutional provisions, and international best practice. Mr Alausa had announced the policy reversal at the National Council on Education (NCE) meeting…
Author: Development Reporting
Come Monday, 1 December, the leadership and members of the Nigerian Society of Engineers will converge on the University of Ibadan, Oyo State, to confer fellowship status on select Nigerian engineers who have demonstrated exceptional professional achievements, made significant contributions to the engineering field, and provided substantial service to the society. Among these exceptional engineers is the President and Chief Executive Officer of HMF Construction Limited, Idris Adeoye, whose elevation has been described by many prominent Nigerians, including former Leader of the Nigerian Senate and governorship candidate of the All Progressives Congress in Oyo State during the 2023 general election,…
By Samson Ademola Experts have urged senior male journalists and editors to address gender imbalances in the news, as data shows women appear in only 24 per cent of news content despite accounting for 49.4 per cent of the population and 47 per cent of registered voters. They made the call during a refresher session organised by Women Radio 91.7FM with support from the Ford Foundation on Friday, 28 November, in Lagos. The Chief Executive Officer of Women Radio, Toun Sonaiya, highlighted the role of the media in shaping national narratives. She noted that women make up half of Nigeria’s…
By Adejumo Kabir and Dr. Ola Bello The events in Guinea-Bissau where the military abruptly seized total control, dissolved electoral processes and detained President Umaro Sissoco Embaló on 26 November mark yet another rupture in a region sliding deeper into abyss of coups, insurgencies, foreign meddling and institutional decay. West Africa is grappling with a complex, interconnected set of challenges that go beyond isolated governance crises like the recent coup in Guinea-Bissau. The region is also struggling to navigate a systemic crisis in which political instability is increasingly shaped by geopolitical rivalry, transnational crime, strategic recalculations of domestic militaries, and…
By Samson Ademola World leaders have committed to increasing investment in early childhood education and childcare, marking what advocates describe as a significant breakthrough for the early years. This pledge was made at the G20 summit in Johannesburg, South Africa, the first on African soil. The Group of Twenty (G20) is an international forum of both developing and developed countries which seeks to find solutions to global economic and financial issues. The commitment, captured in the G20 Leaders’ Declaration released at the close of the summit, places early childhood development (ECD) on the agenda of the world’s major economies for…
ActionAid Nigeria on Tuesday said its 25th anniversary is not only a moment of celebration but a time to chart a clear path for the next 25 years, as the organisation recommits to advancing humanitarian and development interventions across the country. Marking the milestone in Abuja on Tuesday, the Secretary General of ActionAid International, Arthur Larok, joined other dignitaries to celebrate what the organisation described as a significant point in its journey of addressing poverty, inequality, corruption and poor governance in Nigeria. According to the Director of Business Development and Innovation, Nkechi Ilochi-Kanny, marking 25 years of salvaging humanity is worthy…
By Malik Samuel “As I sat with the man I had come to see, two Lakurawa fighters approached us. They questioned my identity, and the man quickly introduced me as his brother, a trader from Sokoto. One of the fighters switched to Arabic, demanding my name and testing me with rapid exchanges. My responses eased his suspicion; he shook my hand, praised my fluency, and even touched my beard, saying it reflected religious devotion. He then seized my phone, ordered me to unlock it, and condemned the music he found as ‘unholy.’ I explained that the phone was newly purchased,…
By Sodiq Mojibola, Olabisi Sulaiman & Moryam Bakare Despite being home to key industries on Lagos mainland and thousands of daily commuters, the road networks linking Akanni Doherty, Oba Akran and Akilo have deteriorated into deep potholes, open drainages, leading to constant traffic jams, and making mobility a daily ordeal for residents, commuters and business operators. The condition of this industrial corridor, which connects major parts of the mainland, has raised fresh questions about years of government neglect. Residents say the deplorable state of the roads has made transportation increasingly herculean and unsafe. Lagos State prides itself on housing over 50 per cent…
By Moryam Bakare Amid rising concerns about the quality and credibility of public examinations, Nigeria’s Minister of Education, Tunji Alausa; the Registrars of the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) and the National Examinations Council (NECO), Professors Is-haq Oloyede and Ibrahim Wushishi; and other sector leaders will converge to discuss practical solutions to the country’s examination integrity crisis at the 2025 annual summit organised by the Education Writers Association of Nigeria (EWAN). EWAN is a professional network of education reporters from diverse media organisations across the country, headquartered in Lagos. According to a statement signed by the Secretary of the…
With about 18 million out-of-school children in Nigeria and 1.8 million at risk of severe acute malnutrition, the renewed violence across many states in the country worsens the plight of children. DevReporting’s recent visit to an IDP camp in Benue exposed the keg of gunpowder Nigeria now dangerously sits on. To mark this year’s World Children’s Day, Mojeed Alabi and Mohammed Taoheed report the precarious situation at the International New Market IDP Camp in Makurdi. On a sunny noon on Saturday, 18 October, at an Internally Displaced Persons’ camp located within the International New Market, around Tamen, Abu King Shuluwa…