Focus on Africa

The UNFPA has warned that world fertility rates are facing an 'unprecedented decline'. In its 2025 report, it said many people are having fewer children than they want, or none at all, because of factors like the cost of living and difficulties finding a suitable partner.
At the same time, a growing number of people are actively choosing a child-free life, and more women are now opting for sterilisation procedures like tubal ligation. Focus on Africa podcast host, Nkechi Ogbonna, spoke to 29-year-old Naisula Sironka, from Kenya, who has chosen to be child-free and underwent tubal ligation in 2024.
Presenter: Nkechi Ogbonna
Producers: Fana Negash and Carolyne Kiambo
Technical Producer: David Nzau
Senior Producer: Priya Sippy
Editors: Samuel Murunga and Maryam Abdalla

In Nigeria's commercial capital Lagos, authorities have demolished Makoko - the country's biggest informal waterfront settlement. The Lagos state government says some structures built beneath high-tension power lines pose a serious safety risk. But the scale of demolitions has left thousands of residents displaced and families say they were given little warning and no clear relocation plan.
And in Sierra Leone, President Julius Maada Bio has announced January 18th as Remembrance Day for victims of the civil war. Between 1991 and 2002 the west African country's military alongside UN peacekeeping troops fought against rebel groups, resulting in the killing of thousands of people and displacement of more than half of Sierra Leone's population at the time.
Presenter: Nkechi Ogbonna
Producers: Bella Twine, Keikantse Shumba, Chiamaka Dike and Ayuba Iliya
Technical Producer: David Nzau
Senior Producer: Charles Gitonga
Editors: Samuel Murunga and Maryam Abdalla

A vessel carrying Russian oil suffered an explosion off the coast of Senegal last December, prompting investigations into the presence of a Russian shadow fleet in African waters. The tanker is reportedly among several vessels trying to flout US, EU and UK sanctions on Russia.
And - even though the Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) is over, several incidents from the tournament hosted by Morocco have raised questions about African identity.
Presenter: Nkechi Ogbonna
Producers: Bella Twine, Basma El Atti and Blessing Aderogba
Technical Producer: David Nzau
Senior Producer: Charles Gitonga
Editors: Samuel Murunga and Maryam Abdalla

Ethiopia's national airline has resumed flights to the northern Tigray region after being suspended for a week amid military tensions. The suspension heightened fears of renewed conflict between the national army and Tigrayan forces - who accuse Addis Ababa of killing civilians using drones.  We hear from people in Tigray.
 
Also, are you using the right helmet while riding on a motorcycle? We look at the increase in the number of injuries and deaths from motorcycle accidents across many African cities.
 
 
Presenter: Nkechi Ogbonna
Producers: Carolyne Kiambo, Keikantse Shumba and Ayuba Iliya
Technical Producer: David Nzau
Senior Producer: Charles Gitonga
Editors: Samuel Murunga and Maryam Abdalla

A BBC Africa Eye investigation has been told that a high-ranking police officer in Tanzania's main city Dar es Salaam was linked to the abduction of several activists, who allege they were subsequently abused by other officers.  They claim their  ordeals happened as the government was cracking down on dissent ahead of the October 2025 presidential election.
 
And West African words and expressions like “abeg” or “biko” were included in the latest update of the Oxford English Dictionary. How does it benefit the culture?
 
Presenter: Nkechi Ogbonna
Producers: Keikantse Shumba and Blessing Aderogba
Technical Producer: David Nzau
Senior Producer: Charles Gitonga
Editors: Samuel Murunga and Maryam Abdalla