The Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention, on Monday, said Nigeria has recorded 152 deaths from Lassa fever so far in 2025. The Case Fatality Rate now stands at 18.7 per cent, higher than the 17.3 per cent recorded during the same period in 2024. As of epidemiological Week 28, Nigeria has reported a total of 6,520 suspected cases and 811 confirmed cases across 21 states and 105 Local Government Areas. The NCDC also noted that the number of new confirmed cases in week 28 remained the same as in week 27, with fresh infections reported in Ondo, Edo, and Benue states. A significant majority of 89 per cent of confirmed Lassa fever cases were recorded in five states -Ondo (32 per cent), Bauchi (23 per cent), Edo (17 per cent), Taraba (14 per cent), and Ebonyi (three per cent). The remaining 11 per cent of confirmed cases were reported from 16 other states. The most affected age group is between 21 and 30 years, with a median age of 30 years. The report stated, “In week 28, the number of new confirmed cases is the same as epi week 27 of 2025. These were reported in Ondo, Edo, and Benue States. “Cumulatively, as at week 28, 2025, 152 deaths have been reported with a Case Fatality Rate (CFR) of 18.7 per cent, which is higher than the CFR for the same period in 2024 (17.3 per cent). In total for 2025, 21 States have recorded at least one confirmed case across 105 Local Government Areas. “Eighty-nine percent (89 per cent) of all confirmed Lassa fever cases were reported from five states (Ondo, Bauchi, Edo, Taraba, and Ebonyi), while 11 per cent were reported from 16 states with confirmed Lassa fever cases. Of the 89 per cent confirmed cases, Ondo reported 32 per cent, Bauchi 23 per cent, Edo 17 per cent, Taraba 14 per cent, and Ebonyi three per cent.” It added that there is no new healthcare worker affected in the reporting week 28, and the national Lassa fever multi-partner, multi-sectoral Technical Working Group is coordinating the response activities at all levels.

Moyo Orekoya, who is co-founder of an AI-powered teaching platform known as Shepherd, makes a case for the adoption of the recently launched platform in Nigeria’s teaching and learning environment, in this interview with WALE AKINSELURE What informed your decision to launch Shepherd? Every student deserves personalised support. Unfortunately, most classrooms, especially in countries like Nigeria, are overcrowded, under-resourced, and overstretched. Growing up, I was lucky to have extra lessons, and it changed the trajectory of my life. But that kind of one-on-one support isn’t scalable. Hence, Shepherd exists to fix that. My cofounder, Kehinde Williams and I developed Shepherd to make personalised learning available to every child. This, through the teachers they already have, and using tools that feel like magic but work with real pedagogy. How is Shepherd helping to solve real challenges faced by teachers and students today? Teachers have two big concerns today. First, they’re drowning in admin: spending hours on grading, lesson prep, and exam creation. Second, they struggle to personalise learning in overcrowded classrooms with 30 to 50 students. Educators are overwhelmed. Students, on the other hand, are anxious and unsupported. Many are afraid to ask questions in class. Some turn to AI tools that give quick answers without teaching them how to think. Shepherd steps in to solve both problems. For teachers, it acts as a co-pilot. Shepherd automatically generates lesson materials, grades essays, and handles repetitive tasks. But more importantly, it empowers them to design and assign personalised AI tutors to students, auto-generate quizzes with instant feedback, build flashcards and study plans, and track student progress in no more than 5 minutes. This also translates to personalised 24/7 academic support for students to stay on track, and teachers get time back to do what only they can: teach, coach, and care. How do you address the AI potential for overreliance and dependence, and the reduction of critical thinking and human interaction in the learning environment? We built Shepherd to prevent mindless AI use. Instead of handing students answers, it asks questions, nudges thinking, and scaffolds learning. It’s built on the Socratic method, so students must try, explain, and reflect. But more importantly, teachers stay in control. They can monitor learning, spot gaps, and intervene. For every user, we have gone to great lengths to make AI the co-pilot, not the driver. Can you explain how Shepherd uses AI to support teachers without replacing them? Shepherd isn’t a replacement. It’s an amplifier. Think of it as a 24/7 teaching assistant that helps plan lessons, assess students, and generate learning resources instantly. But the teacher is always in charge. Shepherd is designed to free the teacher to focus on higher-impact teaching, mentoring, and motivation. A World Bank Study done in Nigeria showed that Teacher and AI collaboration drove more impact in driving learning gains than either one alone. We believe that is the future of AI in education, not self-serve bots, but teacher-guided journeys grounded in pedagogy. Many Edtech tools promise improved learning outcomes, but what makes Shepherd’s approach different? Our approach is evidence-backed. There is this paper – From Chalkboards to Chatbots – by the World Bank, where they did a Randomised Control Trial and showed that a Teacher and AI approach drove learning outcomes more than any other learning intervention. By centring the educator and enabling them to quickly design the AI experience and then monitor it, we drive unprecedented impact. Unlike other ed-tech tools, which are content-first. Shepherd is pedagogy-first. Instead of just delivering static material, we take the best of learning science. For example, spaced repetition for recall, quick feedback, scaffolding, then layer it with the best reasoning AI model, and put teachers in the loop to monitor and provide the right guardrails. What are the measurable impacts of Shepherd in classrooms where it’s currently being used? In classrooms, teachers tell us that Shepherd saves about 75 per cent of the time they spend grading essays. So, they can assign three times more writing assignments because Shepherd helps them grade in minutes. Imagine a student being coached daily, and a teacher doing more than half the admin. That’s the real impact. On the student side, over 150,000 students have used Shepherd personally, and we have received phenomenal feedback on how it improved their study habits and grades.  