Rising temperatures may be taking a hidden toll on pregnancies in Sub-Saharan Africa, with new research linking heat exposure during early pregnancy to increased loss of male fetuses. An analysis of nearly three million births across 33 countries found that exposure to temperatures above 20°C during the first trimester was associated with a higher likelihood of pregnancy loss, highlighting the need to strengthen maternal healthcare as the climate warms. By: Paul Adepoju [LAGOS, SciDev.Net] Exposure to even moderately warm temperatures during pregnancy is increasing the loss of vulnerable male fetuses in Sub-Saharan Africa, highlighting the need to strengthen maternal healthcare…
Author: Development Reporting
It is a privilege to join distinguished industry leaders in honouring Mrs Bimbo Oloyede as she marks an extraordinary 50-year career in broadcasting, strategic communication, language instruction, and public speaking. Few occasions present such a distinguished gathering. Approximately 60 media professionals, scholars, newsroom executives, and mentees contributed to a single volume in her honour, resulting in one of the most comprehensive festschrifts within Nigeria’s media and communication landscape. Eager host, reluctant guests My contribution, titled “Eager Hosts, Reluctant Guests: Bridging Research Communication Gaps in Africa,” analyses the historical disconnect between academic researchers and journalists, examining how this gap affects socio-economic…
Days after raising allegations about the 2026 West African Senior School Certificate Examination (WASSCE) results, an official of the West African Examinations Council in Nigeria, Olanrewaju Fadehan, has been invited by the Nigeria Police authorities. The invitation, contained in a letter dated 3 September an d signed by the Director of the Force National Cybercrime Centre (NPF-NCCC), Akaninyene Ezima, an Assistant Inspector General (AIG), said it is investigating matters concerning cyberstalking and criminal defamation. The police authorities asked Mr Fadehan to appear in person at the NPF-NCCC office in Abuja on Wednesday, 9 September for an interview with the Assistant…
The incumbent Head of the National Office of the West African Examinations Council in Nigeria (WAEC-HNO), Amos Dangut, will, in October, assume office as the registrar of the examination body at its headquarters in Accra, Ghana. DevReporting gathered that his successor-designate, Suleman Kum, the immediate past Senior Deputy Registrar and Director of Test Administration, has since resumed as a senior deputy registrar in Mr Dangut’s office to understudy him for a smooth transition, as is WAEC tradition. However, Mr Dangut’s elevation is coming amidst the growing concerns over the recent release of the 2026 West African Senior School Certificate Examination…
The West African Examinations Council (WAEC) and the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) have introduced a one-off verification system for West African Senior School Certificate Examination (WASSCE) O’Level results used for admission into Nigerian tertiary institutions. Under the arrangement, candidates will pay ₦4,000 once through JAMB’s designated Verification Service platform, while institutions will use the verified results supplied by JAMB without charging candidates again. A joint statement issued by the agencies, and signed by Moyosola Adesina, WAEC’s head of public affairs, on behalf of the Head of National Office (HNO), Amos Dangut, said the new process will allow candidates…
Nigeria now hosts one of the world’s largest single-train refineries, yet it continues to depend on petrol imports whenever domestic supply falters. That contradiction should concern policymakers more than the recurring argument over whether Dangote Petroleum Refinery is helping or hurting the market. Using NMDPRA’s latest consolidated monthly figures, domestic petrol supply fell by 20.6 per cent, from 32.5 million litres per day in June 2026 to 25.8 million litres in July. As domestic supply declined, imports increased from 18.1 million litres per day to 19.7 million litres, cushioning part of the shortfall and accounting for 43.3 per cent of…
As funding cuts disrupt access to life-saving HIV treatment in Nigeria, some people living with the virus are turning to faith healers and unproven remedies in search of a cure. In northern Nigeria, the crisis is exposing how gaps in healthcare support can push vulnerable patients towards costly promises, worsening health and deepening fear. By: Yahuza Bawage [KANO, SciDev.Net] Aisha* once relied on free antiretroviral therapy (ART) from a clinic in Maiduguri, northeastern Nigeria, funded through the US President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR) programme. The treatment kept her HIV suppressed. That changed when US President Donald Trump ordered…
My esteemed brother and companion of many years, Sikiru Akinola- affectionately known as SK or Oranmiyan- attained the milestone of 40 on Friday. To my profound regret, my family allowed the occasion to pass unobserved, an oversight for which we offer our most sincere apologies. I must acknowledge the immense debt of gratitude I owe to SK, a sentiment fully shared by my family. But you cannot blame me for the oversight as well. Since the unfortunate death of the publisher of Eagle Online, Dotun Oladipo, a man described by many as an unquantifiable asset, I simply retreated into my…
In June 2023, motorbike riders filled the streets of Garoua in northern Cameroon. Thousands of them. Angry. They were not angry with their own president. They were angry with President Bola Ahmed Tinubu. Let that sit for a moment. Foreigners rioting because Nigeria stopped paying for something. What had we been paying for? Their fuel. Before subsidy ended, a litre of petrol here cost about 189 naira. Across the border it cost the equivalent of 333 naira in Chad, 365 in Niger, 381 in Benin and 399 in Cameroon. Now put yourself in the shoes of those rioting young men.…
Chibuike Aguene left university with a computer science degree but lacked the practical skills needed for the industry. After gaining practical skills at NIIT and later struggling to find qualified employees, he built an AI-powered platform to bridge Nigeria’s education-to-work gap. By Vera Chidimma Okoh, bird story agency When it was time to fill out his Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) form, the official electronic application for Nigerians to gain admission for tertiary education, Chibuike Aguene chose to ignore the advice of family. Instead of pursuing medicine or engineering, he looked around the family and, identifying a computer scientist…