Africa Today

Mauritius, Morocco and Madagascar are leading African countries in making inroads in the fight against smoking, which claims over 8 million lives annually around the world.What's behind the staying power of South Africa's second largest opposition party the EFF and its leader Julius Malema?And Nigeria makes it into the Women's World Cup knockout phase

West African regional body ECOWAS has threatened a military response to the coup in Niger, if deposed president Mohamed Bazoum is not reinstated within a week.Plus, we look at the impact of Kenya suspending the reopening of its border with Somalia after 11 years of closure, due to attacks by al-Shabab militants. And we look at the impact of South Africa adopting sign language as the country’s twelfth official language.

Nigerian doctors tell us why they called an indefinite strike, as we discuss some of the challenges facing the country’s healthcare sector.Plus, Mali relegates French, removing it as one of the country’s official languages, after the recent constitutional referendum.And we’re in Kenya, where it’s hoped electric boda boda taxis will save drivers from rising fuel costs while saving the environment.

Soldiers in the West African country of Niger have announced a coup on national TV. They said they had dissolved the constitution, suspended all institutions and closed the nation's borders.From street child to MP- Meet the man who led the campaign to abolish the death penalty in Ghana.The journeys of church bells that herald Africa's new role as the beating heart of Christianity. Hannah Ajala follows the Marinelli bells to Nigeria where she interviews one of the country's most famous pastors, Dr Paul Enenche, about the rapid rise of Pentecostalism

Devastating wildfires along Algeria's coast and in neighbouring Tunisia have destroyed homes and killed at least 34 people. We focus on the efforts to bring them under control.We look ahead to the second Russia-Africa summit starting tomorrow in St Petersburg. How much leverage do African leaders have?Plus, why polyamory is a growing lifestyle choice among some young Africans.

We look at how illicit financial flows are costing African governments billions of dollars in lost revenue and affecting spending on vital public services.Plus, as the conflict in Sudan surpasses the 100-day mark, we examine international efforts to mediate an end to the fighting.And we take you to the new International African American Museum in South Carolina in the United States.

One hundred days since the start of Sudan's new war -harrowing testimonies of Sudanese refugees in neighbouring Chad. Meanwhile protection and learning in child friendly spaces.A leaked memo showing the Lagos State government in South West Nigeria had approved $77,000 for a mass burial of 103 victims of the historic 2020 anti-police brutality EndSars protest has sparked outrage in the country.Plus the significance of the Lobito Corridor rail link offering an easier means of export for landlocked countries

All eyes on the African teams as the Women’s World Cup gets underway. After years of being in the shadows, Morocco's national team will be making history in their first appearance. We will be in the Central African Republic to find out more about the upcoming constitutional referendum.And we take a look at the hurdles faced by women with disabilities when trying to access sexual and reproductive health services in Africa.

The challenge facing Africa's women and children is highlighted by a new United Nations report, which reveals that no country has achieved full gender parity or empowerment. With rice becoming a staple food in Africa, we learn about a new initiative by the South Korean government to help countries on the continent ramp up their own production. Nigeria's new national obsession is smashing world records, but can you set one for anything? We talk to Guinness World Records to find out which tasks are eligible.

Is there school in Kenya? Schools in the capital Nairobi and the coastal town of Mombasa have been shut indefinitely as three days of nationwide cost-of-living protests kicked off on Wednesday.Russia cancels grain deal. Russia's withdrawal from the deal allowing Ukraine to safely export grain through the Black Sea is a "stab on the back" for those in drought-hit countries, Kenya's government has said. We look at what this means for food security in Africa. And FIFA Women's World Cup 2023: Morocco's women football team has defied all odds to earn a spot in this summer's tournament.

Twitter’s former employees in Ghana say the company has gone silent on all negotiations regarding payment of severance pay. In Africa, the biggest impact was in Ghana where the company opened a physical office just four days before the decision to fire staff. We speak to BBC business reporter in Lagos, Nkechi Ogbonna.In Zimbabwe, President Emmerson Mnangagwa has said that every party must be allowed to campaign. However, the high court has banned former cabinet minister and member of Zanu-PF, Saviour Kasukuwere from standing in the race due to ineligibility. He tells us why he finds the court ruling baffling.Plus, In the fight against AIDS, an impressive success story has emerged from five African countries—Botswana, Rwanda, Tanzania, Eswatini, and Zimbabwe. We hear from Dr. Jerome Kamwela, the Director for Monitoring and Evaluation at the Tanzania Commission for AIDS (TACADS) about this progress.

