education

Students Escape from Kidnapping in Niger State Amid Ongoing Rescue Operations In a harrowing incident that has sparked national outrage, fifty out of more than 300 students and 12 teachers kidnapped from a Catholic school in Niger State have successfully escaped and have been reunited with their families. The escape comes amidst an intensifying military-led search and rescue operation aimed at locating the remaining victims, who are still held captive by their abductors. This kidnapping incident follows a troubling…

SOUTH AFRICA — South Africa faces what health researchers call a “vaping crisis” among adolescents while a long-promised overhaul of the country’s tobacco laws sits largely dormant. The draft Tobacco Bill published in 2018 — designed to extend smoke-free public spaces, introduce plain packaging and ban point-of-sale displays for both cigarettes and electronic cigarettes — has yet to clear the long road from proposal to law, leaving regulators and public-health advocates alarmed as youth nicotine use climbs. A 2024 study of…

Security Concerns Mount Following Distressing School Abduction in Niger State Authorities in northern Niger State are grappling with the fallout from a "distressing" abduction of students and staff from a local school. The incident, which has sent shockwaves through the community, underscores the increasing volatility in the region. A senior government official confirmed that the abduction took place after a violent attack in the area. This distressing event unfolded in the context of previously reported intelligence…

Gunmen Strike Despite Security Presence in Kebbi State In a shocking incident that has left a community shaken, armed assailants launched a raid in Kebbi State, Nigeria, resulting in multiple casualties. Reports indicate that the attackers infiltrated the area via the densely wooded Zamfara forests, demonstrating their ability to bypass military checkpoints that were supposed to ensure safety in the region. Fatalities and Community Impact The violent raid resulted in the tragic deaths of a school teacher and a local…

Reinstating English in Nigerian Education: A Policy Shift Sparks Debate The Nigerian government has officially scrapped a three-year-old policy that mandated the teaching of indigenous languages in early education, reinstating English as the medium of instruction from pre-primary all the way to university levels. This sudden policy reversal has ignited a spirited discourse among education specialists, parents, and analysts alike. The Original Policy and Its Challenges Education Minister Tunji Alausa announced the…

Students abducted, beaten and dumped 120km away — a fresh front in Zimbabwe’s political crackdown Two student activists from Chinhoyi University of Technology — Marlvin Saint Madanda and Lindon Zanga — were abducted in broad daylight during Students Representative Council (SRC) campaign activity and later found injured and incapacitated 120 kilometres away, in Shamva. The incident, condemned by opposition leader Nelson Chamisa, has reopened raw questions about the targeting of youth activists, the politicisation of campus…

A Somali audio startup turns listening into a bridge for a scattered nation On a humid morning in Mogadishu’s Hamar Weyne market, the bustle runs on engine oil and conversation. A tea vendor pours spiced shaah with one hand and, with the other, taps play on his phone. In his ear, a familiar voice narrates the ideas of Marcus Aurelius—in Somali. Five thousand miles away, a nurse on a night shift in Jigjiga cues up a 20-minute deep dive on genetics. In Minneapolis, a rideshare driver squeezes in a lesson on economics between…

Negotiations on the Brink: Nigeria's Academic Crisis Deepens In the heart of Nigeria, a looming confrontation between the government and its academic staff is stirring discontent. As tensions rise over the impending strike action by the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU), the government has escalated its rhetoric, asserting a stringent 'No Work, No Pay' policy. This warning, directed at faculty members set to initiate protests on October 13, highlights a complicated saga of negotiation, trust, and the future of…

Arab League’s classroom diplomacy lands in Mogadishu On a humid Saturday in Mogadishu, Somalia’s prime minister received a delegation from the Arab League with a familiar promise: help for the country’s classrooms, and a renewed push to strengthen the teaching of Arabic. The visit, led by Zayd Al-Sabbaan, who oversees the Horn of Africa and Sudan at the Arab League, came with warm words about deepening cooperation on politics, economics and development. It also arrived with few specifics—no dollar amounts, no timelines, no…

Students Stand Up for Quality Education in Tamale Amid Protests In a scene that unfolded under the scorching sun of northern Ghana, students of Tamale Technical University took to the streets, their voices melding into a chorus of discontent. Their grievances were clear: an increase in tuition fees that they deemed excessive and a perceived lack of accountability from university authorities regarding infrastructure and welfare issues. The situation escalated quickly, as police were reported to have fired warning shots to…