Africa Today
Africa news and analysis from the BBC's Focus on Africa. The Africa Today podcast contains the day's top stories from African news - available to download Monday to Friday from 1630 GMT.
Will Africa shine at the Paris Olympics?
he Olympics opening ceremony expected to get under way in Paris today. Audiences from all over the world are expected to watch.How can Nigeria solve its oil theft problem?And what is causing Namibia's housing crisis, and could mushrooms provide the answer?Presenter : Charles Gitonga Producers: Yvette Twagiramariya, Stefania Okereke, Rob…
Can the flow of arms into conflict-hit Sudan be stopped?
The international watchdog, Amnesty International, is calling for a nationwide arms embargo on Sudan after its investigation found that a constant flow of weapons is fuelling the devastating war. But how can the supply of arms be stopped?For the first time, sub Saharan Africa has seen a dramatic drop in…
Why young people in Uganda are annoyed by corruption?
Dozens arrested in Uganda for involvement in banned anti-corruption protests. President Yoweri Museveni had warned before the event that protesters were "playing with fire".Sierra Leone jails 11 people over an alleged coup attempt, who are they and are all the cases concluded? ?And we meet Gabriella Ghermandi, the Ethiopian ethno-musicologist…
Why was Zambia's anti-corruption board dissolved?
Zambia’s President Hakinde Hichilema has fired the entire board of the country’s Anti-Corruption Commission after allegations that certain officials on the body tasked with fighting corruption, were taking bribes. The accusations have been strongly denied, but a former chairman says the board needs to be reformed.Ethiopia has seen a surge…
Why there is concern about Angola's proposed anti- vandalism law ?
Angola's new law with lengthy prison sentences for vandalism. Who are the real targets-criminals or the opposition?Can Zambia stop boys from being abducted to undergo circumcision? And is China muscling in on Nigeria's potentially lucrative car market?Presenter: Audrey Brown Producers: Rob Wilson, Patricia Whitehorne, Bella Hassan and Yvette Twagiramariya in…
How can building collapses in Nigeria be prevented?
Early findings into why a school building in Nigeria's Plateau state collapsed killing more than 20 children, have revealed many shortcomings. But the tragedy was one of more than 20 reported cases in the past few months. How can rules and regulations be tightened to prevent building collapses?Sierra Leone is…
Can South Africa's government of national unity really work?
South Africa’s parliament reopens after landmark elections that lead to the formation of a government of national unity after the governing ANC lost its majority. We talk to international co-operation minister, Ronald Lamola. Is the ANC buying time or wasting time? Somalia imposes a 5 percent tax on digital transactions…
Could new EU environmental rules shut African crops out of European markets?
The manager of a coffee farmers's co-operative says small scale farmers in Africa are concerned that they may soon be unable to sell their produce to Europe because of the impact of the European Union's deforestation regulations.New information about the largest rainforest in Southern Africa raises questions about discovery -…
Is the church in Kenya too close to the government?
Is the role of the church in Kenyan politics changing? We hear the perspective of a senior member of the umbrella group- the National Council of Churches of Kenya Why has Chadian President Mahamat Deby cancelled an official visit to Paris scheduled for this week?We talk to the founder of…
Can public hearings into Zimbabwe's 'genocide' of the 1980s bring healing and national unity?
Zimbabwe's President Emerson Mnangagwa has announced public hearings into the mass killings of Zimbabwe's Ndebele people 40 years ago. The president says the hearings will be a mechanism to bring healing and national cohesion. But a survivor of the massacre of opposition supporters, tells us he does not trust the…
Does an Ecowas court ruling on police brutality on protestors in Nigeria go far enough?
Nigerian authorities guilty of violating protesters rights during mass demonstrations against police brutality, known as #EndSars, in 2020. Why hasn't police behaviour changed?Can Africa's booming population be harnessed?And can anyone stand in the way of another presidential term for Rwanda's Paul Kagame?Presenter: Audrey Brown Producers: Charles Gitonga and Frenny Jowi…
Unfarmed land leaves millions staring at hunger in Sudan
More than half the population in Sudan - nearly 26 million people - face acute hunger as the ongoing war hinders agricultural production. The UN agency for Food and Agriculture (FAO) says it is trying to provide seed to farmers to help grow food.Who are Nigeria's ghost workers who are…
Can Ghana afford to pay striking civil servants?
All through Ghana civil servants have been on strike following the government's failure to honour a pledge to raise their pay. Can their grievances be addressed?We meet a doctor who carries out operations to reverse female genital mutilation.And why are Somalis being forced to remove bodies from a graveyard in…
Why land routes through Africa are more dangerous for migrants than Mediterranean crossings
Refugees and migrants taking land routes across Africa to get to the Mediterranean and Europe, face extreme violence, abuse and exploitation, with far more believed to be dying there than at sea, a UN-backed report says. Plus, why is Tanzania struggling with a huge shortage of university professors? And how…
What can the breakaway confederation do without Ecowas?
The West African regional grouping Ecowas has warned that it risks disintegration and worsened insecurity after Burkina Faso, Mali and Niger formed a breakaway confederation. Can the three landlocked countries go it alone?Can your social media presence be inherited after you die?And a new look at how electronic waste can…
Can Burkina Faso's military government counter deadly jihadist attacks?
Burkina Faso's military is facing increased pressure after reports of a recent spate of the deadly attacks of soldiers by jihadist fighters. The Junta government lead by Ibrahim Traore ,has kept mum about this incidents.Why are soldiers deserting the army in the Democratic Republic of Congo? 25 soldiers have been…
Can South Sudan hold its first post-independence elections this year?
Africa's youngest nation, South Sudan will head to the polls this December, but critics say they are disappointed with the government’s lack of preparedness. These elections will be the first ever conducted in the country since it gained independence from Sudan in 2011. However, several conditions listed in a peace…
Why do the British and French elections matter to Africa?
Two countries with major links to Africa are holding make or break elections this week. Britain and France. These elections will usher in new governments which may have completely new approaches to the continent. How will the outcome of the British and French elections impact Africa? And should Africans care?…
Why jihadist groups use female suicide bombers?
Nigerian authorities say that suspected female suicide bombers participated in coordinated attacks in Nigeria that killed dozens of people. Why do young girls and women become suicide bombers?How the lives of displaced people in Mozambique's troubled Cabo Delgado Province are being rebuilt.And can local communities in Africa can be involved…
South Africa has a new coalition government
South Africa's President Cyril Ramaphosa has unveiled a new coalition government, after his party, the African National Congress lost its parliamentary majority in May's elections. Mr Ramaphosa said "the government of national unity is unprecedented in the history of our democracy". What do South Africans think of the new cabinet?Also…