Author: Sodiq Mojibola

As rapidly growing African cities adopt safer ways to manage informal settlements without displacement, demolitions in the waterfront communities of Makoko and Oworonshoki, Lagos, have left thousands homeless. The demolitions, carried out by the Lagos State Government, are reportedly targeted at structures built close to high-tension power lines, power stations and restricted waterfront corridors, triggering public outrage and humanitarian concerns. While the government insists that its actions are necessary to prevent disasters, affected residents say the operations have deepened their vulnerability, leaving them without shelter, compensation, resettlement or clear relocation plans. This has reignited debate over whether safety in fast-growing…

Nigeria’s education system must undergo urgent reform to harness its growing youth population for national development and global competitiveness, the 56th University of Lagos (UNILAG) convocation lecture has warned. Delivering the convocation lecture themed “Maximising Nigeria’s demographic dividend through urgent education reform for global competitiveness in the 21st century”, the founder and Executive Director of Slum2School Africa, Orondaam Otto, presented an eight-pillar reform framework aimed at repositioning education as Nigeria’s most strategic national infrastructure, rather than a routine social service. Addressing an audience of academics, policymakers and students, Mr Otto argued that incremental and piecemeal reforms were no longer sufficient…

All seems set for the 56th convocation ceremony at the University of Lagos (UNILAG), Akoka, where a total of 16,506 graduands will be awarded degrees, diplomas and certificates across more than 18 faculties, schools and colleges. This is as two distinguished Nigerians – a former Attorney General and Minister of Justice of the Federation, Kanu Agabi, and the Group Chief Executive Officer of Oando Plc, Wale Tinubu, will receive honorary doctorate degrees. While Mr Agabi, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria, will be awarded a Doctorate Degree in Law, Mr Tinubu will be awarded a Doctorate Degree in Business. The university’s…

Nigeria’s journalism industry is facing a silent but deepening crisis as poor remuneration, ownership pressure and unethical funding continue to undermine editorial independence, a communication and media scholar, Ismail Ibraheem, has warned. Mr Ibraheem, a professor of journalism and communication studies, said the future of credible journalism in the country depends on the ability of newsrooms to embrace development-centred reporting while resisting financial influence from wealthy individuals and institutions whose support often comes at the cost of independence. Speaking on Saturday at a gathering organised by DevReporting, a development-focused media platform, Mr Ibraheem said, “Sustainable journalism must prioritise public interest,…

The family of Nigerian investor and philanthropist, Tony Elumelu has donated food items to orphanages and care homes in Lagos, Delta and Edo states as part of its end-of-year humanitarian outreach aimed at supporting vulnerable children and easing pressure on caregivers. The intervention involved the distribution of 1,730 bags of rice and 290 bags of beans to six orphanages and care homes in Lagos, three in Delta State and three in Edo State. Communities and public institutions in Onicha Ukwu, Delta State, were also included. Although the donations covered three states, the symbolic presentation was held in Lagos at the…

Urban planning experts, policymakers and academics have warned that Nigeria’s fragmented land-use classification systems are undermining planning efficiency, revenue generation and sustainable development, calling for the urgent adoption of a single, standardised and digitally encoded framework to support spatial data integration and smart-city ambitions. The call was made at a one-day national workshop on land-use classification for planning practice in Nigeria, organised by the Department of Urban and Regional Planning, University of Lagos (UNILAG), in collaboration with the Spatial Data Infrastructure (SDI) Cluster of the Centre for Housing and Sustainable Development, UNILAG. The workshop, held at the Marriott Hotel, Ikeja…

Residents of Ajegunle Ikorodu in Lagos State are working with researchers under the African Cities Research Consortium (ACRC) to co-design community-led responses to recurring flooding and other climate-related risks, in a move to strengthen local resilience through evidence-based action. Ajegunle Ikorodu has emerged in recent years as one of Lagos’ flood hotspots, with seasonal flooding threatening livelihoods, damaging homes and exposing residents to health risks. Rather than imposing external solutions, the consortium is adopting a community-based research approach that places residents’ experiences at the centre of research, planning and intervention. Speaking at a stakeholder consultation in the community, Peter Elias,…

Following public outcry and calls from the legislature, the West African Examination Council (WAEC) has reintroduced Civic Education and Computer Studies in the 2026 West African Senior Secondary Certificate Examination (WASSCE) curriculum.  However, rights groups say millions of Nigerian students in the examination class still face uncertainty as most subjects in the old curriculum remain unavailable, pushing candidates toward new subject combinations they never studied since SSS 1. The Education Rights Campaign (ERC), as well as parents, students, and teachers’ groups, expressed this concern on Thursday, through a statement it made available to DevReporting. They described the reintroduction of only…

Fountain University, Osogbo, has announced the promotion of a lecturer in the College of Chemical and Applied Sciences, Kazeem Alabi, as professor.   The 53-year-old academic, who joined the university in 2011 as a young lecturer, was announced on Monday as the institution’s pioneer Professor of Organic Chemistry, crowning his 14 years of academic service at the university. The university’s governing council announced in a statement signed by the Public Relations Officer, Taoheed Alimi, noting that the promotion marks the peak of the professor’s academic career. The statement reads in part: “The Governing Council of Fountain University is pleased to announce…

The Wole Soyinka Centre for Investigative Journalism (WSCIJ) will, next week, host a two-day media conference and award ceremony to mark its 20th anniversary of promoting accountability reporting in Nigeria. For two decades, the centre has led efforts to mainstream public-interest and investigative journalism, spotlighting abuses of power, corruption, human rights violations, and regulatory lapses across sectors. WSCIJ’s flagship programme, the Wole Soyinka Award for Investigative Reporting (WSAIR), has become a key platform for recognising excellence across media including print, broadcast, photography, online, and editorial cartoons. The Executive Director/CEO of WSCIJ, Motunrayo Alaka, in a statement made available to DevReporting,…