Focus on Africa

Rwanda has secured a 10-year deal to host Formula 1, potentially bringing the sport back to Africa for the first time since 1993. But the cost of developing young talent remains a major barrier. South African driver Mika Abrahams and his mother, Denise, discuss the financial challenges facing aspiring African drivers as they try to progress through the ranks towards Formula 1.

Also, women make up nearly half of sub-Saharan Africa’s agricultural workforce, yet research suggests they are less productive than men in the sector. Limited access to land ownership, inheritance rights and finance can prevent women from reaching their full potential, affecting agricultural output. The Kenya Pastoral Market Development Programme is helping women in pastoral communities strengthen their financial independence and increase their incomes.

Presenter: Nkechi Ogbonna

Former Democratic Republic of Congo president Joseph Kabila has been named the head of a new political and military alliance that includes M23 rebels, who control vast swathes of Congo’s mineral-rich eastern region. The Front for the Refoundation of the Nation, or FRN movement says it wants to remove the government of President Félix Tshisekedi. M23 leader Sultani Makenga will serve as one of Kabila's four deputies in the new movement. The other three also come from the AFC-M23 alliance.

And across Africa, the death penalty debate continues, with some countries moving towards abolition while others are expanding or considering the use of capital punishment.

Presenter: Blessing Aderogba

Survivors of the boat accident where 139 migrants died off the coast of Djibouti have recounted their ordeals to the BBC. The International Organization for Migration (IOM) reported that among those died were 15 children, marking one of the deadliest shipwrecks ever recorded on the Eastern Migration Route. The vessel was carrying 305 people, most of them Ethiopians, heading from Djibouti to Yemen.

And, community safe spaces are providing critical support to help young people manage the mental stress associated with HIV, teenage pregnancy, and other structural challenges.

Presenter: Blessing Aderogba

Nobel Peace Prize winner Navi Pillay has defended international justice institutions and responded to criticism from US President Donald Trump, saying the true measure of justice lies in what it means to victims of conflict and atrocities.

And, BBC Eye investigates how three mourners were shot and killed at a Kenyan stadium during the national farewell of former Prime Minister Raila Odinga in October 2025.

Presenter: Blessing Aderogba

For many young Africans, working remotely for an international company sounds like the dream: no daily commute, greater flexibility and, in some cases, the chance to earn in foreign currencies. But is remote working as liberating as it seems? What are the challenges of trading the traditional 9-to-5 for a job that can be done from anywhere?

Nkechi Ogbonna speaks to 29-year-old Joy Aliba from Uganda and 34-year-old Mary Usaji from Kenya, who both left their traditional office jobs for remote work. They share what prompted the change, how it has transformed their working lives, and whether the reality matches their expectations.

Presenter: Nkechi Ogbonna

Thursday marks the end of the three-day national mourning period in Nigeria after a military aircraft crashed in Southwest Ondo state, killing all 25 people on board. Analysts have said it is the country’s deadliest military air disaster since 1992. We hear from witnesses, and our reporter who was at the scene.

And a new generation of African travel creators are using social media to show global audiences the continent's beauty through food, fashion, scenery and culture. We speak to a young Liberian creator about why she's on this journey.

Presenter: Nkechi Ogbonna

Kenya has allocated $538 million to its Ebola response after confirming the country’s first case, linked to the ongoing outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo. The money will support efforts to prevent further spread as health authorities step up surveillance and contact tracing. We look at whether Kenya and its neighbours are prepared as transmission continues in eastern DRC.

In Liberia, hundreds of chimpanzees used in decades of medical experiments were left behind after the research ended. We look at what happens to lab animals when scientists no longer need them.

Presenter: Blessing Aderogba

Burkina Faso's military-led government has opened a gold refinery in a bid to tighten its grip on one of the country's most important industries. The $19 million facility known as Raffinor-BF is financed by the state, including through the National Precious Metals Company (Sonasp), in partnership with Burkina Faso's private sector. The plant will initially be capable of refining 164 tonnes of gold a year, significantly more than the country's current annual production.

And in Ghana, authorities are enforcing a long-ignored ban on preaching in moving commercial vehicles, with offenders facing fines, jail time, or both.

Presenter: Blessing Aderogba

Forces aligned to Ethiopia's national army have taken control of Mekelle, the capital of the northern Tigray region. This came after the Tigray People's Liberation Front (TPLF), a movement opposing the federal government, withdrew from the capital, days after they had seized control of its main airport. Mobile and banking services apppear to have resumed in some parts of the city after internet disruptions in September. The conflict has also led to a diplomatic standoff between Ethiopia and its neighbours, Egypt, Eritrea and Sudan.

And, scientists studying a species of primates only found in Madagascar uncover surprising similarities between their vocal calls and the techniques used by human opera singers.

Presenter: Nkechi Ogbonna

Twenty-five years ago, a group of senior Eritrean politicians known as the G-15 called for democratic reform. Eleven were arrested and accused of treason. They have never been put on trial, and their families still do not know where they are. Human rights groups, including the UN, consider the G-15, prisoners of conscience and have been calling for their release.

Among the detained was former defence and foreign minister, Petros Solomon. Two years later, his wife, Asther Yohannes, was also arrested.

Focus on Africa host, Nkechi Ogbonna, has been speaking to their daughter, Hanna Petros Solomon about her search for her parents, and UN Special Rapporteur on human rights in Eritrea, Dr Mohamed Abdelsalam Babiker about the fate of those detained.

Presenter: Nkechi Ogbonna

Producers: Fana Negash and Carolyne Jotham

Technical Producer: Jonathan Mwangi

Senior Producers: Priyanka Sippy

Editors: Daniel Dadzie, Maryam Abdalla