Latest Stories from Derrick
Eswatini is Africa’s first nation to roll out HIV prevention shots
Eswatini has taken a historic step in Africa’s HIV response by approving the twice-yearly anti-HIV injection, lenacapavir, offering protection to its citizens. We are getting clearer data on where 15 to 24 year olds are most likely to be living with HIV. The numbers show that young people in Africa are affected far more than anywhere else, according to organisations like UNICEF and the WHO. Eastern and Southern Africa's...
Esther Akpovi is leading Nigeria’s youth to governance
For a long period, hierarchy and tradition has been foundational to politics. Now, a new generation has come to change the rules about what it means to be a leader; they're younger, connected and, pressing the boundaries of the norm. Esther Akpovi, newly inducted as Deputy Speaker of the FCT-Abuja Youth Parliament (2025–2027), is leading this change. With a life story that bridges Europe and Africa, she is presenting a...
Malawi to implement free primary and secondary education from 2026
In what may redefine the future of education in southern Africa, Malawi's President has announced that starting January 2026, education from primary to secondary school levels will be free. According to the President’s spokesperson Shadric Namalomba, the new policy covers examination fees, identity cards, and school development funds at both primary and secondary level. At present, UNICEF says Malawi has less than 50% of children completing secondary school, and...
Can Africa’s 10-year education plan deliver for Gen Z?
The African Union (AU) has launched a new ten-year educational plan. It covers the whole continent from 2025 to 2034 with the aim of rebuilding and transforming learning by means of innovation. The AU plan aims to produce more qualified teachers, improving technology in the classrooms, closing gender divides, and equipping the youth with the skills that are in demand and suitable for the future jobs. As exciting as it sounds,...
Madagascar’s Gen Z protests signal broader global youth revolt
Madagascar is under the shadow of its largest youth-led demonstrations in decades. The protests, driven by a frustrated Gen Zers, show no signs of slowing down despite President Andry Rajoelina’s recent move to dissolve his government in an attempt to restore calm. What began as peaceful rallies in the capital, Antananarivo, over persistent power outages and water shortages has now spread to at least eight cities across the country. But...
Taliban bans women’s books and human rights studies
The Taliban’s latest decree has banned books authored by women from university libraries and outlawed the teaching of human rights and sexual harassment. Four years after the Taliban reclaimed power in Afghanistan, the lives of women and girls continue to shrink into silence. For many Afghan women, the ban is not just about losing access to education, it is about being erased. Entire generations of writers, scholars, and thinkers who fought...
Nigeria adds Mandarin to school curriculum to foster cross-nation relations
Nigeria is progressing toward transforming its education policy. Having recently conducted a national curriculum review, the administration has introduced Mandarin for inclusion into the senior secondary school curriculum. This decision highlights Nigeria’s growing ties with China and signals a shift in how its largest demographic is preparing for work and education in an increasingly interconnected global economy of trade, diplomacy, technology, and learning. This begs the question of what it...
Rwanda launches Africa’s first self-flying electric air taxi
The East African country is now the first in the continent to have a public flight of a self-flying electric air taxi, adding to its fast-growing reputation as a hub for advanced aviation and technology innovation. In a demonstration of the pilotless aircraft, which followed an agreement with an implementer from China’s Road and Bridge Corporation (CRBC), Rwandan skies witnessed an air taxi that embodies not only technological advancement but...
Burkina Faso’s new anti-LGBTQ+ law is a dangerous step backwards
Intimately caught up in the constant tussle for domination, Burkina Faso seems to be moving backward in time. Earlier this month, the West African nation enthroned a law criminalising promotion of homosexuality, for which people may be imprisoned for two-to-five years. Burkina Faso has long been considered comparatively safe for the LGBTQ+ people vis-a-vis its neighbours Mali and Ghana, but that couldn’t be further from the truth now. Not only does...
African agriculture must reckon with child labour
In many African countries, classrooms remain almost empty during farming season. This is due to the workforce needed on these farms, and children under 18 years, are burdened to offer such services with little to no pay. Africa’s child labour problem has become a global crisis. The International Labour Organisation (ILO), as well as UNICEF, estimates that globally more than 160 million children are still engaged in...
