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Focus on Africa

Two essential stories to round off your working day. Explaining the news from Africa. Hosted by Nkechi Ogbonna. Five days a week, ready by late afternoon, Monday to Friday.

World Service,851 episodes

Episodes

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“I became a founder - then burnt out"
Many of Africa’s founders say their job has impacted their mental well-being.
09 Jan 2026,22 mins
Thousands flee fighting in Sudan’s Kordofan
Civilians flee as fighting intensifies in Sudan’s Kordofan region
08 Jan 2026,22 mins
Burkina Faso says foiled assassination plot
Burkina Faso says thwarted attempted coup against Captain Traoré
07 Jan 2026,22 mins
Africa reacts to Maduro’s capture
African governments respond to US seizure of Venezuela’s president
06 Jan 2026,22 mins
Nigeria’s new taxes spark public backlash
Nigeria’s new tax laws trigger concern about incomes and prices
05 Jan 2026,22 mins
Are you addicted to your smartphone?
How do you navigate excessive smartphone use?
02 Jan 2026,22 mins
January 1: birthday for the undocumented
Why does January 1 appear so often on African birth records?
01 Jan 2026,22 mins
What's in store for Africa 2026 ?
Looking ahead to events likely to shape 2026
31 Dec 2025,22 mins
What happens after Israel recognises Somaliland as independent?
Joy in Somaliland after Israel grants recognition, as demonstration erupts elsewhere.
30 Dec 2025,22 mins
Inside Nigeria’s bombed border communities
BBC team gains rare access to villages near US Nigeria airstrikes
29 Dec 2025,22 mins
"My Surrogacy Baby"
Influencer, Nancy Umeh, shares her journey of welcoming her third child through surrogacy
26 Dec 2025,22 mins
What's Christmas without a home?
How are homeless people in South Africa spending Christmas?
25 Dec 2025,22 mins
Crowd crush tragedy at Asake concert
20-year-old Karen Lojore dies after a crowd crush at a Nairobi concert.
24 Dec 2025,22 mins
Kidnapped Nigerian schoolchildren are free
Parents speak after kidnapped Nigerian children are freed amid fresh abduction reports.
23 Dec 2025,22 mins
Kidnapped Nigerian schoolchildren are free
Parents speak after kidnapped Nigerian children are freed amid fresh abduction reports.
23 Dec 2025,22 mins
AFCON is back, and it's changing
Africa's major football tournament kicks off amid calendar changes and ticketing concerns
22 Dec 2025,22 mins
The difficulty of intra-African travel
Find out why it’s still so hard and costly for Africans to travel within Africa
19 Dec 2025,22 mins
Should more employers grant menstrual leave?
Authorities in Kenya’s capital Nairobi to grant female city employees menstrual leave
18 Dec 2025,22 mins
DRC rebels to retreat from seized town
Rebel M23 group to withdraw from Uvira in eastern DR Congo following international outcry
17 Dec 2025,22 mins
Deadly floods hit Moroccan city ahead of AFCON
Search and rescue efforts for missing persons continue after weekend flash floods in Safi
16 Dec 2025,22 mins
South Africa's Nama people want mines rehabilitated
After years of diamond mining, locals say firms haven't done enough to restore their land
15 Dec 2025,22 mins
Are weight-loss drugs a magic bullet?
Weight-loss jabs are gaining popularity in Africa. We follow one women's journey.
12 Dec 2025,22 mins
DRC rebels take town despite Trump deal
Fighting intensifies in east DR Congo despite new peace agreement with Rwanda
11 Dec 2025,22 mins
Tanzania crackdown on planned protests
Why did Tanzania’s streets remain deserted on the day youth vowed to protest?
10 Dec 2025,22 mins
BBC investigates ‘white genocide’ in South Africa
BBC Africa Eye investigates ‘genocide’ claims targeting white farmers in South Africa
09 Dec 2025,22 mins
What next after coup attempt in Benin?
What the coup attempt means for Benin as President Talon says situation is under control.
08 Dec 2025,22 mins
'My photos became deepfake porn'
UN Women recently sounded the alarm on deepfake pornography, a new form of digital abuse
05 Dec 2025,22 mins
Zambian influencer imprisoned for hate speech
Influencer’s imprisonment raises questions about freedom of speech in Zambia
04 Dec 2025,22 mins
Nigeria's kidnapping crisis leaves parents scarred
Who is behind the kidnappings in Nigeria and what's the government doing about it?
03 Dec 2025,22 mins
Is Egypt reasserting its influence in Africa?
A rare conversation with Egypt's Foreign Minister about Sudan War and the Ethiopia dam
02 Dec 2025,22 mins