Human Rights Watch has called for an investigation into an increase in atrocities in Sudan's Darfur region, since recent fighting between the army and Rapid Support Forces paramilitaries began.After disputed elections, Sierra Leone's President Julius Maada Bio announces a new cabinet. A third of its members are women, and for the first time ever a significant number are in their thirties. We talk to the new chief minister David Monina Sengeh, 36, about his role.With Zambia's Copper Queens due to make their debut at the FIFA Women’s World Cup this week, we hear from team captain Barbra Banda. Is there really enough evidence to support gender eligibility regulations?

New MPs were sworn in as Sierra Leone’s parliament opened following June’s elections, but the main opposition APC party is boycotting government business over alleged fraud.Plus, could Ghana become the latest African country to legalise cannabis? President Nana Akufo-Addo has signed off on a bill allowing certain strains of the plant to be grown.And we look at how the increase in people moving off the land and to the city in Africa is affecting the continent’s dietary health.

Kenyan protesters defied a police ban and demonstrations turned chaotic. The opposition called the move draconian, and vowed to go back to the streets. Can the police legally effect the ban?After social media hype, there are reports of a surge in Ugandan men taking their children for DNA tests. But does that paint a true picture? We talk to a microbiologist to get to the bottom of it.Plus, ahead of the Women's World Cup, South Africa's goalkeeper Andile Dlamini shares the inspiring story of how she overcame adversity.

Iran’s president Ebrahim Raisi has kicked off a three-country tour of Africa. His trip to Kenya, Uganda and Zimbabwe comes as the country is trying to create new economic relationships, in order to mitigate the impact of sanctions imposed on the country by the United States. Plus, we look ahead to the upcoming elections in Gabon. Victory for incumbent Ali Bongo and his family dynasty looks a virtual certainty, before the vote even takes place. And with Wimbledon underway, South African wheelchair tennis star Kgothatso Montjane tells us about making history at this year’s French Open.

As European governments harden their stance on undocumented migration - we hear what's been happening to hundreds of people found in the Mediterranean by Spanish authorities. And what drives people to make these dangerous journeys.Migrants from sub-Saharan Africa have been attacked in the Tunisian city of Sfax, with dozens reportedly wounded. We hear from one of them. And a plan from the African Union to tap into the youthful energy that abounds on the continent.

We get an update from Somalia. The African Union has begun pulling its troops out of the country and plans to complete the withdrawal by December. Could the move hamper the fight against al-Shabab?Plus, we take a look at the job networking website designed for people who work in the informal sector. And we speak to two African entrepreneurs who are marketing their wares in China.

On World Swahili Day, we take at a look at how far the east African language has travelled and hear from people teaching it from Moscow to Bogotá.Also in the pod: Since the covid 19 pandemic, there’s been growing interest in fruit bats. Our Global Health Correspondent Naomi Grimley has been given special access to a scientific research project in Ghana which aims to monitor them.Also, we give you some more details on Threads, Meta's answer to twitting.

South Sudan hasn't voted in an election since the country gained independence in 2011, but that could change if President Salva Kiir's pledge to hold general elections in 2024 go to plan. Also on the pod: anger is still simmering in Nanterre, France, after the killing of a 17 year old by the hand of the police sparked days of violent protests. A BBC team speaks to local activists and hears from the police.And, why are so many Egyptian athlets are fleeing their country? We look behind the intriguing case of an Egyptian wrestling champion who disappeared and resurfaced in France.

President Ruto outrages environmentalists after lifting a ban on cutting trees. But what does this mean for Kenya’s commitment to the environment? We ask Tracy Makheti, Community Manager at Greenpeace Africa.From problems to solutions: we chat to Omolara Svensson, a Nigerian woman whose mission is to change stereotypes around farming and get more young people into agriculture.Plus, Ugandan author Kakwenza Rukirabashaija who has a new book called ‘The Savage Avenger’, tells us about his experience of being detained, tortured and having to flee Uganda.