The Deprogram Episode 209 - Sudan, Nigeria, Burkina Faso, Mali and Others (Ft. Jude Bela)
Nov 28, 2025
Jude Bela, an investigative content creator from Nigeria, dives into the complex geopolitics of the Sahel. He shares insights from his journey into citizen journalism after facing legal challenges. Jude discusses Burkina Faso's instability post-Gaddafi, Niger's anti-French sentiments, and Nigeria's ongoing violence. He highlights the role of foreign actors in exacerbating internal strife and the dangerous effects of misinformation. Bringing a local perspective, Jude urges for nuanced understanding in addressing these pressing issues.
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EFCC Wrongful Detention Over YouTube Income
- Jude Bela describes being detained by Nigeria's EFCC, having accounts frozen, and friends arrested after they misunderstood YouTube earnings as fraud.
- He sued, won initially, but appeal cut compensation and the legal battle drained resources and changed his focus to exposing politicians.
Maintain A Multi-Stage Video Pipeline
- Build a content pipeline: generate many ideas, screen them, and keep multiple projects at different production stages to maintain steady output.
- Hire committed collaborators and invest in thumbnails and editors to scale long-form, high-quality video production.
Sahel Coups Stem From Post‑Libya Collapse
- Jude links recent Sahel coups to chronic corruption, weak militaries, and the fallout from Libya's collapse that flooded the region with weapons and fighters.
- He argues popular anger at failing governments and foreign influence pushed militaries to seize power as an alternative to dysfunctional democracy.