Nigeria Reverses Mother-Tongue Education Policy

The Nigerian Government has reversed its three-year-old policy mandating the use of indigenous languages as the medium of instruction in early childhood education, announcing that English will once again be used from pre-primary level through to the university.

The Minister of Education, Dr Tunji Alausa, disclosed the decision on Friday in Abuja, describing the mother-tongue policy as “a failed experiment” that had not delivered the expected improvement in learning outcomes.

The policy, introduced under former Education Minister Adamu Adamu in 2022, was based on the argument supported by various UN studies that children understand concepts more effectively when taught in their first language.

Adamu had maintained at the time that pupils were more likely to grasp ideas when taught in “their own mother tongue”.

But Dr Alausa said recent performance indicators from examination bodies, including the West African Examinations Council (WAEC), the National Examinations Council (NECO) and the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB), showed that states which adopted the policy recorded poorer results.

“We have seen a mass failure rate in WAEC, NECO and JAMB in certain geo-political zones of the country, and those are the ones that adopted this mother-tongue policy in an over-subscribed manner,” the minister said.

Nigeria’s education sector burdened by poor instructional materials, underqualified teachers, low remuneration and recurring strikes continues to struggle despite high enrolment rates.

While about 85 per cent of Nigerian children attend primary school, less than half complete secondary education.

The UN estimates that more than 10 million children remain out of school, the highest figure globally.

US Youtuber, Jack Doherty, Arrested in Miami for Drug Possession

American YouTube star, Jack Doherty, was on Saturday arrested by law enforcement authorities in Miami over alleged drug possession and obstruction of traffic while filming content for his social media platforms.

According to police documents, the 22-year-old influencer was taken into custody in the early hours of the morning after officers observed him recording video footage while attempting to engage police personnel in the middle of a public road, causing a traffic obstruction in the process.

During the arrest, officers conducted a search which reportedly uncovered “half of an orange oval-shaped pill with ‘3’ imprinted on it, consistent with a Schedule II amphetamine,” as well as three “suspected cannabis cigarettes” found in his possession.

Doherty, who commands a massive following across social media with more than 15 million subscribers on YouTube, over 10 million followers on TikTok and 2.8 million on Instagram is widely known for his provocative prank videos.

Many of his clips feature confrontational stunts, such as provoking strangers in public before retreating behind a bodyguard, or engaging in risky behaviour like his viral videos titled “I got kicked off a cruise” and “I crashed into a cop car.”

As of the time of filing this report, it remains unclear whether Doherty has secured legal representation.

Trump, Greene in Ugly Feud Over Epstein Files

Republican congresswoman, Marjorie Taylor Greene, on Sunday intensified her demand for the public release of all Jeffrey Epstein case files, as her rift with United States President Donald Trump widened following his description of her as a “traitor.”

Greene, who appeared on CNN’s State of the Union, said the president’s recent outbursts against her were dangerous and capable of inciting extremists to target her.

Trump had, on Friday, taken to his Truth Social platform to label the lawmaker “wacky,” a “ranting lunatic,” and someone who “COMPLAINS” incessantly.

“He called me a traitor, and that is extremely wrong. Those are the types of words that can radicalize people against me and put my life in danger,” Greene told anchor Dana Bash.

The controversy between both Republicans has escalated in recent weeks after Greene pushed for the Department of Justice to release all unclassified records tied to the late financier and convicted sex offender, Jeffrey Epstein.

She insisted on Sunday that her disagreement with Trump “has all come down to the Epstein files.”

The House of Representatives is expected to vote this week on the Epstein Files Transparency Act, a bill seeking the release of all relevant DOJ documents, communications, and investigative materials.

Congressman Thomas Massie told ABC News that as many as 100 Republican lawmakers could support the measure.

Epstein, who died in federal custody in 2019, had previously moved in elite social circles, including a friendship with Trump in the early 2000s.

While Trump has consistently denied any wrongdoing, he has faced criticism across party lines over his handling of the case records.

Greene maintained that transparency was necessary. “I believe the country deserves transparency in these files, and I don’t believe rich, powerful people should be protected if they have done anything wrong,” she said.

She questioned why the president was resisting the full release of the files but added that victims had assured her Trump committed no illegal acts.

In a shift from her combative public profile, Greene said she was also committed to lowering the temperature of political rhetoric in the US.

“America needs to come together and end all the toxic divide. I’m leading the way with my own example, and I hope President Trump can do the same,” she said.