Show Notes
Algeria is to send troops to Niger in its first foreign deployment since sending forces to Egypt during the Arab-Israeli war in 1973.The deployment follows a visit to Algiers by Niger's defence minister, as the country seeks support against armed groups, some of which are linked to al-Qaeda or Islamic State. The deployment comes as the two neighbours rebuild ties after a diplomatic rift in 2025, when Niger recalled its ambassador to Algiers. The Algerian Parliament approved the deployment with the aim of protecting Algerian energy investments the government says. And, Ugandan doctors are on a mission to significantly reduce emergency response times on the country's busiest roads. They are helping strengthen emergency response systems and improving care for patients when they need it most. Presenter: Nkechi Ogbonna Producers: Blessing Aderogba, Ayuba Iliya and Bella Twine Technical David Kinyanjui Senior Producer: Keikantse Shumba Editors: Charles Gitonga and Maryam Abdalla
More from Focus on Africa
A three-day workers’ union strike in Senegal over the rising cost of living disrupts livelihoods and fuels concerns about preparations for the upcoming Youth Olympic Games, The strike, called by the Front for the Defence of Workers (FSDT), which brings together 13 union confederations, began on Wednesday 21st October. The industrial action unfolded against the backdrop of a serious debt crisis and growing pressure on the government to deliver economic improvements. Senegal is set to hosts the Youth Olympic Games begining October 31st, the first Olympic sporting event to be held on African soil. And climate shocks in Liberia inspire climate justice advocate and environmental conservationist Charles Wellington Morgan Jr to launch an ambitious campaign to plant one million coconut trees coconut along the country’s coastline, using nature to help protect vulnerable communities. Presenter: Nkechi Ogbonna Producers: Blessing Aderogba and Bella Twine Technical David Kinyanjui Senior Producer: Keikantse Shumba Editors: Charles Gitonga and Maryam Abdalla
The World Health Organization says that while most Africans do not drink alcohol, those who do can drink heavily. So are some young people turning to alcohol to cope with stress, work pressures, and mental health challenges? And are women facing a different set of pressures? We heard from 26-year-old Kenyan content creator Chebet Ronoh, who has documented her struggles with alcohol and relapse, and addiction therapist Caroline Kagia, who achieved sobriety after struggling with alcoholism for nearly two decades. Presenter: Nkechi Ogbonna Producers: Fana Negash, Carolyne Kiambo and Keikantse Shumba Technical Producer: Herbert Masua Senior Producer: Priya Sippy Editors: Charles Gitonga and Maryam Abdalla
Mozambique has reintegrated more than 100 former Islamist militants into civilian life as part of an amnesty programme launched five years ago to help restore stability in Cabo Delgado. The region has been gripped by an insurgency for nearly a decade, leaving more than 6,000 people dead and displacing around 1.1 million others. With military and regional peace efforts, including a mission led by SADC, struggling to deliver lasting peace, we explore whether rehabilitation and reintegration could offer a path to long-term stability. And, we hear from Nigerian dancer and choreographer Benjamin Daniel, popularly known as Bendancer, about his bid to break the Guinness World Record for the longest dance marathon by an individual. He reflects on the determination, discipline and motivation behind his remarkable endurance challenge in Lagos. Presenter: Blessing Aderogba Producers: Ayuba lliya Technical Producer: Herbert Masua Senior Producer: Keikantse Shumba Editors: Charles Gitonga and Maryam Abdalla
Nigeria's Health Minister Muhammad Ali Pate has confirmed their first Ebola case, which also marks the Bundibugyo strain's entry into West Africa. The patient is reported to have visited Uganda, though authorities in Kampala say she also visted the Democratic Republic of Congo, which is the epicentre of the outbreak. Uganda was declared free of the virus in August. We put the frequently asked questions on social media to the World Health Organisation. And, two years after an invasive plant threatened Cameroon’s Lake Ossa, conservationists say they’ve cleared most of it, with more sightings of the vulnerable African manatee. We speak to the man behind the effort. Presenter: Blessing Aderogba Producers: Ayuba lliya, Keikantse Shumba and Bella Twine Technical Producer: Herbert Masua Senior Producer: Daniel Dadzie Editors: Charles Gitonga and Maryam Abdalla
Kenyan high court finds cult leader Paul MacKenzie guilty over the death of 190 children and one adult. Mackenzie ordered members of his cult to starve their children to death so they could "meet Jesus". In 2023, more than four hundred bodies were discovered in mass graves in the forest where his church was located. We hear from one of the first responders onsite in 2023. Also, the World Bank is reporting that Sub-Saharan Africa’s economy should grow by 4.3% this year, higher than the UN projection for the whole world, which is 2.6%. But young people tell us the figures do not translate to jobs for them. Presenter: Nkechi Ogbonna Producers: Blessing Aderogba, Ayuba lliya, Keikantse Shumba and Bella Twine Technical Producer: Herbert Masua Senior Producer: Daniel Dadzie Editors: Charles Gitonga and Maryam Abdalla