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BBC World Service

Two essential stories to round off your working day. Explaining the big topics and news from Africa, the people behind them, plus an African perspective on global stories. Hosted by Nkechi Ogbonna. Five days a week, ready by late afternoon, Monday to Friday.

Focus on Africa

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 birth records, colonial systems and migration shaped identity on paper, through voices from Somalia, France and Morocco.

We then turn to Mali, where new US travel restrictions have taken effect, affecting several African countries. We hear reactions from the streets of Bamako and unpack what the bans mean for diplomacy, mobility and power in the Sahel.

Presenter : Charles Gitonga
Producers: Keikantse Shumba, Basma El Atti, Bella Twine, Blessing Aderogba
Technical Producer: Terry Chege
Senior Producer: Daniel Dadzie
Editors: Samuel Murunga and Maryam Abdalla

January 1: birthday for the undocumented

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 world off guard. We also examine new research suggesting AI chatbots may carry built-in bias against Africa, raising fresh questions about technology, power and representation.

Presenter : Charles Gitonga
Producers: Bella Twine, Blessing Aderogba
Technical Producer: Terry Chege
Senior Producer: Daniel Dadzie
Editors: Samuel Murunga and Maryam Abdalla

What's in store for Africa 2026 ?

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 hailed the move as historic, saying it could open the door to wider international recognition after decades of diplomatic isolation.

The announcement has also triggered a demonstration in Somalia’s capital, Mogadishu, and condemnation from regional bodies including the African Union and the Arab League, who warn it could destabilise the region. 

Also in the episode: Sudan’s national football team competes in the ongoing Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) despite a devastating war at home.

Presenter : Nkechi Ogbonna
Producers: Keikantse Shumba, Blessing Aderogba
Technical Producer: Terry Chege
Senior Producer: Daniel Dadzie
Editors: Samuel Murunga and Maryam Abdalla

What happens after Israel recognises Somaliland as independent?

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 State. Locals describe life under threat, with farmers accusing militants of seizing livestock, enforcing levies and embedding themselves in border communities where state presence is minimal.

We also turn to AFCON 2025, where belief and football often collide. From pre-match rituals to deeply rooted ideas about luck and destiny, we explore how superstition continues to shape African football, with players reflecting on why these practices persist at the continent’s biggest tournaments.

Presenter : Nkechi Ogbonna
Producers: Chiamaka Dike, Bella Twine, Keikantse Shumba, Blessing Aderogba
Technical Producer: Terry Chege
Senior Producer: Daniel Dadzie
Editors: Samuel Murunga and Maryam Abdalla

Inside Nigeria’s bombed border communities

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 many African countries - and is often surrounded by stigma - Nancy has spoken openly about her journey on social media. 

In this episode of Focus on Africa: The Conversation, host Charles Gitonga spoke with Nancy Umeh about why she chose surrogacy and how the journey has been for her. 

We also heard from family lawyer, Eliud Ngugi on what laws are needed in Africa to protect both the surrogate and the commissioning parents.

Presenter : Charles Gitonga
Producers: Carolyne Kiambo, Ly Truong and Makouchi Okafor
Senior Producer: Priya Sippy
Editors: Samuel Murunga and Maryam Abdalla

"My Surrogacy Baby"

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 people experiencing homelessness globally. He lives on the streets of Johannesburg, surviving through plastic recycling. Our reporter Mpho Lakaje spends time with him during the festive season, revealing what Christmas looks like when daily survival comes first.

The episode also looks at how Christmas traditions are changing in Nigeria. Many people remember a time of open doors and shared food, but rising costs and urban life have pushed some traditional dishes off the table. At a food festival in Lagos, chefs and organisers are working to revive those meals and the memories attached to them.

Presenter : Nkechi Ogbonna
Producers: Ayuba Iliya, Bella Twine, Keikantse Shumba, Blessing Aderogba
Technical Producer: Mbarak Abdallah
Senior Producer: Daniel Dadzie
Editors: Samuel Murunga and Maryam Abdalla

What's Christmas without a home?

Investigations continue following the death of 20-year-old Karen Lojore at Afrobeats artiste Asake's concert in Nairobi. Karen died following a crowd crush as fans tried to access the show. Concerns about safety and crowd control at large entertainment events have been raised. We hear from Karen’s aunt as the family prepares to lay her to rest, and from a Kenyan journalist who was inside the venue and describes the moments as the situation escalated.

Then, we turn to West Africa’s end-of-year cultural phenomenon, Detty December. In Lagos and Accra, December is now synonymous with packed concerts and booming nightlife. But as the season grows more expensive, some locals are questioning who it’s really for. 

Presenter : Nkechi Ogbonna
Producers: Chiamaka Dike, Bella Twine, Keikantse Shumba, Blessing Aderogba
Technical Producer: Mbarak Abdallah
Senior Producer: Daniel Dadzie
Editors: Samuel Murunga and Maryam Abdalla

Crowd crush tragedy at Asake concert

Nigeria is facing renewed concern over mass kidnappings, after reports of another abduction involving dozens of people. This happened hours after 130 schoolchildren who were earlier abducted were returned to state authorities. 

Also Kenya’s marathon great Eliud Kipchoge speaks to the BBC about discipline, motivation and what continues to drive him after years at the top of his sport. Often described as one of the greatest distance runners of all time, he reflects on pressure, purpose and life beyond records and medals.

Presenter : Nkechi Ogbonna
Producers: Bella Twine, Keikantse Shumba, Chiamaka Dike, Blessing Aderogba
Technical Producer: Mbarak Abdallah
Senior Producer: Daniel Dadzie
Editors: Samuel Murunga and Maryam Abdalla

Kidnapped Nigerian schoolchildren are free

Nigeria is facing renewed concern over mass kidnappings, after reports of another abduction involving dozens of people. This happened hours after 130 schoolchildren who were earlier abducted were returned to state authorities. 

Also Kenya’s marathon great Eliud Kipchoge speaks to the BBC about discipline and what continues to drive him after years at the top of his sport. Often described as one of the greatest distance runners of all time, he reflects on life beyond records and medals.

Presenter : Nkechi Ogbonna
Producers: Bella Twine, Keikantse Shumba, Chiamaka Dike, Blessing Aderogba
Technical Producer: Mbarak Abdallah
Senior Producer: Daniel Dadzie
Editors: Samuel Murunga and Maryam Abdalla

AFCON is back, and Morocco is hosting the tournament for the first time since 1988. The tournament itself began with big news on a change in calendar. We tell you about it and take you to the heart of the action, exploring the atmosphere, ticketing and visa changes, and the teams to watch.

You will also hear from Mahad Mohamud, an Uber driver deported from Minneapolis in the US to Somalia, who talks about militant threats to his life and the challenge of starting over. 

Presenter : Nkechi Ogbonna
Producers: Bella Twine, Keikantse Shumba, Blessing Aderogba
Technical Producer: Mbarak Abdallah
Senior Producer: Daniel Dadzie
Editors: Samuel Murunga and Maryam Abdalla

AFCON is back, and it's changing

In the last of our special podcast series about Kenya's elections this year, Dickens Olewe covers the twists and turns of the process in a rare interview with former Chief Justice Willy Mutunga. He explained his view that a new political party is needed to take the place of the current political elite, and why he would like to chair a commission of inquiry into alleged police brutality.

Kenya Election Watch: Former Chief Justice Willy Mutunga

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