Focus on Africa

A BBC Africa Eye investigation follows the journey and tragic end of a Sierra Leonan commercial sex worker battling substance addiction, kidnapped into sexual slavery twice, beaten, exploited and trapped by addiction. Her life mirrored the struggles facing countless young women in Sierra Leone. The full interview is on YouTube #BBCAfricaEye And, a blind Nigerian athlete's quest to bag world championships medals in Sambo. This is a combat sport that combines elements of judo and wrestling.Presenter: Nkechi Ogbonna Producers: Albert Kirui, Bella Twine and Blessing Aderogba Senior Producer: Keikantse Shumba Technical Producer: Herbert Masua Senior Producer: Bella Twine Editors: Charles Gitonga and Maryam Abdalla

There’s been a growing debate on social media about women’s clothing, personal freedom and cultural values, following incidents in Rwanda and Tanzania where women faced consequences over what they wore. In Rwanda, women were reportedly stopped by police and denied entry to a music concert for wearing miniskirts and tight-fitting clothes. President Paul Kagame later defended dress codes in public spaces, saying freedom of expression should respect cultural values. Meanwhile, Tanzanian singer Nandy was recently fined for wearing a diamond catsuit. BBC Focus on Africa spoke to two young women, Kea Sefako from Cape Town, South Africa, and Lez Muriithi from Nairobi, Kenya, to hear their perspectives on dress codes for women.Presenter: Nkechi Ogbonna Producers: Fana Negash and Carolyne Kiambo Technical Producer: Maxwell Onyango Senior Producers: Priya Sippy and Bella Twine Editors: Charles Gitonga and Maryam Abdalla

Democrats have won control of both the Senate and the House of Representatives, securing a congressional majority for the final two years of President Donald Trump's term. Six candidates of African origin won seats in Congress, including 29-year-old Ethiopian-born Melat Kiros, who becomes the first Gen Z woman elected to the US Congress. The daughter of Tigrayan immigrants, Kiros defeated a 15-term incumbent in the Democratic primary before going on to win the seat. But how does their win shape US foreign policy within the African continent? And Victoria Ama, a Nigerian dancer and contortionist is fusing African traditional dance with ballet. The result is a style that is both visually striking and rooted in African culture. Presenter: Nkechi OgbonnaProducers: Albert Kirui, Chiamaka Dike, Ayuba Iliya and Blessing AderogbaTechnical Producer: Maxwell OnyangoSenior Producer: Bella TwineEditors: Charles Gitonga and Maryam Abdalla

Over 50,000 Ethiopians have crossed over into Kenya, fleeing renewed fighting in Somali and Oromia regions of Ethiopia. Thousands of these are under temporary international protection status from the UNHCR as they undergo registration. We hear from a BBC reporter following the story in Moyale, a town at the border of Kenya and Ethiopia. And, for almost every young girl in school in Sub-Saharan Africa, a low hair cut is mandatory. Critics question the practice while others endorse it. Presenter: Nkechi Ogbonna Producer: Keikantse Shumba, Ayuba Iliya and Blessing Aderogba Technical Producer: Maxwell Onyango Senior Producer: Bella Twine Editors: Charles Gitonga and Maryam Abdalla

The Dakar 2026 Youth Olympic Games are underway in Senegal with nearly 3,000 young athletes from more than 200 countries gathered to compete across a wide range of sports including archery, artistic gymnastics, athletics, basketball and so much more. However, these Games are taking place at a challenging time for Senegal, which is facing growing economic pressures. And, reparations for slavery are gaining renewed attention as Commonwealth leaders meet in Antigua with King Charles' speech recognising transatlantic slave trade as a ‘shameful chapter’ that ‘fills my heart with horror’ but falls short of an official apology. Listen to African presidents debate reparations at the annual Elevate Africa event in Accra, Ghana. Presenter: Nkechi Ogbonna Producer: Albert Kirui and Blessing Aderogba Technical Producer: Maxwell Onyango Senior Producer: Bella Twine Editors: Charles Gitonga and Maryam Abdalla

