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Nigeria’s 106 public universities have been in a cycle of strikes since 1999. The current strike, which started in February, is the 17th time lecturers have downed tools – and they say they won’t resume work until the government fulfils an agreement it’s already made. Lecturer and academic staff union leader Dele Ashiru unpacks the demands.
For climate scientists to answer key questions on how weather has changed over time they need to consult reliable instrumental weather records. But for many regions of Africa these only go back a few decades. Stefan Grab reveals another source of weather data: daily registers kept by the Dutch East India Company at Cape Town between 1651 and 1795. These records, which have been digitised and transcribed, represent the longest and oldest known corporate
chronicle of near-continuous daily weather recording for the southern hemisphere.
Lastly, Laura Clancy describes how Britain went through immense cultural and political change during the late Queen Elizabeth II’s 70-year reign. She was the UK’s longest-serving monarch. For his part, Sean Lang credits her
with helping the monarchy to survive by changing its outward appearance without changing its public role.
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Dele Ashiru, University of Lagos
Public universities in Nigeria have been bedevilled by lecturers’ strikes for years. To break the cycle, the union insists the institutions should be adequately funded.
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Stefan Grab, University of the Witwatersrand
A project to transcribe Dutch colonial records of the weather in Cape Town can benefit modelling of future climate scenarios and assist in forecasting weather now.
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Ifesinachi Okafor-Yarwood, University of St Andrews
The ability of West Africa’s fisher women to cope or adapt in times of adversity should not let policymakers off the hook.
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Anton Harber, University of the Witwatersrand
Former South African president Zuma is trying to turn the contestation of a court hearing into an all-out war and chill those who pursue justice against him.
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Sean Lang, Anglia Ruskin University
Elizabeth II was a safe pair of hands for the British monarchy in a turbulent and changing era.
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Laura Clancy, Lancaster University
Britain has gone through unimaginable change culturally and politically during Elizabeth’s 70-year reign.
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Shahid Azam, University of Regina
Climate change will increase the frequency of both floods and droughts in Pakistan. To address these challenges, enhancing infrastructure, building dams and educating the public are necessary.
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