Focus on Africa

We speak to a Kenyan man who says he believed he was travelling to Russia to join a basketball team but was instead coerced into military service. He describes signing a contract in Russian, witnessing death in battle, and fighting in a war he says he never agreed to join. Presenter: Charles Gitonga Producers: Carolyne Kiambo and Fana Negash. Technical Producer: Herbert Masua Senior Producer: Priy...

Nigeria’s Senate has passed a controversial electoral law after tense debates over how election results should be transmitted during elections. At the centre of the dispute was a provision allowing election officials to revert to manual transmission of results if electronic methods failed. Opposition lawmakers had sought to remove the clause, arguing that it could undermine transparency. And Ndaba...

University students in Senegal have been protesting in demand of payment of their stipend from the government. They say the allowance, paid to students mostly from low-income backgrounds, has not been disbursed for months. A week ago, a protest at the country's main Cheikh Anta Diop University in Dakar left one student dead after a confrontation between the protestors and the police. The push by t...

The Deputy Executive Director for UN Women, Dr Nyaradzayi Gumbonzvanda has made an appeal for a ceasefire in Sudan - while speaking at the just concluded Africa Union Summit in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. UN Women says of the 12 million people displaced by the Sudan war, more than half of them are women and children. This adds to the documented cases of mass and systemic rape and the use of sexual viol...

An investigation by Reuters news agency has revealed that Ethiopia built a secret training camp for the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) - a group involved in the Sudan war. Satellite images released by Reuters show that the camp is located in western Ethiopia near the border with Sudan. Experts say this is the first time Ethiopia has been directly linked to the war between the RSF and the Sudan Armed F...

In this episode of Focus on Africa: The Conversation, we explore the world of dating apps on the African continent. Around 350 million people worldwide are using dating apps to look for romantic connections. But the picture looks different in Africa. We hear from a Nigerian couple who met on a popular dating app and ended up getting married. And a Kenyan woman who says her experience with the apps...

Authorities in Senegal are investigating a transnational network of criminals accused of committing henious crimes against children. The police in the west African country say that the network was operating in coordination with a French national who was arrested in France in April last year. The suspects are accused of paedophilia, pimping, rape of minors under 15, sodomy and intentional transmiss...

In an exclusive interview with Focus on Africa, Lieutenant General John Brennan, the Deputy Commander of US Africa Command (AFRICOM), says that over 90% of revenue generation and recruitment by Islamic State (IS) terror organisation is now happening in Africa. He also discusses how the US is seeking to deepen its military cooperation with African countries such as Nigeria, Kenya, Somalia and Mali....

Over 200 cases of the Foot and Mouth Disease have been confirmed in South Africa's KwaZulu-Natal province. The highly contagious viral disease that affects cows, sheep, goats and other split hoofed animals has also been confirmed in Zimbabwe, Botswana, Eswatini and Mozambique. We hear what this means for farmers and the economy. Also - between Morocco and Algeria, who really owns the caftan? Prese...

Following a months-long delay, the US recently renewed the African Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA) - a key trade deal between Washington and dozens of African countries that was first enacted in 2000. AGOA enables African countries to export select goods to the US duty free. While previous US administations renewed the deal for periods of upto 10 years, President Trump's government has offered t...

The UNFPA has warned that world fertility rates are facing an 'unprecedented decline'. In its 2025 report, it said many people are having fewer children than they want, or none at all, because of factors like the cost of living and difficulties finding a suitable partner. At the same time, a growing number of people are actively choosing a child-free life, and more women are now opting for sterili...

In Nigeria's commercial capital Lagos, authorities have demolished Makoko - the country's biggest informal waterfront settlement. The Lagos state government says some structures built beneath high-tension power lines pose a serious safety risk. But the scale of demolitions has left thousands of residents displaced and families say they were given little warning and no clear relocation plan. And in...

A vessel carrying Russian oil suffered an explosion off the coast of Senegal last December, prompting investigations into the presence of a Russian shadow fleet in African waters. The tanker is reportedly among several vessels trying to flout US, EU and UK sanctions on Russia. And - even though the Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) is over, several incidents from the tournament hosted by Morocco have...

