In this episode, we welcome international journalist, digital media specialist, and media literacy advocate Ismail Akwei. He is currently an editor at Global South World. Before this, he worked with Africanews and the AfricaWeb group, where he played a pivotal role in establishing their digital platforms.

Akwei is passionate about storytelling, challenging media bias, and owning the truth. Hence Global South World—an outlet committed to amplifying voices the world often chooses not to hear.

He also runs the Media Literacy Development Foundation; a nonprofit he founded to introduce and equip high school students and young people in underserved communities with ethical storytelling and media literacy skills.

We decided to create a Global South Voices, and we reached out to a lot of these content creators who are now creating a lot of stories, who have their own audiences in their countries. We brought them together into a network. And what we do is we get them to bring the stories that are untold in their regions, in their countries, onto our bigger platform. So, the stories would really reach those in the Global North.

Top Story

The biggest story out of Africa this month may perhaps be the most controversial in the continent’s football history. The Confederation of African Football, CAF’s Appeals Board has stripped Senegal, the reigning AFCON champions of their title and awarded it to Morocco.

The decision follows an appeal by the Moroccan Football Federation which argued that Senegal forfeited the match when they walked off the pitch in that heated and chaotic final in January.

In Morocco, fans jubilated on the streets with fireworks on the day of the announcement. But for the rest of Africa and Senegalese fans, the reaction has been that of shock and anger. CAF president Patrice Motsepe says the Appeals Board follows ‘‘high standards’’.

However, Senegal will appeal the ruling at the Court of Sport Arbitration, CAS, the international body that that resolves sports disputes.

Thanks for reading! Subscribe for free to receive new posts and support my work.

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit narkworkwabla.substack.com

In this episode, we welcome Adesewa Josh, an international journalist and correspondent in Africa. She has worked for TRT World, RT, VOA, News Central and Channels Television. Adesewa shares her journey into international reporting, starting in Nigeria and the challenges that come with reporting on the motherland. We also talked Africa Matters, a show she created, what it means to tell our story and why we need to fast track free movement within the continent to enable journalists and storytellers in Africa travel to each other’s country and tell our stories. She has a new show on Spotify called The Grannies, we are sure you will love.

Top Stories

Guinea-Bissau has stopped a U.S funded hepatitis B vaccine trial in the country. The World Health Organization said the trial was unethical and warned that its effect was irreversible. Reports suggest the trial was a test to know whether indeed vaccines cause autism.

In Nigeria, 100 American soldiers have arrived in the country, barely three months after the US carried out airstrikes on militants in up north. The spokesperson for the Nigerian Defence says the American Soldiers were in the country at the request of the government, adding that they not be ‘engaging in combat operations’ in the country.

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit narkworkwabla.substack.com

For our very first podcast, we speak to Kwabena Adu Gyamfi. He is a digital journalist and social media strategist managing all things digital at Africanews —Euronews’ pan-African channel. His career started in Ghana, went on to the UK and he is now in France. He is the creator and producer of Africanews Debates, an interactive panel discussion program on the channel’s digital platforms. Adu Gyamfi shares his motivation and why viewers are actively engaged during the show.

I’m also very happy with the fact that now we have most of these international media houses now have some of them have like African offices where they have Africans telling our own stories. Because we’ve always complained that if we don’t tell our stories, who else would?

Top Stories…

Senegal are Africa’s champions once again. The Teranga Lions beat host nation Morocco in extra time to lift the AFCON cup. An uproar after a late penalty awarded to Morocco almost marred the game but the Senegalese captain Sadio Mane showed great sportsmanship, pulled his team together after they walked out of the pitch in protest and went on to win the game.

Uganda’ President Yoweri Museveni, 81, was again declared winner, after a presidential election on January 15 marred by irregularities, internet black out, voter intimidation and crackdown on the opposition. Museveni will serve his 7th term, extending his 40-year rule. The main opposition led by Bobi Wine have rejected the results, calling it ‘‘fake’’.

Last week, the International Court of Justice began hearing the landmark genocide case Gambia brought against Myanmar. Gambia accuses the Myanmar government of carrying out ‘‘brutal and vicious violations’’ on the Rohingya Muslim minority. Myanmar rejects the allegations.

South Africa hosted the BRICS naval drill off the coast of Cape Town. China, Russia and Iran participated in the event dubbed ‘Will for Peace 2026’, which analyst say it may renew tensions with the US. But Pretoria said the joint military exercise is to protect maritime route and combat piracy.

Former Ghanaian finance minister Ken Ofori-Atta, who is wanted in his country to face corruption charges was detained by ICE in the US for overstaying his visa. Ofori-Atta has been in the US since last year seeking medical treatment. Another member of the ousted Akufo Addo’s government, Sedinam Tamakloe- Attionu is currently being held at Nevada Southern Detention Center following extradition request from the government of Ghana.

Opportunities

Data Mindset for Editors, a free course by the Knights Center is running from Feb. 9 – March 8, 2026, and taught by MaryJo Webster, a data editor at the Minnesota Star Tribune.

RCDIJ Africa Fund for Journalists supports small to mid-scale data and investigative journalism projects with a sum of $1000-$10,000. The fund accepts applications on a rolling basis.

AFP TV is looking for Video Journalist and Fact-checking journalist - fixed term to cover news, features and sports in Kenya, with occasional reporting missions in the other 13 countries covered by the East Africa bureau. Deadline for applications: 1 & 2 February 2026 respectively

Journalist- AFP, is looking for a dynamic and motivated English-language reporter to join its Johannesburg bureau. Starting date: 2 March 2026. Deadline for applications: 1 February 2026

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit narkworkwabla.substack.com