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.

CARICOM to Host Webinar on E-Waste Management in Renewable Energy Systems

As part of activities marking CARICOM Energy Month 2025, the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) has announced the second session in its ongoing webinar series, focusing on “End-of-Life Electric Vehicle and Renewable Energy System E-Waste Management in the Caribbean.”

The virtual session, scheduled for Tuesday, November 11, 2025, at 10:00 a.m. AST, will be presented by Angelica Zapata, Consultant and Project Manager at Blackforest Solutions GmbH.

According to CARICOM, the webinar aims to highlight how Caribbean countries are addressing the growing challenge of managing electronic waste and hazardous materials resulting from renewable energy and electric mobility systems.

The discussion will explore policy interventions, recycling solutions, and sustainable disposal practices to ensure environmental safety and circular economy growth within the region’s clean energy transition.

Stakeholders, policymakers, academics, and the general public have been encouraged to register and participate in the virtual event via bit.ly/CEMWEB2.

The e-waste session forms part of a month-long CARICOM Energy Month Webinar Series, which features thematic discussions on critical aspects of the region’s energy transition and resilience.

Upcoming sessions include:

November 13: Incentive Mechanisms for Electric Mobility – Grenada, Jamaica, and St. Lucia

November 18: Recommendations for a Sustainable Green Public Procurement Policy

November 25: Geothermal Energy: A Game Changer for Resilient Caribbean Energy Systems – How to Maximise Opportunities and Benefits

CARICOM Energy Month 2025, celebrated under the theme “Resilient Energy, Greener Future,” seeks to promote dialogue and regional collaboration on sustainable energy development, climate resilience, and energy security across member states.