Shepherd is backed by Y Combinator. What does that support mean for your growth plans? Being backed by Y Combinator means we are building at global standards, with the mentorship, network, and credibility to scale fast. But it also means something deeper: the world’s top investors believe that African schools can leapfrog the classroom bottlenecks using AI, and Shepherd is their bet to make that happen. What markets are you currently active in, and how are you scaling the platform? We’re active across the globe with students using our student-only platform (shepherd.study). But our teacher-in-the-loop product (teacher.shepherd.study) is now being piloted in the US and Nigeria, with partnerships expanding rapidly. We’re scaling through direct school partnerships, teacher ambassador programs, and collaboration with ministries and governmental organisations. The goal is to make Shepherd the default AI co-teacher in every school. Are there plans to introduce Shepherd to African schools? Absolutely, and this is personal. For too long, African education systems have been playing catch-up. We missed the industrial age revolution. We missed the internet revolution in our classrooms. But we do not have to miss the AI revolution. We can leapfrog. Shepherd is already working with a growing number of forward-thinking Nigerian schools that are not just adopting AI, they’re using it to empower their teachers, personalise learning, and better prepare students for the world ahead. We’re aligning Shepherd with local curricula like WAEC and JAMB, and we’re training teachers to use it, not as a replacement, but as an extension of their ability to teach and care. Parents and government leaders should pay close attention to what’s happening globally. In China, AI education is now mandatory in schools, with students as young as six getting familiar with the tools that will shape their future. It’s not just about coding. It’s about thinking, reasoning, and working alongside intelligent systems. That’s what Shepherd enables. Even if a student doesn’t go on to build AI, they’ll grow up knowing how to work with it, and that familiarity will be a key advantage in the global labour market. So yes, we’re coming to Nigerian and African schools, but it’s not just up to us. This is a conversation every parent should be having with their school today. Ask them: “What are you doing to prepare my child for a world shaped by AI?” If the answer isn’t clear, Shepherd is here to help. Do you plan to organise training and sensitisation programmes for educators on the effective use of Shepherd? Absolutely. We’re rolling out “train-the-trainer” models, on-site workshops, and mobile onboarding flows in local languages. We’re not just giving teachers a tool; we’re helping them build 21st-century teaching capacity. It’s part of the product, part professional development. And the feedback so far has been electric. What specific challenges do you see in applying AI tools like Shepherd in the Nigerian education system? We are tackling three challenges head-on: Digital literacy caps, low device access, and scepticism and awareness. To address digital literacy gaps, we offer mobile-ready, language-inclusive training. On low-end device access, we want to ensure Shepherd works great on low-end Android phones. To address scepticism and awareness, our focus is to lead with the teacher, not the tech. When they see Shepherd save hours and improve engagement and confidence in the students, the scepticism melts away. Teachers and schools are already burdened by economic realities. What is the cost of adopting Shepherd? We are sensitive to the economic realities in the country. So we try to ensure pricing structure flexibility. We can offer school-wide licenses, parent-funded bundles, and even NGO/government-sponsored access for public schools. We are, however, confident in the Return on Investment we deliver – more learning, less stress, better results. Would you consider partnering with state or federal education agencies in Nigeria for the sake of accessibility? Yes, we’re excited to have those conversations. To reach every student, we need the public sector. We’re gearing up to speak with ministries, governors’ forums, and donor-backed agencies to bring Shepherd into public schools, from primary to university, and even teacher colleges. How will Shepherd improve UTME/SSCE results? Shepherd is built to help students excel at exams. Upload a WAEC or JAMB syllabus, and Shepherd creates a full plan, notes, flashcards, quizzes, past questions, and reminders. It’s like a personalised prep coach that never sleeps. And teachers can track readiness, spot weak points, and give targeted support. We’ve seen students jump two to three grade levels in a matter of weeks. But also, we are working on building a vast library of UTME/SSCE and international exams – IB, AP, SAT, etc, resources that are AI-enabled, with 24/7 interactive explanations on questions, and ready to help students excel.

