The evolving SARS-CoV-2 epidemic in Africa: Insights from rapidly expanding genomic surveillance

INTRODUCTION Investment in Africa over the past year with regard to severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) sequencing has led to a massive increase in the number of sequences, which, to date, exceeds 100,000 sequences generated to track the pandemic on the continent. These sequences have profoundly affected how public health officials in Africa have navigated the COVID-19 pandemic. RATIONALE We demonstrate how the first 100,000 SARS-CoV-2 sequences from Africa have helped monitor the epidemic on the continent, how genomic surveillance expanded over the course of the pandemic, and how we adapted our sequencing methods to deal with an evolving virus. Finally, we also examine how viral lineages have spread across the continent in a phylogeographic framework to gain insights into the underlying temporal and spatial transmission dynamics for several variants of concern (VOCs). RESULTS Our results indicate that the number of countries in Africa that can sequence the virus within their own borders is growing and that this is coupled with a shorter turnaround time from the time of sampling to sequence submission. Ongoing evolution necessitated the continual updating of primer sets, and, as a result, eight primer sets were designed in tandem with viral evolution and used to ensure effective sequencing of the virus. The pandemic unfolded through multiple waves of infection that were each driven by distinct genetic lineages, with B.1-like ancestral strains associated with the first pandemic wave of infections in 2020. Successive waves on the continent were fueled by different VOCs, with Alpha and Beta cocirculating in distinct spatial patterns during the second wave and Delta and Omicron affecting the whole continent during the third and fourth waves, respectively. Phylogeographic reconstruction points toward distinct differences in viral importation and exportation patterns associated with the Alpha, Beta, Delta, and Omicron variants and subvariants, when considering both Africa versus the rest of the world and viral dissemination within the continent. Our epidemiological and phylogenetic inferences therefore underscore the heterogeneous nature of the pandemic on the continent and highlight key insights and challenges, for instance, recognizing the limitations of low testing proportions. We also highlight the early warning capacity that genomic surveillance in Africa has had for the rest of the world with the detection of new lineages and variants, the most recent being the characterization of various Omicron subvariants. CONCLUSION Sustained investment for diagnostics and genomic surveillance in Africa is needed as the virus continues to evolve. This is important not only to help combat SARS-CoV-2 on the continent but also because it can be used as a platform to help address the many emerging and reemerging infectious disease threats in Africa. In particular, capacity building for local sequencing within countries or within the continent should be prioritized because this is generally associated with shorter turnaround times, providing the most benefit to local public health authorities tasked with pandemic response and mitigation and allowing for the fastest reaction to localized outbreaks. These investments are crucial for pandemic preparedness and response and will serve the health of the continent well into the 21st century

Educational Planning in Nigeria: Problems and the Ways Forward

Educational planning is key to the realization of education objectives in Nigeria. Educational planning is facing many problems in Nigeria. This article discussed the problems facing planning of education in Nigeria. The article identified: inadequate funding of educational planning, inadequate educational planners, lack of data/information, shortage of planning materials, political influence, political instability and poor capacity development of educational planners as challenges facing planning of education in Nigeria. To address the challenges facing planning of education in Nigeria, the following were suggested: increment in the funding of educational planning, generation of current data, provision of adequate planning materials, employment of more professional planner, policy continuity and ensuring constant training and retraining programme for educational planners

Constraints to Effective Continuous Professional Development of Teachers in Government Secondary School in FCT

The study examined the constraints to effective continuous professional development of teachers in Government Secondary School in F.C.T. This study was conducted in Federal Capital Territory, Abuja, Nigeria. Survey designed was used for the study. The study used 220 respondents. Simple random and stratified methods were used to select the population for the study. Questionnaire was used for collection of data. The questionnaire was tagged” Constraints to Effective Continuous Professional Development of Teachers in Government Secondary School Teacher Questionnaire [CECPDTGSSTQ]”. The questionnaire contained two section with nine item sub-items. The section A: collected information for bio-data while section B collected information on the subject matter. The section (B) was designed to have Yes and NO. The researcher employed the services of a research assistant. The research assistant went to the various schools to administer the questionnaire. The data collected were analyze with simple percentage. The data collected, analyzed and computed led to the conclusion that inadequate funding, lack of political will, institutional corruption, inadequate data on teacher training need gap, political instability, unstable educational policies, favoritism, improper planning of staff development programme and high cost of training are the constraints to effective teacher development in Secondary Schools in Federal Capital Territory, Abuja. From the above conclusion, the paper hereby recommended that the government should increase the funding of professional development programme of secondary school teachers in FCT

Problems Facing Academic Staff of Nigerian Universities and the Way Forward

 The article discussed the problems facing the academic staff of Nigerian universities. Secondary data was used to support the points raised in the article. The secondary data were sourced from print material and online publications by recognized institutions and individual authors. The article identified the following as the problems facing the academic staff of Nigerian universities to include; poor motivation, teaching of large class, poor staff development programme, inadequate infrastructural facilities, strike actions, insecurity, poor computer literacy and poor research funding. To solve these challenges, this article recommends: that government should increase the funding of university education, increase the funding of research programme, motivate the academic staff, provision of effective staff development programme, provision of infrastructural facilities, implementation of union agreement, provision of adequate security and ensure effective capacity development programme on ICT

