Nigerian radiation oncologist, Adedayo Joseph is transforming cancer care for children and families through research, innovation and compassionate support. Leading Nigeria’s HYPOAfrica trial, she is helping build African evidence for shorter, more accessible radiotherapy while her pioneering paediatric oncology and patient-navigation work gives more families a chance to complete treatment. By: Titilope Fadare [ABUJA, SciDev.Net] Nigerian oncologist Adedayo Joseph has seen families sell property, borrow money and shut down businesses to pay for a child’s cancer surgery, only for the patient never to return for the radiotherapy needed to finish treatment. “They are so broken that when we call them and…
Author: Development Reporting
While violence has left deep psychological scars across Benue communities, an innovative community-led counselling model is helping survivors heal. By training trusted local volunteers as lay counsellors, the initiative is restoring hope, rebuilding resilience and offering a blueprint for expanding mental health support in conflict-affected communities. By Phillip Anjorin A choir of four women and two young men practised a melodic harmony inside the open structure of a wall-less church. It was evening in Adaka, a community in Benue State’s Gwer West Local Government Area (LGA), where the sun slowly dipped below the horizon. The choir continued even as the…
Burundi has quietly become one of the world’s breastfeeding success stories, with more than 83 per cent of infants exclusively breastfed in their first six months of life. As the World Health Organisation (WHO) and the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) push a new global investment case for breastfeeding, the East African nation is demonstrating that the biggest gains come not from awareness campaigns alone, but from stronger health systems, workplace support, and sustained public investment. The payoff extends well beyond nutrition as every US$1 invested in breastfeeding support is estimated to return nearly US$60 to the economy. Bonface Orucho,…
The West African Examinations Council (WAEC) has released the results of the 2026 Computer-Based West African Senior School Certificate Examination (CB-WASSCE) for school candidates, with 1,200,514 (61.54 per cent) of the 1,950,726 candidates who sat the examination obtaining at least five credits, including English Language and Mathematics, the benchmark required for admission into tertiary institutions. The figure represents a 1.42 percentage-point decline from the performance recorded in the 2025 examination, according to the Council. The results also show that 86.50 per cent of candidates obtained credits in at least five subjects with or without English Language and Mathematics. Addressing newsmen today, Wednesday,…
Nearly a month after schoolchildren and teachers were rescued from kidnappers in Oyo State’s Oriire communities, classrooms have reopened and routines have returned. But beneath the appearance of normalcy, fear, grief and trauma continue to shape everyday life. By Oluwapemi Bamidele On the road into Ahoro Dada community, what strikes a visitor is not what is there, but what is missing. Long before the village comes into view, traffic thins. The chatter that usually animates rural roads in southwestern Nigeria, children racing home from school, traders balancing wares on motorcycles, farmers returning from their fields before dusk dissolves into an…
A return to traditional African foods could do more than satisfy the palate. New research suggests just two weeks of fibre-rich vegetables, whole grains and fermented foods may calm inflammation and strengthen immunity while Western diets may quickly push the body in the opposite direction. By: Dann Okoth [NAIROBI] A traditional African diet rich in vegetables, fibre, and fermented foods can reverse inflammation and protect against chronic diseases in just two weeks, while Western diets exacerbate these conditions, researchers say. The research, conducted by scientists from Radboud University Medical Centre, in the Netherlands, and KCMC University, in Tanzania, found that…
In national security and counter-terrorism, strategic success is rarely measured by rhetoric alone, it is validated by tangible operational outcomes, restored peace, and the lived experiences of citizens at the grassroots. Under the leadership of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, GCFR, Nigeria’s security apparatus, anchored by the Office of the National Security Adviser and coordinated across military, intelligence, and law enforcement agencies has undergone a decisive, doctrine-driven transformation. Nowhere is this paradigm shift more evident than in the uncompromising, intelligence-led campaign against kidnapping and banditry across the geopolitical zones. A profound testament to this evolving security efforts unfolded at the Presidential…
The Nigerian Medical Association (NMA), Lagos State branch, has elected Sharafadeen Okunade as its chairman for the 2026 – 2028 term. The election, conducted electronically on 28 July by the national body of the NMA, followed the adoption of amendments to the branch’s rules and regulations, including provisions for electronic voting and a Welfare Trust Fund. Mr Okunade is a professor of Obstetrics and Gynaecology at the University of Lagos’ College of Medicine and a consultant at the Lagos University Teaching Hospital. AGM adopts new provisions The amendments were adopted during the branch’s Annual General Meeting held on 28 July.…
The Centre for Journalism Innovation and Development (CJID) has selected seven civil society organisations (CSOs) to receive artificial intelligence (AI) advocacy grants under the Nigeria AI Collective. The beneficiaries are TechHer, Cedar Foundation for Disability, Akin Fadeyi Foundation, Nest Africa AI Innovation Lab, Webfala Digital Skill for All Initiative, the African Centre for Media and Information Literacy (AFRICMIL), and Dataphyte Foundation. Each organisation will carry out advocacy projects shaped by its area of expertise, target communities and priorities within Nigeria’s developing artificial intelligence ecosystem. Focus on responsible AI According to CJID, the grants are intended to promote public understanding of…
By Adejumo Kabir and Dr. Ola Bello On 15 August 2026, the residents of Osun State, Southwest Nigeria, will elect their next governor in what is expected to be another defining moment for the state’s democratic journey. While election is the cornerstone of representative government, the credibility is measured by more than the eventual declaration of results. As the election draws closer, Good Governance Africa (GGA) has observed an escalation in political tensions, violent incidents, and acts of vandalism in the state. These incidents have prompted interventions from security agencies, civil society organisations and community leaders, all calling for restraint…