Aston Villa produced a sensational performance to beat Newcastle United at Villa Park and lay down a marker in the race for the top five and Champions League qualification. Ollie Watkins became Villa's joint-top Premier League goalscorer - alongside Gabriel Agbonlahor - on 74 when his shot took a wicked deflection off Fabian Schar after just 33 seconds. Newcastle levelled in the 18th minute when Schar met Harvey Barnes' deep, curling cross and headed through the legs of Villa keeper Emiliano Martinez. But in the 64th minute Watkins sent in full-back Ian Maatsen who deservedly restored Villa's lead with a cool dink over the goalkeeper. Villa added a third in the 73rd minute when Jacob Ramsey's pass across goal bounced in off Newcastle defender Dan Burn. And a fourth came moments later through substitute Amadou Onana's stunning strike which found the top corner from the edge of the box. Villa's convincing win lifts them to sixth in the table, level on points with fifth-placed Nottingham Forest. Newcastle remain third but are now just two points ahead of Villa with five games of the season remaining. Villa Park is packed full of positivity these days. Unai Emery's side have now won 10 of their past 11 games in all competitions to propel themselves back into Champions League qualification contention. Their first half was inspired by Watkins who twice hit the woodwork, clattering an effort against the underside of the crossbar at 1-0, and thumping a header against the post at 1-1. In the second half Villa always looked the likelier to score and John McGinn came close to putting them ahead but he was denied by Newcastle keeper Nick Pope when through on goal. Three goals in 11 minutes from Maatsen, the unfortunate Burn and Onana put the result beyond doubt though. And shortly after they went 4-1 up, Ramsey nearly made it five but his shot struck the inside of the post. Villa face fellow European hopefuls Manchester City and Bournemouth in the run-in but after beating a Newcastle team that had won six on the bounce, and scored 12 goals across their past three games, few would bet against Emery's side reaching the Champions League for a second successive season. Newcastle never really clicked and were blown away by Villa's energy. Alexander Isak was well-marshalled by defenders Tyrone Mings and Ezri Konsa and was pretty much limited to one tame, curling effort straight at Emiliano Martinez with the score at 1-1. Tricky wingers Jacob Murphy and Harvey Barnes were likewise dealt with by Villa's full-backs Matty Cash and Maatsen. Assistant manager Jason Tindall once again deputised for manager Eddie Howe who continues to recover from pneumonia. Their side could have gone eight points clear of Villa with a win. Instead their advantage over the Villans was cut to just two points. Newcastle will hope to respond when they host Ipswich next Saturday, while Villa are away at Manchester City on Tuesday.

