Where are the Greens in Africa? We’re now half way through the COP27 environmental conference in Sharm el-Sheikh in Egypt – where political and business leaders and activists have been haggling over how best to limit climate change. African leaders have taken to the podium to castigate richer nations for causing global warming, and then not helping the continent to deal with its impact. But despite the environment rising up the agenda – Green parties are still failing to cut through at election ...
Nov 14, 2022•18 min
This week Ramon “Hushpuppi” Abbas, the notorious Nigerian fraudster, was sentenced to 11 years in federal prison in the US. He pleaded guilty to money laundering and other cyber crimes that cost his victims more than $24 million in losses. He had many aliases, but he was best known as Hushpuppi. He also liked to refer to himself as the “Billionaire Gucci Master”, alluding to his acclaimed wealth and love for designer goods. He styled himself as a man who went from humble beginnings to a life of ...
Nov 11, 2022•17 min
The Horn of Africa is experiencing its worst drought in 40 years. In Kenya the situation is forcing children to drop out of school to help their parents look for food and water. Kenyan President William Ruto recently told the COP27 summit in Egypt that this year alone, 2.5 million livestock, worth over $1 billion have died. In Somalia, charity CARE International says women, who are the breadwinners and heads of families, are now doing everything to ensure their husbands and children eat first, i...
Nov 10, 2022•14 min
On Monday, the Malian army rubbished reports that the north-eastern Menaka region is about to fall militants from the Islamic State group. They say the stories are propaganda designed to destabilise the country. And that they have been carrying out regular patrols in the region. In the neighbouring region of Gao, unions have called a strike. They are protesting the authorities response to violence that has left thousands displaced. So, what is being done to solve the insecurity in the north of t...
Nov 09, 2022•17 min
For years the fight against HIV/AIDS was fought with antiretroviral drugs. But in October the Medicines Control Authority of Zimbabwe announced that it had approved the use of a new medicine against HIV/AIDS. CAB-LA is long-acting injectable cabotegravir with the aim of preventing HIV. The World Health Organisation welcomed the step taken by Zimbabwe. This is particularly important considering the high HIV prevalence rate in the southern African country. The news of CAB-LA approval came shortly ...
Nov 08, 2022•16 min
This week the global environment conference COP 27 begins in Egypt. The world is warming because of the burning of fossil fuels like oil, gas and coal. Activists say what’s needed is hard cash – for Africa and other heavily impacted areas to manage the impact of climate change. In 2009 industrialised nations promised to provide $100 billion each year from 2020 to help poorer nations. At last year’s COP in Glasgow it looked like that fund was finally going to become a reality. But at the very las...
Nov 07, 2022•17 min
It’s two years since the conflict started in Ethiopia. The war has taken it’s toll on people in the affected areas with tens of thousands of people dead. And the World Health Organisation estimates 90% of people in the Tigray region are in need of food aid. This week, negotiators from the opposing TPLF and government forces signed a ceasefire agreement. A disarmament plan and commitment to restore service to Tigray have also been agreed. So, is there hope for peace in Ethiopia? #AfricaDaily...
Nov 04, 2022•20 min
The economic aftershocks from the covid pandemic and the war in Ukraine are being felt by economies around the world. Many countries have seen their currencies lose their value and a rapid rise in inflation. This is being felt acutely in many African countries where the falling value of many currencies is causing economic hardship because money isn’t buying as much as it did at the beginning of the year. Africa Daily’s Ferdinand Omondi has been looking at the cause and solutions to this economic...
Nov 03, 2022•18 min
Brazil, the land of samba and football. It’s also a country with close ties to Africa, through long years of slavery, centuries ago. It currently has the largest black population outside of Africa. With the imminent return to power of Luíz Inácio Lula da Silva, popularly known as Lula, some may wonder what his win means for Africa. When the left wing leader was president from 2003 to 2010, Brazil-Africa relations blossomed. Trade to Africa ran into the billions of dollars from 2000 to 2008, and ...
