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Refugee Writer Abdulrazak Gurnah Wins 2021 Literature Nobel Prize

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Abdulrazak Gurnah

By Adedapo Adesanya

The Nobel Prize in Literature for 2021 has been awarded to the novelist, Abdulrazak Gurnah, making him the first writer of East African origin to become a laureate.

According to the Swedish Royal Academy, which awards the yearly prize, Mr Gurnah was selected “for his uncompromising and compassionate penetration of the effects of colonialism and the fate of the refugee in the gulf between cultures and continents”.

Mr Gurnah was born in 1948 and grew up on the island of Zanzibar in the Indian Ocean but arrived in England as a refugee at the end of the 1960s.

He has published 10 novels and a number of short stories. His debut novel, Memory of Departure, from 1987, is about a failed uprising on the African continent while in the second work, Pilgrims Way from 1988; he explores the multifaceted reality of life in exile. The protagonist, Daud, is confronted with the racist climate of his new homeland, England.

The theme of the refugee’s disruption runs throughout his work.

He began writing as a 21-year-old in English exile, and even though Swahili was his first language, English became his literary tool.

Abdulrazak Gurnah Novels in English

Memory of Departure. – London : Jonathan Cape, 1987

Pilgrims Way. – London : Jonathan Cape, 1988

Dottie. – London : Jonathan Cape, 1990

Paradise. – London : Hamish Hamilton, 1994

Admiring Silence. – London : Hamish Hamilton, 1996

By the Sea. – London : Bloomsbury, 2001

Desertion. – London : Bloomsbury, 2005

The Last Gift. – London : Bloomsbury, 2011

Gravel Heart. – London : Bloomsbury, 2017

Afterlives. – London : Bloomsbury, 2020.

On Wednesday, the Nobel Prize for Chemistry was awarded to Benjamin List and David MacMillan for the development of asymmetric organocatalysis which researchers can use to efficiently construct anything from new pharmaceuticals to molecules that can capture light in solar cells. In this way, organocatalysts are bringing the greatest benefit to humankind.

Adedapo Adesanya is a journalist, polymath, and connoisseur of everything art. When he is not writing, he has his nose buried in one of the many books or articles he has bookmarked or simply listening to good music with a bottle of beer or wine. He supports the greatest club in the world, Manchester United F.C.

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Education

WAEC Releases 2026 WASSCE Results, 61.54% Candidates Pass

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WAEC

By Adedapo Adesanya

The West African Examinations Council (WAEC) has released the results of the 2026 West African Senior School Certificate Examination (WASSCE) for school candidates, with 61.54 per cent of candidates obtaining credits in at least five subjects, including English Language and Mathematics.

The Head of WAEC’s Nigeria National Office, Mr Amos Dangut, announced the results at a press briefing in Lagos on Wednesday.

Mr Dangut said 1,200,514 candidates met the benchmark for admission to higher institutions, out of the 1,950,726 candidates who sat the examination nationwide, held between April 24 and June 19.

He said 102,708 examiners were engaged in the marking exercise held at 88 marking venues across the country between 2 July and 20 July.

“Today, I am happy to inform you that all the processes leading to the release of results have been completed. It is now my pleasure to announce the release of the results of candidates who sat the WASSCE for School Candidates, 2026 in Nigeria,” he said, directing candidates to the agency’s portal to access their results.

“UPDATE: 2026 WASSCE (SC) results have been released. Generate your PIN at waec.org and check your results now on waecdirect.org,” the examination body said, noting that candidates must obtain their Serial Number and PIN before they can check their results.

To generate the required credentials, candidates are expected to visit WAEC’s official website and select the “Serial Number and PIN” option at the top of the page.

They are then required to select the appropriate examination year and diet, enter their examination number and National Identification Number (NIN), and ensure that the NIN provided is the same one used during registration for the examination.

Candidates must also provide their email address and phone number to receive a One-Time Password (OTP).

After entering the OTP, candidates can recover their Serial Number and PIN, which they can subsequently use to check their results through WAEC Direct.

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Education

Groups Tutor Female Students About Risks Associated With Shisha, Vaping

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Breathe of Life Cleggs Girls High School students

By Aduragbemi Omiyale

Over 200 senior students of Cleggs Girls High School, Surulere, Lagos, were on July 23, 2026, engaged in practical knowledge about the risks associated with smoking, vaping, and shisha.

This engagement was made possible through a collaboration between Breathe Life Foundation and Teach Nigeria Fellow.

Participants were students aged 15–19 years. They were also informed about the misconception that shisha is a safer alternative to cigarettes or other substances.

Through an engaging and interactive discussion, students explored the influence of peer pressure and learned practical strategies for making healthier, more informed lifestyle choices.

They also gained a better understanding of common environmental triggers of asthma and other respiratory conditions, including cigarette smoke, generator fumes, bush burning, mosquito coil smoke, candles, charcoal, and firewood.

The session highlighted an important reality: young people may not always recognise how seemingly routine lifestyle choices and environmental exposures can gradually affect their respiratory health, quality of life, and long-term wellbeing.

For Breathe Life Foundation, this reinforces the importance of shifting the conversation from treatment to prevention through awareness and education.

By equipping young people with the knowledge to identify risks and make healthier choices early, the foundation is helping to build a generation that is more conscious of – and better prepared to protect – its respiratory health.

The organisation said it is dedicated to advancing respiratory health, an often-neglected public health priority. Healthy lungs are essential to life, yet respiratory diseases remain among the world’s leading causes of death and disability, even though many are preventable and treatable.

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Education

Dangote Cement Distributes Essential Learning Aids to Kogi Pupils

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Dangote cement kogi pupils

By Aduragbemi Omiyale

As part of its Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) schemes, the Obajana Plant of Dangote Cement Plc has distributed some educational materials to some pupils in Kogi State.

The items shared to the beneficiaries included school bags, exercise books, writing materials, water bottles, and other essential learning aids aimed at enhancing the learning experience of the pupils and preparing them for the next academic session.

The General Manager for the Social Performance Department of Dangote Cement at Obajana Plant, Mr Ademola Adeyemi, said the materials were donated days after Dangote Cement distributed similar education materials to pupils in public schools in its catchment communities of Oyo, Iwaa, Obajana and Apata; and commissioned a multi-million-naira hospital in Obajana, which added to the growing list of social investments that includes an earlier hospital project in Iwaa and Oyo Communities.

He noted that, over the years, the company has invested billions of naira in a wide range of social programmes for host communities, including empowerment programmes, road construction, and potable water projects, and it remains resolute in its commitment to sustaining and expanding its interventions.

He noted that the company’s corporate social responsibility programmes are aligned with government development priorities and are implemented through sustained, mutually beneficial partnerships.

“The intervention was informed by findings from a needs assessment conducted by Dangote Cement. During the assessment, it was observed that several pupils attended school without school bags, while others carried their books by hand. It was also discovered that many students lacked essential learning materials such as exercise books, pens, pencils, and other basic learning materials,” the cement firm said.

The Head Teacher of UBE LGEA School, St. Luke Model II, Adankolo, Lokoja Local Government Area, Mr Abubakar Sanni, expressed profound appreciation to the management of Dangote Cement for the gesture.

The Head Teacher expressed gratitude to the Group President of the conglomerate, Aliko Dangote, for extending the company’s educational support programme beyond its host and impacted communities to schools located at the state headquarters.

The beneficiaries, school management, parents, and community stakeholders expressed gratitude to Dangote Cement for the timely intervention and prayed for the continued growth and success of the company in its efforts to improve lives and support sustainable community development.

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