EDUCATION POLICIES OF EARLY CHILD EDUCATION PROGRAMME IN NIGERIA: CHALLENGES OF IMPLEMENTATION AND THE WAYS FORWARD

This article discussed the challenges facing the implementation of the early child education policies in Nigeria. The article used secondary data. The article identified: inadequate funding, poor formulation of policies, lack of political will, and inadequate professional teachers. Others are inadequate infrastructural facilities, political instability, unstable educational policies, institutional corruption and poor supervision as the challenges preventing the implementation of the early child educational policies in Nigeria. To address these challenges, this study put the following suggestions forward to help improve the implementation of early child education policies in Nigeria; adequate funding of early child education, provision of adequate infrastructural facilities, employment of professional teachers, ensure stable educational policies, ensure political stability, fight institutional corruption in the ministries and political officeholders should develop positive attitudes towards implementation of educational policies in Nigeria and finally, the government should advance the supervision of the early child education programme. &nbsp

Inadequacy of Infrastructural Facilities in Public Universities in Nigeria: Causes, Effects and Solutions

This paper examined the factors responsible for the inadequacies of infrastructural facilities, and their effects on the quality of education in public universities in Nigeria. The paper employed qualitative and qualitative data. The paper identified poor funding, corruption, project abandonment, poor maintenance culture, poor planning, poor participation of the private sector and poor internally generated revenue as militating factors. Poor quality of teaching and learning, poor ranking, strike actions, Brain-drain and poor research activities and impacts are also identified as effects of inadequate infrastructural facilities in public universities. Based on these problems identified, the following are recommended the government should improve the funding of public universities according to the 26% minimum percentage of the total budget of a country that was recommended by UNESCO for an effective educational system The government should adopt public-private partnerships in the provision of infrastructural facilities like the school hostels and recreation centres etc

Syncretic Beliefs and Practices amongst Christians in Nigeria: Causes and Way Forward

This paper discussed the factors responsible for syncretic beliefs and practices amongst Christians in Nigeria. Secondary data were adopted in the paper. The data were collected from published and unpublished articles. The paper identified protection, power, childbearing, healing and deliverance, unfulfilled needs, miracles, a policy of religious tolerance and materialism as causes of syncretic beliefs and practices amongst Christians in Nigeria. To address and solve this problem, the paper hereby recommended that Church leaders in Nigeria should openly discourage members from engaging in syncretic practices, and should be enlightened on the effects of such engagements. They should be encouraged to trust and wait patiently in the almighty God as the source of their helps as Christian

An Investigation on the Problems Facing Planning of Education in Kogi State, Nigeria

The research investigated the problems facing the planning of education in Kogi state, Nigeria. The study was carried out in Kogi state, Nigeria. Survey design was used for the study. The simple random sampling (lottery) method was used to select 90 respondents on the basis of proportional representation. Questionnaire was adopted for data collection. The questionnaire was divided into two section. Section A and section B. A four point rating scale was adopted and is shown as follows: Strongly Agree (SA) = (4points) Agree (A) = (3 points) Disagree (D) = (2 points) Strongly Disagree (SD) = (1 point). Test retest method was used to determine the reliability of the instruments. The study used simple percentage for data analysis. The study produced the following: inadequate funding of planning programme, inadequate data ,inadequate planning tools, shortage of professional educational planners ,lack of political will to support educational planning, lack of effective capacity development programme for educational planners and political influence are the a problems facing educational planning inKogi State, Nigeria. Based on this finding, the following were recommended: government should increase the funding for educational planning in the state, employ more professional planners, provide adequate planning materials and ensure effective data generation. This will allow for effective planning of education in the state

ICT Usage for Primary School Administration in Nigeria: Challenges and Way Forward

The administration of primary school education in Nigeria is plagued with problems. One of the problems hindering the effective administration of primary school education is the poor usage of information communication and technology. This paper discussed the challenges of sing ICT for the administration of primary school education. Secondary data and primary school data were sourced from print materials and online publication. The paper identified: inadequate funding of ICT programme, inadequate ICT facilities, poor implementation of ICT policies, poor computer literacy of admin staff, unstable power supply, poor internet services and high cost of ICT facilities. To solve these problem, the paper hereby recommends that the government should provide the primary schools in the Country with adequate ICT facilities. The government should increase the funding of ICT programme in the public primary schools in Nigeria and the government should organize constant training and retraining programme for primary school administrative staff and school administrators etc

Administration of Christian Religious Studies in Nigerian Secondary Schools: Problems and Way Forward

The article discussed the problems facing the administration of Christian religious programme in Nigerian secondary schools. Secondary data was used to support the points raised in the article. The secondary data were sourced from printed material and online publication by recognized institutions and individual author. There are many problems facing the administration of Christian Religious programme in Nigerian secondary schools. Some of the challenges include; inadequate funding of Christian Religious programme, inadequate Christian Religious studies teachers, inadequate infrastructural facilities, shortage of Christian Religious studies instructional materials, poor capacity development programme for Christian Religious studies teachers and negative attitude of students towards the study of Christian Religious programme. To solve these challenges, this article recommends the following: government and well-meaning Christian philanthropists and Institutions should increase the funding of Christian Religious programme, provide adequate infrastructural facilities, employment of more Christian Religious studies professional teachers and motivate Christian Religious studies teachers by increasing their salaries and ensure effective staff developmen