Category: Guest Writers

Targeting Adolescent Sexual and Reproductive Health in Kenya | by Elsie Akwara

16/11/2015

“Young people and adolescents are in danger of losing their futures to unplanned pregnancies and a never-ending cycle of poverty” Kenya has one of the highest adolescent fertility rates in sub-Saharan Africa. A low of 2% at aged 15, rates of childbearing increase to 36% by the age of 19. One of the reasons for … More Targeting Adolescent Sexual and Reproductive Health in Kenya | by Elsie Akwara

A View from the Young: Change in Nigeria | by Kemi Lijadu

20/10/2015

“Nigeria is a land of the young. According to the CIA World Factbook, the median age in Nigeria is 18.2 years old. Those under 25 alone make up 62.39% of the population” Nearly five months after President Muhammadu Buhari was sworn into office, many parts of the president’s ‘change agenda’ still remain hidden from the … More A View from the Young: Change in Nigeria | by Kemi Lijadu

Nigeria’s Healthcare Problems: A Three Pronged Solution. |by Dr. Olamide Orekunrin

11/07/2015

“Access to basic healthcare is not just a health issue; it is a human rights issue.” The WHO estimates that there are over 500,000 deaths from malaria alone every year on the continent. And indeed, many of the issues facing the Nigerian healthcare system are similar to those faced in much of the rest of … More Nigeria’s Healthcare Problems: A Three Pronged Solution. |by Dr. Olamide Orekunrin

Baba Go Slow: Buhari and the Cynical Nigerian Electorate. | by Sola Tayo

29/06/2015

Baba Go-Slow. An uncharitable term that was used to describe Nigeria’s late president, Umaru Yar’Adua, is now creeping back into the vocabulary of disgruntled Nigerians just weeks after President Buhari’s inauguration. But given the newness of Buhari’s tenure, the question is whether the cynicism which the term entails is more damaging to progress than it … More Baba Go Slow: Buhari and the Cynical Nigerian Electorate. | by Sola Tayo

Dumsor : The Lights are out in Ghana. |by Adjoa Anyimadu

03/06/2015

The lights are out in Ghana. Dum sɔ. Without any notice, they flicker off, briefly on, then off again. For years, periodic electricity shortages have meant stretches of time with ‘light off’; or dumsor. Meaning: no fans (or air conditioning for those who can afford it), no refrigerator to keep food cool in the heat, … More Dumsor : The Lights are out in Ghana. |by Adjoa Anyimadu

Trinidad and Tobago: Lessons From, and For, a Caribbean Model of Economic Growth. | by Dr. Zophia Edwards

08/05/2015

When we think of spectacular economic growth, we often think of the economic stories of countries such as Hong Kong, Singapore, South Korea, and Taiwan. However, Asia, with its ‘tigers’, is not the only region in the developing world with a profitable model of economic success. We can find equally teachable examples in such environments … More Trinidad and Tobago: Lessons From, and For, a Caribbean Model of Economic Growth. | by Dr. Zophia Edwards

Letter to President-Elect Buhari from a Concerned ‘Creative’. | by Qudus Onikeku

13/04/2015

As many Nigerians take to the streets in a defiant mood, following the victory of our new president-elect, Muhammadu Buhari, the nation overflows with the glorious sounds of our music and the ferocity of our multiple dance. Even prior to the elections on the 28th of March this year, our billboards, radio and air waves … More Letter to President-Elect Buhari from a Concerned ‘Creative’. | by Qudus Onikeku

Blood and Body Parts: Confusion in Pakistan’s War on Terror. | by Fatima Mustafa

25/03/2015

“as Pakistanis repeatedly mourn their dead, it is the same unanswered questions that have, time and again, haunted Pakistan over the last decade about the nature and causes of terrorism that continue to resurface” Terror strikes Pakistan once again. On Sunday the 15th of March suicide attacks on two of Lahore’s churches killed 15 people … More Blood and Body Parts: Confusion in Pakistan’s War on Terror. | by Fatima Mustafa

The Disenfranchisement of a Generation in the Niger-Delta: Reflections of a Community Development Worker. | by Anonymous

08/03/2015

Author: Anonymous (Due to the relatively sensitive nature of the topic, the writer has asked for their name not to be revealed.) Country: Nigeria As part of a series in the run up to the Nigerian elections on the 28th of March, this blog has chosen to focus on a set of persistent issues which … More The Disenfranchisement of a Generation in the Niger-Delta: Reflections of a Community Development Worker. | by Anonymous