News stories by Salma Ahmad Kano

'I will never have anything to do with women since I have been diagnosed to have a killer disease.' It is not clear how Muhammad Jungudo (17) contracted HIV, but he suspects it happened at a local barber shop where the implements used for shaving are rarely sterilised. And knowing how he contracted the virus is important. At least it was to Jungudo’s family.

Nigeria ratified the Convention on the Elimination of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW) in 1985 without reservations. But few of its citizens have ever heard of the document. Day-to-day life for women in Nigeria is shaped less by international conventions than it is by the diverse cultures, traditions and religions found in the country.

Cowpeas are of vital importance to the diets and livelihood of millions of people in West and Central Africa. But the crop is notoriously difficult to store - beetles and other pests can destroy an entire granary full of cowpeas within 12 months.