Africa Daily

A daughter complains to her father that she never gets to see him. She says she feels like they don’t spend enough time together. Craig Phakathi is a long distance truck driver in Zimbabwe and he too wants to have time with his daughter. So he invites her along and they go on the road together, with Bhule joining her dad for five days. Alan Kasujja also decides to enlist the help of his own daughter Zuri, in this chat about parent-child relationship, finding that work and life balance and what it is like having to travel for work - something both Alan and Craig know a thing or two about.

Sierra Leone has managed to reduce the number of women who die during and after childbirth by half in the last 2 years. But the maternal mortality figures are still too high, and the government has called it a ‘national emergency’. A new maternity centre is being built in the east of the country as part of the drive to improve the medical care of women and the training of midwives. And it’s being built mostly by women. Alan Kasujja hears from workers Bintu Missah and Hawa Baryoh and midwife Isata Dumbuya about the significance of this new Maternal Centre of Excellence.

Many governments around the world have been questioning how prepared they were for covid- 19 and discussing what they might do in another pandemic. But what about Africa? One of the most interesting and significant things happening on the continent is an early warning system in Nigeria which could alert Africa and the world to an emerging pandemic. It’s been developed by Professor Christian Happi, he’s the Director of the African Centre of Excellence for Genomics of Infectious Diseases at Redeemer’s University in Nigeria. Africa Daily’s Alan Kasujja spoke to Professor Happi about the work happening at the centre and the lessons learned from covid-19.

In 2015 the price of crude oil fell and since then Nigeria has struggled with a shortage of foreign currency- dollars. It led the previous government to place restrictions on who could access dollars through the official markets – including banning the use of foreign exchange for the importation of 43 items including rice, cooking oil, tooth picks, and cement. That ban has now been lifted as part of a series of reforms introduced by Nigeria’s current government. When President Bola Tinubu came to power in May this year he criticised the past policies of the central bank and accused it of mismanaging the foreign exchange crisis. But can his policies improve the situation? For today’s Africa Daily, Peter Musembi speaks to BBC Africa’s business correspondent Nkechi Ogbonna in Lagos.

The Rafah Crossing between Egypt and Gaza is not just an international border point, but is a symbol of the complicated nature of the north African country’s relationship with the Middle East conflict. Since the 7th October 2023 attacks on Israel by the militant group Hamas, and Israel’s military response, the Rafah Crossing is back in the headlines. It’s seen as a lifeline for Gaza, but has also been closed and opened many times over the years. We discuss its significance with the BBC’s Amal Saeed from our Cairo Bureau.

Since April this year, South Africa has been hit by its worst bird flu outbreak since 2017.Known as Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza or HPAI, it’s caused the deaths of millions of chickens and a severe shortage of eggs. Now the flu has been detected in Mozambique leading to the concern that it could become a regional problem. Africa Daily’s Mpho Lakaje speaks to Dr. Abongile Balarane from the South African Poultry Association to understand the flu's impact and its potential risks to humans – and hears from chicken farmers and consumers in Johannesburg to see how the egg shortage is impacting on their daily lives.

In recent years, Morocco has been spending millions of dollars in developing its football. It now boasts six FIFA approved stadiums, a competitive local league and has world class transport infrastructure. Some of its investment paid off in 2022 when it reached the semifinals of the FIFA World Cup in Qatar. But what exactly is Morocco trying to achieve with its multimillion dollar investment in football? Can hosting the 2030 World Cup boost its economy? Presenter: Mpho Lakaje Guests: Jalal Bounouar and Brian Wesaala

It’s nearly three years since a BBC Africa Eye investigation uncovered multiple cases of children being stolen and sold for cash in Kenya. The film saw Njeri Mwangi speaking to mothers who were still looking for their children years after they went missing. Many people were shocked to see a former nurse, a hospital worker and a homeless woman caught on camera trying to sell children. In recent weeks, one of them was sentenced to 25 years in prison. But not all of them have faced justice. So, what impact did the investigation have? And what has happened to Kenya’s baby stealers in the years since?

Since the second world war, the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and the World Bank have attempted to help countries in financial difficulties by providing low interest loans. This week the two Bretton Woods institutions have been holding their annual meetings in the Moroccan town of Marrakech - the first time they’ve been on African soil in 50 years. The two institutions divide opinion. Some people believe they have had a positive impact. But others say the organisations are dominated by the west and need reform to make them fairer to developing countries. So, what do we really know about the World Bank and IMF?

Over the past 14 years Boko Haram has wreaked havoc in Nigeria and neighbouring countries. The group gained international notoriety with the kidnapping of more than 200 schoolgirls in Nigeria in 2014 which sparked the ‘Bring Back Our Girls campaign’. Their attacks also spread to Cameroon, Chad and Niger leaving thousands dead and three million people displaced according to the United Nations. Le Spectre de Boko Haram, an award winning documentary, recently screened in at the London Film Festival. It tells the story of three children living in a village in northern Cameroon, a region regularly attacked by Boko Haram in cross border raids. The film’s director Cyrielle Raingou spoke to Africa Daily’s Sharon Hemans about why she decided to tell this story and the challenges she faced as a woman film director.