The World Health Organisation has validated Senegal as having eliminated trachoma as a public health problem. The WHO, which disclosed this in a statement on Tuesday, noted that the validation makes Senegal the ninth country in the WHO’s African Region to have achieved this feat. Trachoma is a neglected tropical disease. It is caused by infection with the bacterium Chlamydia trachomatis, which spreads from person to person through contaminated surfaces, fomites, and flies that have come into contact with discharge from the eyes or nose of an infected person. Environmental risk factors for trachoma transmission include poor hygiene, overcrowded living conditions, and inadequate access to clean water and sanitation. Trachoma remains a public health problem in 32 countries, with an estimated 103 million people living in areas requiring interventions against the disease. Trachoma is found mainly in the poorest and most rural areas of Africa, Central and South America, Asia, the Western Pacific, and the Middle East. WHO’s African Region is disproportionately affected by trachoma, with 93 million people living in at-risk areas in April 2024, representing 90 per cent of the global trachoma burden. The global health body stated that significant progress has been made in the fight against trachoma over the past few years, and the number of people requiring antibiotic treatment for trachoma in the African Region fell by 96 million from 189 million in 2014 to 93 million as of April 2024, representing a 51 per cent reduction. There are currently 20 countries (Algeria, Angola, Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Central Africa Republic, Chad, Côte d’Ivoire, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Guinea, Kenya, Mozambique, Niger, Nigeria, South Sudan, United Republic of Tanzania, Uganda, Zambia and Zimbabwe) in WHO’s African Region that are known to require intervention for trachoma elimination. A further three countries in the Region (Botswana, Guinea-Bissau, and Namibia) claim to have achieved the prevalence targets for elimination. The Director-General of WHO, Dr. Tedros Ghebreyesus, said, “I commend Senegal for freeing its population from this disease. “This milestone is yet another sign of the remarkable progress being made against neglected tropical diseases globally, and offers hope to other countries still working to eliminate trachoma.” Trachoma has been known in Senegal since the early 1900s and was confirmed as a major cause of blindness through surveys in the 1980s and 1990s. Senegal joined the WHO Alliance for the Global Elimination of Trachoma in 1998, conducted its first national survey in 2000, and completed full disease mapping by 2017 with support from the Global Trachoma Mapping Project and Tropical Data. Trachoma control was consistently integrated into national eye health programmes, first under the National Program for Blindness Prevention, and later through the National Programme for the Promotion of Eye Health, maintaining its commitment to trachoma elimination. Senegal’s Minister of Health and Social Action, Dr. Ibrahima Sy, noted, “Today we celebrate our victory against trachoma, 21 years after the one against dracunculiasis. “This new milestone reminds us that our overarching goal remains a Senegal free from neglected tropical diseases. We are fully committed to this, and we are making good progress, notably against human African trypanosomiasis (sleeping sickness) and onchocerciasis.” To eliminate trachoma as a public health problem, WHO recommends the SAFE strategy: a comprehensive approach to reduce transmission of the causative organism, clear existing infections, and deal with their effects. The SAFE strategy consists of surgery to treat the blinding complication (trachomatous trichiasis); antibiotics to clear the infection, particularly mass drug administration of the antibiotic azithromycin (which has been donated by the manufacturer, Pfizer, to elimination programmes through the International Trachoma Initiative); facial cleanliness; and environmental improvement, particularly improving access to water and sanitation. “Senegal implemented the WHO-recommended SAFE strategy to eliminate trachoma with the support of partners, reaching 2.8 million people who needed them across 24 districts. These activities included provision of surgery to treat the late blinding stage of the disease, conducting antibiotic mass drug administration of azithromycin donated by Pfizer through the International Trachoma Initiative, carrying out public awareness campaigns to promote facial cleanliness, and improvement in access to water supply and sanitation. “Trachoma is the second neglected tropical disease to be eliminated in Senegal. In 2004, the country was certified free of dracunculiasis (Guinea-worm disease) transmission. Globally, Senegal joins 24 other countries that have been validated by WHO for having eliminated trachoma as a public health problem. “These are Benin, Burundi, Cambodia, China, Gambia, Islamic Republic of Iran, Lao People’s Democratic Republic, Ghana, India, Iraq, Malawi, Mali, Mauritania, Mexico, Morocco, Myanmar, Nepal, Oman, Pakistan, Papua New Guinea, Saudi Arabia, Togo, Vanuatu, and Viet Nam. These countries are part of a wider group of 57 countries that have eliminated one or more neglected tropical diseases,” WHO stated. The organisation added that it is supporting Senegal’s health authorities to closely monitor communities in which trachoma was previously endemic to ensure there is no resurgence of the disease. “Trachoma has cast a shadow over communities in Senegal for more than a century. This long-awaited validation is not only a milestone for public health but a powerful tribute to the tireless dedication of frontline health workers, communities, government leaders, and partners who never gave up. “Today, we close a chapter that began over a hundred years ago, united with pride, gratitude, and resolve. WHO remains committed to supporting Senegal as the country continues to lead in sustaining this hard-earned achievement,” said the WHO Representative in Senegal, Dr Jean-Marie Vianny Yameogo.