Africa Daily

BBC World Service

3.7 (10)
NEWS
UPDATED DAILY

One question to wake up to every weekday morning. One story from Africa, for Africa. Alan Kasujja takes a deep dive into the news shaping the continent. Ready by early morning, five days a week, Monday to Friday.

18 HR AGO

Should more men train to be midwives?

Midwife or mid-husband? That’s a common question on social media posts highlighting the work of the very few men who help women to deliver babies. Midwifery is a profession that has traditionally been dominated by women. Less than 1% of people registered as midwives globally are men. According to research conducted by the University of Northampton in the UK, 19 countries have no men registered as midwives and five countries legally prohibit men from being midwives. In today’s Africa Daily podcast, Alan Kasujja speaks to 63-year-old Robert Aule, a man who has helped to deliver more than 500 babies over the last four decades in one of the most remote regions in Kenya. Could the recruitment of men help to deal with the shortage of midwives?

18 min
1 DAY AGO

Why is writer Taban Lo Liyong not ready to stop working?

“The writers of our time who used to criticise the government are no longer there.” Today on the podcast, Alan has the pleasure and privilege of speaking to one of Africa’s great writers: the South Sudanese author Taban Lo Liyong. In the 1960s he rubbed shoulders with independence politicians like Jomo Kenyatta and Kwame Nkrumah and with giants of African literature like Wole Soyinka, Chinua Achebe and Ngugi wa Thiong’o. He was taken to Uganda as a young child and spent his formative years there – but now lives in his native South Sudan. On today’s podcast he discusses language, the impact of HIV Aids, and why he’s not ready to stop work at the age of 93 years. He says he still has two more books in him…

16 min
2 DAYS AGO

Is Africa’s trade relationship with the United States under threat?

“This is the new reality that we are going to have to face and it is a fantastic opportunity for us to redefine our position away from the US trying to tell us who we can or cannot be, because they really don’t care about us” - Ugandan coffee farmer Robert Kabushenga In the year 2000, the United States government set up the African Growth and Opportunity Act also known as AGOA. It's aim was to give qualifying sub-Saharan African countries access to the US market, without paying import taxes, thus promoting economic growth in Africa. But there’s no certainty that president Donald Trump will renew the deal when it expires later this year, especially considering many of the moves he's made in recent weeks. His administration cut off financial aid to countries like South Africa and many others around the world. So, what lies ahead for trade relations between Africa and the United States? Presenter: Alan Kasujja Guests: Ugandan coffee farmer Robert Kabushenga, Eswatini economics lecturer Sanele Sibiya and South African exporter Nhlanhla Dlamini

20 min
5 DAYS AGO

Can technology and urban greening cool Sierra Leone’s scorching heat?

Freetown, the capital of Sierra Leone, is experiencing rising temperatures, with extreme heat becoming a major challenge for residents, especially those in crowded neighbourhoods and open-air markets. With limited access to cooling infrastructure, the heat affects daily life, health, food security and the economy. In response, the city recently hosted an ‘Urban Heat Hackathon’, where teams developed innovative solutions to tackle the problem. In today's Africa Daily Alan Kasujja speaks to two of the hackathon winners, Tommy Charles and Glory Aminata Turay, to explore how technology and urban greening are helping residents adapt to and mitigate extreme heat.

14 min
6 DAYS AGO

Are South Africa and the United States reaching the end of their relationship?

Earlier this year, South African lawmakers passed the Expropriation Without Compensation Act. This is part of their country’s effort to address the injustices of the past. During the years of white minority rule, black South Africans were dispossessed of their land, some even forcibly relocated to areas far from business districts. But years before the current land act was passed, a pressure group called AfriForum, composed of white Afrikaners, travelled to the United States to lobby conservative politicians. They strongly argued that the land law would leave them at a disadvantage, even though the South African government reassured them this wouldn’t be the case. This culminated in US president Donald Trump issuing an Executive Order, suspending financial aid to South Africa. Presenter: Alan Kasujja Guests: ANC Deputy Secretary General Nomvula Mokonyane and political analyst Melanie Verwoerd.

22 min
12 FEB

What's fuelling the success of women's football Morocco?

The growth of women’s football in Morocco has seen more girls taking up the sport. The evidence of this can be seen in how many young girls play the beautiful game in their neighbourhoods, in the streets. It’s something which would not have happened 20 years ago. The success of women’s football there has also been reflected in the packed stadiums and the rising number of people watching the women’s national team- the Atlas Lionesses- on television. They are also the first North African and Arab squad to qualify for the Women’s World Cup. So what’s behind the growth in women’s football in Morocco? In today’s Africa Daily, Alan Kasujja speaks to 15 year old Imane on why she decided to play football, Atlas Lioness forward Rosella Ayane and Meskerem Tadesse Goshime, the Confederation of African Football’s head of women’s football.

21 min
11 FEB

How have Goma’s residents reacted to M23 takeover?

It’s now two weeks since the rebel M23 group took over Goma in the Eastern Democratic Republic of Congo – so what has the experience been like for the city’s inhabitants? For today’s Africa Daily, Alan Kasujja speaks to two people who live in Goma: one woman who has stayed and says finding food is almost impossible, and an activist who has fled the city after receiving threats of abduction and death from the M23.

16 min
10 FEB

What’s at stake for Africa if Trump shuts down USAID?

One person living with HIV has described how these cut would change their life and said "please tell the American government that this is a death trap for us. If I don’t get my tablets next month and the following month, how much longer will I have to live?” USAID—the United States Agency for International Development—has funded life-saving aid across Africa for decades. Programmes assisting with famine, disease control, and poverty are now at-risk following President Trump's decision to cut its budget and merge the agency with the State Department. From HIV patients fearing a “death sentence”, to food aid programmes coming to a sudden stop, the effects are already being felt across Africa. Alan Kasujja speaks to Winnie Byanyima, Executive Director of UNAIDS, about the consequences of these cuts and whether African governments can step up in the face of an uncertain future for global aid.

20 min

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Alan Kasujja

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28/02/2021

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You are my favorite person to talk to.

One question to wake up to every weekday morning. One story from Africa, for Africa. Alan Kasujja takes a deep dive into the news shaping the continent. Ready by early morning, five days a week, Monday to Friday.