Nov 02, 2022•14 min
People in Mogadishu are in mourning once again. At least 120 people were killed when two car bombs exploded outside the Ministry of Education on Saturday. The government says the militant group al-Shabab were behind the attack - their deadliest for five years. President Hassan Sheik Mohamud says he will wage a full war on those responsible. So, what is behind the latest attack? And what can be done to stop the militants? #AfricaDaily
Nov 01, 2022•13 min
Earlier this month, a mass grave containing 25 bodies was discovered in Malawi. Investigators there are still working to find out exactly what happened to these people. But the government believes they were Ethiopian and that it is possible that they were being trafficked. The possibility has put a spotlight on migration routes from north to southern Africa and the conditions people face along the way. People have been making similar journeys for many years though. So why are people migrating? A...
Oct 31, 2022•20 min
Climate change is on people’s mind, and with the climate summit - COP27 - about to kick off in Egypt, it continues to be a hot topic. And some of the little decisions we make every day are helping to fuel the rapid climate changes. Even those that you might not give a second thought – hair, for example. Experts say synthetic hair, which is found in extensions and wigs, worn by millions around the world, harms the environment, especially in Africa where synthetic hair is big business. So today fo...
Oct 28, 2022•13 min
Famo is often described as Lesotho’s “traditional music” and is the country’s leading music genre. In recent times, rivalry among Famo artistes has led to bloodshed. Some music experts say this recent behaviour mirrors some of the US hip hop rivaly in the 1990s; the so-called East Coast v West Coast beef. Many Famo artists are divided into two warring factions, Terene and Seakhi. Terene members are known for draping their distinct yellow traditional blankets over their shoulders. Those who belon...
Oct 27, 2022•13 min
Travelers from African countries are more likely to need a visa to travel overseas. Lengthy applications asking for bank statements and marriage certificates can make planning a trip more difficult. But even with a visa in your hand, making it to your destination might not go smoothly. Recently high profile officials have complained of being treated poorly while trying to pass through immigration at airports. So, what’s the reality of trying to travel on an African passport? #AfricaDaily...
Oct 26, 2022•15 min
12 months ago today the Sudanese military, led by General Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, took control of the government in a military coup. The prime minister and his cabinet were arrested, the government dissolved. Sudan's economy, which had already been in crisis with high inflation and food, fuel and medicine shortages, plunged further. Thousands of civilians took to the streets to voice their opposition to the military takeover. Before the coup, military and civilian leaders had been sharing power ...
Oct 25, 2022•18 min
In Uganda it’s not unusual to send children to boarding school – in a tradition that dates back to colonial times. But now a Professor of Psychiatry, Professor Seggane Musisi, has spoken out against boarding schools – warning he’s seeing more children reporting mental health problems like depression and suicidal thoughts because of overwork and tiredness. Many schools get children up at 4 or 5am to start lessons early – and Professor Musisi says some students report being got out of bed at 2am. ...
Oct 24, 2022•20 min
In Uganda it’s not unusual to send children to boarding school – in a tradition that dates back to colonial times. But now a Professor of Psychiatry, Professor Seggane Musisi, has spoken out against boarding schools – warning he’s seeing more children reporting mental health problems like depression and suicidal thoughts because of overwork and tiredness. Many schools get children up at 4 or 5am to start lessons early – and Professor Musisi says some students report being got out of bed at 2am. ...
Oct 24, 2022•20 min
Félix Tshisekedi is President of the Democratic Republic of Congo. It’s a country known to be one of the lungs of the world, but also wracked by conflict. The president sat down with the BBC’s Victoria Uwonkunda after more than three years in office. He recognises that DR Congo’s natural habitat is vital to the world’s environment. But he says it would be unfair to those in his country living in poverty not to use its natural resources. He explains why he doesn’t want Rwanda to be part of the fi...
Oct 21, 2022•15 min
A few years ago, Africa was tantalising close to eliminating Meningitis type A - thanks to vaccination campaigns which started from 2010 onwards. But the World Health Organization says the Covid-19 pandemic delayed vaccinations for more than 50 million children across the continent - which means a heightened risk of outbreaks of the disease next year. So – in a race against time, the organisation is frantically campaigning to implement vaccination before the start of the meningitis season in Jan...