Ethiopia's national airline has resumed flights to the northern Tigray region after being suspended for a week amid military tensions. The suspension heightened fears of renewed conflict between the national army and Tigrayan forces - who accuse Addis Ababa of killing civilians using drones.  We hear from people in Tigray.   Also, are you using the right helmet while riding on a motorcycle? We loo...

A BBC Africa Eye investigation has been told that a high-ranking police officer in Tanzania's main city Dar es Salaam was linked to the abduction of several activists, who allege they were subsequently abused by other officers.  They claim their  ordeals happened as the government was cracking down on dissent ahead of the October 2025 presidential election.   And West African words and expressions...

Africa’s beauty and personal care industry is growing, as more people look to achieve glowing skin and the perfect make up look. But many products on the market still do not cater to black skin. Last year, a study by US-based Environmental Working Group (EWG) found that over 3000 beauty products targeting black women contain health hazards.  Focus on Africa: The Conversation host, Nkechi Ogbonna s...

The military government in Guinea-Bissau has suspended a scientific trial for the hepatitis B vaccine administered to newborns. The trial is funded by the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to the tune of $1.6 million and conducted by scientists from the University of Southern Denmark. The Bissau government says the study will be subjected to a technical and ethical review. And, almost...

January is marked worldwide as cervical cancer awareness month. According to the World Health Organisation, cervical cancer is one of the most preventable types of cancer, yet it kills over 350,000 women globally every year. We look at how Kenya, where more than half of those diagnosed die within a year, is approaching the disease; and how Botswana manages to keep prevalence low. Also, weddings ar...

Morocco and Egypt are the only African nations in President Trump's Board of Peace. The body was initially meant to help implement a ceasefire in Gaza, but Trump says it could serve a wider role in ending global conflicts. We look at why Morocco and Egypt got the invitation to join the Board and what influence African countries will have, if any. Also, seven years after a corruption scandal involv...

Cocoa farmers in Ghana are disgruntled over delayed payments from the state regulator - COCOBOD. The farmers say the delay is endangering investments for the next farming season. Ghana, which is the world's second largest cocoa producer, changed the system through which farmers receive their payments in an attempt to reduce reliance on debt. And we hear from Giel Malual and John Kuei - the two Sou...

Around the world, more women are choosing to delay motherhood. In countries like Italy, Spain and South Korea, the average age of first-time mothers has risen to around 32. While many African countries still have some of the youngest ages of first-time mothers - a shift is also happening in parts of continent. So, what’s behind this change? Focus on Africa: The Conversation host, Nkechi Ogbonna sp...

A recent attack in Niger's south-western Tillaberi region led to the deaths of 31 civilians. It adds to a trend of deadly assaults by jihadist militants in the tri border area of Niger, Burkina Faso and Mali. According to the Armed Conflict Location and Event Data Project (Acled), Tillaberi was the deadliest region in the Sahel in 2025, with more than 1,200 civilian deaths recorded. Also, we take...

A new report by the Tony Blair Institute for Global Change says that most countries, including those in Africa, will find it difficult to have full autonomy over AI systems. According to the Institute, only 32 countries worldwide host AI-specific data centres, leaving around 160 nations dependent on foreign infrastructure. We hear how the situation is for African countries. And, Nigeria wants to r...

A recent report by the Global Initiative Against Transnational Organised Crime reveals that a third of cocaine consumed in Europe is transported via West Africa. Since 2019, the region has become a key global hub for cocaine smuggling from Latin America to markets in Europe and Asia, according to the organisation. We look at how the region gained this reputation as a hub of global trafficking. Als...

In this episode, we look back at the Africa Cup of Nations, where Senegal edged hosts Morocco in extra-time in a dramatic final. We explore the key moments and what they reveal about African football’s future. We also investigate a darker story: Across West Africa, criminal gangs are luring young people with fake overseas jobs. BBC Africa Eye follows Interpol’s anti-trafficking unit in Sierra Leon...