The 2026 Ibrahim Index of African governance has found broad progress on economic opportunity and human development over the past decade, but also excessive decline in security, human rights and public participation at a time when Africa has suffered global shocks like the COVID-19 pandemic, decrease in development aid and the impact of conflict from across the world. And, what does it look like to run a cat cafe in Nigeria where people hold several perceptions about the animal? We speak to 'Jason the cat guy' to find out. Presenter: Nkechi OgbonnaProducer: Keikantse Shumba Technical Producer: Maxwell OnyangoSenior Producer: Bella TwineEditors: Charles Gitonga and Maryam Abdalla

The killing of at least ten women in Johannesburg since July once again put the spotlight on violence against women in South Africa. In response, President Cyril Ramaphosa announced a four-point plan to tackle gender-based violence and femicide. This included clearing unresolved cases, reducing forensic backlogs, improving safety in high-risk communities, and addressing alcohol-related violence. But a month later, campaigners say questions remain about what progress has been made and whether the government will meet its promises.Focus on Africa has been speaking to 25-year-old gender based violence advocate Cameron Kasambala and Zizipho Mtwesi, National Project Coordinator at Father A Nation, an organization that promotes positive masculinity and works to prevent gender-based violence. Presenter: Nkechi Ogbonna Producer: Bella Twine, Fana Negash and Carolyne Jotham Technical Producer: David Kinyanjui Senior Producer: Keikantse Shumba and Priya Sippy Editors: Charles Gitonga and Maryam Abdalla

Russia's President Vladimir Putin has called his country 'Africa's best partner' as he sought to woo African leaders attending a two-day summit in Moscow this week. While addressing a plenary attended by several African presidents, Putin added that it was unfair that Africa lacks permanent representation at the UN Security Council. This year's event, at its third edition, focused on trade, investment, energy, agriculture and technology, at a time when Russia’s role in Africa is facing scrutiny with Amnesty International urging African leaders at the summit to investigate allegations that Africans and other foreign nationals were misled into joining Russia’s war in Ukraine. And, a Malawian man Emmanuel Maliro is raising awareness about kidney disease after discovering he was born with one kidney. Presenter: Blessing Aderogba Producer: Victor Chege Technical Producer: David Kinyanjui Senior Producer: Keikantse Shumba Editors: Charles Gitonga and Maryam Abdalla

Israel is having its elections and the country's longest serving Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is fighting for a come back and his main challenger is of Morrocan descent. Gadi Eisenkot was born in Tiberias in Israel to working class parents from Morocco. We explore the impact of this election on Africa.And a young Somali tour guide Sucdi Abdul Fattah, is using TikTok to showcase her country’s beauty and challenge perceptions.Presenter: Blessing Aderogba Producers: Victor Chege , Ayuba Iliya and Bella Twine Technical David Kinyanjui Senior Producer: Keikantse Shumba Editors: Charles Gitonga and Maryam Abdalla

Algeria is to send troops to Niger in its first foreign deployment since sending forces to Egypt during the Arab-Israeli war in 1973.The deployment follows a visit to Algiers by Niger's defence minister, as the country seeks support against armed groups, some of which are linked to al-Qaeda or Islamic State. The deployment comes as the two neighbours rebuild ties after a diplomatic rift in 2025, when Niger recalled its ambassador to Algiers. The Algerian Parliament approved the deployment with the aim of protecting Algerian energy investments the government says.And, Ugandan doctors are on a mission to significantly reduce emergency response times on the country's busiest roads. They are helping strengthen emergency response systems and improving care for patients when they need it most.Presenter: Nkechi Ogbonna Producers: Blessing Aderogba, Ayuba Iliya and Bella Twine Technical David Kinyanjui Senior Producer: Keikantse Shumba Editors: Charles Gitonga and Maryam Abdalla