Oct 20, 2022•16 min
Seasonal flooding is not uncommon in Nigeria, but this year has been the worst for a decade. At least 27 out of the 36 states have been affected. More than 600 people have died and more than a million have been displaced. There are now fears that the disaster could impact food security at a time when the country is already going through a cost of living crisis. #Africa Daily
Oct 19, 2022•17 min
Although Africa has been dealing with HIV/AIDS for more than thirty years, sometimes the statistics are still arresting. A report recently published by the United Nations suggests that a young woman is infected every two minutes on the continent. More than that, they are three times more likely than young men aged between 15-24 to acquire the virus. The world has come a long way over the decades in the battle against HIV, with more knowledge and tools to prevent its spread than ever before. So w...
Oct 18, 2022•17 min
Power cuts. They’re the bane of most South Africans’ lives… and a massive political headache due to their disruptive, ongoing and frustrating nature. The causes are myriad: including ageing infrastructure, faulty power plants and deliberate sabotage. But where there are challenges there are always entrepreneurs ready to take advantage, and many new businesses are springing up – providing solutions based on technologies like solar power and inverters, which store electricity the same way a mobile...
Oct 17, 2022•15 min
There’s a World Cup in Qatar. Yes, the one everybody already knows about – the FIFA World Cup. But there’s another one happening now with less known names and stars. The Street Child World Cup 2022. It happens every 4 years and takes place ahead of the FIFA World Cup, which this year kicks off in November in Doha. The Street Child World Cup aims to highlight the conditions of children living on the streets across the world, raising awareness of the dangers of sexual and physical violence they ma...
Oct 14, 2022•17 min
Burkina Faso has been in political turmoil in 2022, with two coups since the beginning of the year. But while attention has been on political manoeuvres in the capital, a crisis has been quietly building in the north of the country. The town of Djibo has become the focus of a jihadist insurgency that has been developing since 2015. People there have found their town blockaded and largely cut off from the rest of the country. When a convoy was attacked on route from the capital Ouagadougou recent...
Oct 13, 2022•17 min
During the last election, 44 % of seats in Senegal’s parliament were occupied by women, making it the parliament with the largest percentage of women in West Africa. Amongst the countries with the lowest number of women represented- under 15%- are The Gambia, Ghana, Liberia, Benin and Sierra Leone. And according to the Inter-Parliamentary Union, Nigeria, has just 13 women amongst 360 members of its House of Representatives. So what’s stopping more women in West Africa from getting involved in po...
Oct 12, 2022•18 min
Kenya has recently lifted a ban on the cultivation and import of genetically modified goods. The country is facing the worst droughts for 40 years and there are concerns that millions could be at risk of food insecurity. These GMO’s - genetically modified organisms - are species that have been scientifically altered in a lab to achieve a specific result…such as drought resistant maize. But they are currently only approved in eight countries on the continent. And some people have concerns that th...
Oct 11, 2022•18 min
In September the Ghana Medical and Dental Council (GMDC) told students who had been studying in Ukraine that their studies were at risk of being rejected. In the letter, the body said any medical and dental degrees from Ukraine from 2022 will “not be honoured forthwith by the Medical and Dental Council, Ghana, until when normal academic activities resume”. This sent waves among the hundreds of students who had been in Ukraine and who had stopped their normal schooling because of the Russian inva...
Oct 10, 2022•15 min
For the best part of this year, the Kwacha, Zambia's currency has been doing exceptionally well. Some economists have described it as among the best performing currencies against the dollar. This might not be good news for exports, which will be more expensive to buy in other countries. But it has been welcomed by Zambians who are paying lower prices for food and services than this time last year. So, while many countries around the world are facing a cost of living crisis, is Zambia managing to...
Oct 07, 2022•17 min
BaSotho are heading to the polls on Friday in an election that will choose the next prime minister. The country of just two million people will chose between more than 60 political parties hoping to gain power. It has been a rocky decade in Lesotho’s politics. The coalition government formed in 2012 was challenged when Prime Minister Tom Thabane fled the country claiming to be the target of a coup. The Southern Africa Development Community had to intervene when two law enforcement agencies were ...
Oct 06, 2022•16 min
WARNING: This episode contains description of violence and death which some people may find distressing. “There could have been a dissenting voice saying no, no, no – don’t do that. Nigeria is a place where people don’t seem to have value for human life”. Ten years ago, the deaths of four young men – who became known as the ‘Aluu 4’ – shocked Nigeria, after they were viewed by thousands of people on a viral video. The men, in their late teens and early twenties, had been falsely accused of theft...
Oct 05, 2022•15 min
