By John Musenze, [KAMPALA, SciDev.Net] Researchers are racing to develop a vaccine against the Bundibugyo strain of Ebola as an outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) has resulted in 223 suspected deaths and triggered a global health emergency response. The development comes amid warnings from international aid agencies that response efforts are struggling to keep pace with the outbreak, which the World Health Organisation (WHO) has declared a public health emergency of international concern. The Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations (CEPI), a global organisation focused on vaccine development, on 1 June pledged US$62 million to accelerate three investigational…
Author: Development Reporting
By Mariam Alabi The Ilobu Concerned Citizens (ICC), a socio-political group, has awarded educational grants to four indigent medical students from Ilobu, headquarters of Irepodun local Government Area of Osun State. The intervention came as part of the activities marking the fourth edition of the Jare Adebisi-Balogun Education Grant (JABEG) award ceremony. The grant awards were presented on Saturday, 30 May, at the Ilobu National Students’ Union (INSU) Secretariat during a ceremony attended by community leaders, students, parents and members of the ICC. About the award Established in memory of Mikhail Adejare Adebisi, a lawyer and former Deputy Chief of…
As Hollywood debates the ethics of AI filmmaking, African creators are increasingly testing whether artificial intelligence can solve the economics of making films on the continent. Bonface Orucho, bird story agency When 17-year-old Zara Sodangi earns admission to Nigeria’s most prestigious fictional tech academy, Makemation, her world suddenly shifts from survival in a poor Lagos neighbourhood to the demanding universe of artificial intelligence, product design, and data analytics. The coming-of-age feature film follows the brilliant but financially struggling teenager as she navigates elite technology education, class barriers, and self-doubt while trying to transform her family’s fortunes through innovation. But beyond…
Joshua Ogunwole, a professor of Soil Science, is the new Vice Chancellor of Federal University of Oye Ekiti (FUOYE), succeeding Abayomi Fasina, a professor who steered the affairs of the institution for five years. A former Deputy Vice-Chancellor, Strategic Partnerships, Research, Innovation, and Linkages, and a former Vice-Chancellor of Bowen University, Ogunwole, in this interview with DevReporting, offers a glimpse into his journey from scepticism to stewardship, reflecting on loyalty, leadership, and the turbulent realities of university administration. Excerpt. DR: Kindly walk us through your journey with FUOYE. Ogunwole: I came to this university precisely on 2 October, 2016. Coming…
For decades, Africa’s place in the global economy has largely followed a familiar pattern. The continent supplied raw materials. Others controlled processing, financing, technology, branding, and the highest layers of value creation. Minerals left Africa as ore and returned as expensive finished products. Oil left as crude and returned as refined fuel. Agricultural commodities departed cheaply and reappeared within global consumer brands. Now, a new extraction economy is emerging. But this time, the resource may not lie beneath African soil. It may lie within African intelligence itself. Artificial intelligence is rapidly becoming the infrastructure of modern economic power. Yet beneath…
A Professor of Computer Engineering at the Obafemi Awolowo University (OAU), Ile-Ife, Osun State, Segun Aina, has been appointed the registrar of the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB). JAMB is responsible for the conduct of the Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME), the entrance test for admission seekers into tertiary institutions in Nigeria. His appointment was announced in a statement issued on Thursday by the federal government and signed by the Special Adviser to President Bola Tinubu on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga. The 39-year-old academic, who hails from Otan Ayegbaju in Boluwaduro Local Government Area of Osun State, is…
Oyo State has allocated more than ₦459 billion to education over the past decade, with the sector receiving funding exceeding 20 per cent of the annual budget in recent years. Yet many public schools remain short of teachers, inadequate facilities, and inconsistent learning outcomes. This special report by OLUSEYE OJO investigates why huge spending has not translated into better learning outcomes for students across the state. Analysis of budget data from 2016 to 2025 indicates that education received ₦459.35 billion out of a total ₦2.72 trillion, representing about 16.85 per cent of total spending. Annual allocations rose from ₦6.1 billion…
By Adedoyin Oguntade Students of Obafemi Awolowo University (OAU), Ile-Ife, have resumed academic activities today, 19 May, following the end of the three-week mid-semester break declared by the university management after protests over transportation challenges and other welfare concerns. An internal memorandum released on 17 May by the university Senate and signed by the Principal Assistant Registrar, Senate Division, I.B. Aronkola, stated that the decision followed a review of issues that led to the temporary suspension of academic activities. The memorandum, addressed to all Deans of Faculties, noted that the Senate approved the resumption after deliberating on developments that triggered…
Nigeria’s clean energy push is shifting into manufacturing as local solar production moves beyond domestic use. With US$425 million flowing into new facilities and capacity rising from 120 MW to 300 MW in two years, the country is positioning solar not just as a power supply but as an export industry. Bonface Orucho, bird story agency Nigeria’s solar sector is seeing a surge in activity, with momentum shifting from installations and off-grid rollout into component factory expansion and early export flows. Nigeria is attempting to move from being a demand-heavy solar market to a supply-capable one, linking electrification needs to…
By Sodiq Mojibola & Olanshile Akanho It was as if they had a premonition of the impending end of an era when both Omotoye Olorode and Ropo Ewenla travelled to Ijebu-Ode on Thursday, 30 April, to spend the night with their beloved friend, mentor, and comrade- Segun Osoba. Exactly two weeks after such a night described by Mr Ewenla as memorable, their host, one of Nigeria’s most principled socialists, historians, and revolutionaries, Mr Osoba, took his last breath. The late scholar’s death was announced on Thursday in a broadcast message titled, “Transition of Comrade Dr Segun Osoba.” “We were informed…