Accountability and transparency are vital to avoid the ‘resource curse’, where extraction benefits the elite, at the expense of local people
But stigma remains, and measures such as low or no school fees, bursaries and mentorship could improve teenage mothers’ future opportunities
A Bill before parliament will, if passed, see the government’s powers extended, repressing efforts at development and voices of dissent
The first by-election in a year takes place amid violence and chicanery ahead of national elections next year