Focus on Africa

New tax laws in Nigeria are drawing criticism just days after taking effect, with many citizens worried about rising costs, shrinking incomes and pressure on small businesses. The government insists t...

5 Jan 22min

How many hours a day do you spend on your smartphone? Smartphones have become essential to daily life - but concerns about overuse are growing. Research has linked smartphone addiction to depression, ...

2 Jan 22min

January 1 isn’t just the start of a new year. For a significant number of Africans, it’s also the birthday written on official documents, often by default, not fact. This episode explores how missing ...

1 Jan 22min

As the year draws to a close, this episode looks ahead to some of the stories and events that could likely shape 2026. We ask which warning signs are already flashing, and what might still catch the w...

31 Dec 202522min

There were celebrations on the streets of breakaway region Somaliland after Israel became the first country to formally recognise it as an independent state. Leaders in the self-declared republic hail...

30 Dec 202522min

BBC reporters travel under tight security to villages near the site of Christmas Day airstrikes in north-west Nigeria, targeting camps linked to Lakurawa, a militant group affiliated with the Islamic ...

29 Dec 202522min

Well-known influencer and entrepreneur, Nancy Umeh, has spent the past year sharing her experience of welcoming her third child through surrogacy. While the practice remains legally unrecognised in m...

26 Dec 202522min

Christmas is often imagined as a season of homecoming, but for millions of people around the world, that idea of home doesn’t exist. In this episode, we meet Gopolang, one of an estimated 300 million ...

25 Dec 202522min