The Bad Natives Podcast.

Send us Fan Mail

Nigeria is facing a dangerous escalation of terrorism and mass kidnappings, with armed groups exploiting weak governance, porous borders, and ungoverned spaces. In this in depth conversation, security and conflict expert Murtala Abdullahi, who specializes in the Lake Chad region, examines how terror networks, including Boko Haram factions and criminal bandit groups, are expanding their reach across Nigeria.

The discussion explores the takeover of national parks and forest reserves as safe havens for militants, the collapse of effective local government authority, and evolving trends in mass abductions for ransom. Beyond Nigeria’s borders, the conversation analyzes the regional spillover, warning of growing instability in Niger, Burkina Faso, and Benin Republic as extremist groups push further into coastal West Africa.

This episode breaks down what the data shows, why existing security strategies are failing, and what the rising wave of violence means for Nigeria and the wider region if urgent reforms are not undertaken

Send us Fan Mail

As African leaders gathered in Addis Ababa February 14-15, 2026, for the 39th AU Summit, the Union confronts its sternest test since 2002. From water security and reparatory justice to cyber-warfare, sham elections and a cash-strapped Somalia mission, critics say the AU looks weak and “tin-eared.” With Burundi’s President Évariste Ndayishimiye assuming the chair amid the DRC war, and calls for pragmatic peacekeeping reforms growing louder, this episode asks: can the AU reinvent itself — or is Africa outgrowing its own Union?


#BadNativesPodcast #AUSummit2026 #AfricanUnion #AddisAbaba #PeaceAndSecurity #WaterSecurity #ReparatoryJustice #SomaliaMission #DRCConflict #M23 #CyberWarfare #AfricanPolitics #Geopolitics #AUReform #PanAfricanism  #FredNgoga  #LieslLouwVaudran #EvaristeNdayishimiye  #InternationalCrisisGroup

Send us Fan Mail

From Morocco’s flooded streets to the "gilded cage" of the Grammys in Hollywood, we tear down the curtains of African victimhood. We tackle Climate Scapegoating, asking why Mozambique schools collapse while Bangladesh saves thousands, and why we allow our leaders to blame the sky for infrastructure failures and corrupt contracting.

Switching gears to the arts, we debate whether Afrobeats titans like Burna Boy and Wizkid are wasting their breath chasing Western validation when they should be building an "African Grammys" at home. We wrap with a look at the fatal cost of cultural taboos and the "smooth trunk" death trap. Are we victims of the weather, or just bad executives of our own future?

Send us Fan Mail

This week we dive into the fallout of Davos 2026. As Trump and Carney spar over the ruins of globalism, Africa has moved from "at the table" to "on the menu." We ask: why is the continent’s leadership silent while the world carves up the new map?
Plus, the IShowSpeed phenomenon. He generated 93.1 billion impressions in Kenya and became the first Black creator to hit 50 million subscribers while in Nigeria. Why did it take a YouTuber to dismantle the "safari and suffering" trope that legacy media has spent billions protecting?
Finally, we look at the "Will for Peace 2026" naval drills. When the South African military ignores a direct order from President Ramaphosa to snub Iran, who is actually in charge of the Republic?

Send us Fan Mail

In this episode, we dissect Uganda’s election where Yoweri Museveni extended his 40-year reign toward 45, following internet blackouts, state violence, and the dramatic escape of rival Robert Kyagulanyi (Bobi Wine) from a security siege. We explore the motives behind Donald Trump’s $15,000 visa bonds targeting mostly African nations. Plus, we celebrate Senegal’s AFCON victory against the wonderful hosts, Morocco, highlighting the viral Lumumba "human statue" and high-speed Al Boraq parties.

Send us Fan Mail

With Israel becoming the first UN member to formalize diplomatic ties, the Horn of Africa is entering a new era of geopolitics. In this video, we break down how the so-called "Periphery Doctrine" alliance is reshaping regional power dynamics, shifting influence away from Mogadishu, and challenging the long-standing vision of a "Greater Somalia."
We also explore why the Port of Berbera has suddenly become a strategic hotspot in the Red Sea conflict, drawing attention from global powers and regional players alike. From military maneuvers to economic stakes, we unpack the implications of this realignment for Somalia, the Horn of Africa, and the wider Middle East.

Send us Fan Mail

Uganda heads into the January 15, 2026 elections under the long shadow of President Yoweri Museveni, a leader who has dominated the country’s political life for nearly four decades and is now seeking what would amount to 45 years in power. At 82, and amid visible signs of physical strain and deteriorating national infrastructure, Museveni is once again asking Ugandans for more time, paradoxically campaigning as a “grievance” candidate against the very system he has built.

This election unfolds in an atmosphere marked by systemic violence, shrinking civic space, and mounting pressure on the opposition, particularly supporters of Bobi Wine and the National Unity Platform. Arrests, intimidation, and force have become familiar tools of political control, raising serious concerns about whether the ballot can still function as a credible vehicle for change.

Beyond the vote itself lies a deeper question: what comes after Museveni? With persistent speculation around a managed succession involving his son, General Muhoozi Kainerugaba, Uganda faces the possibility of a highly contested and potentially volatile transition. Is the country headed toward stability through continuity, or stagnation enforced by coercion? And does Museveni still possess the political magic that once secured him legitimacy at home and abroad?

In this episode, we unpack the forces shaping Uganda’s 2026 election the history, the power dynamics, the violence, and the ballots and examine what this moment means for Uganda’s future and the region at large.

Send us Fan Mail

In this episode, we take a deep dive into yet another failed military coup in West Africa and what it reveals about shifting power dynamics across the continent. We unpack how Nigeria, alongside other regional and international players, moved quickly to freeze what many have begun calling the “coup belt,” and why this particular intervention mattered.

The conversation then widens to the diplomatic fallout playing out in real time. We examine why several African leaders appeared to sideline Luanda, the East African Community (EAC), and the African Union (AU), instead gravitating toward a Washington-brokered DRC–Rwanda “peace” deal—raising serious questions about sovereignty, influence, and who ultimately shapes African security outcomes.
We also place these developments within a broader global context, looking at how Africa is being positioned and perceived on the world stage at a moment marked by open diplomatic snubs, inflammatory rhetoric, and strained relationships—particularly during the same period Donald Trump made derogatory remarks about Somalia and excluded South Africa from key G20 engagements.

This episode connects the dots between coups, diplomacy, external influence, and the uncomfortable realities of global power politics—offering context beyond the headlines and asking what these moments mean for Africa’s political future.

Send us Fan Mail

Guinea-Bissau’s newest putsch is more than just another headline — it’s the latest chapter in a nation shaped by five decades of coups, contested elections, and power struggles between military elites and political cartels. Once branded West Africa’s “narco-state,” Guinea-Bissau continues to battle the shadow networks that have defined its instability and weakened its institutions.

In this episode, we break down what’s really driving the latest unrest, the historical forces behind the country’s fragile democracy, and what this crisis means for the wider West African region.

If you’re interested in African politics, security dynamics, or the hidden power plays shaping the continent, this is a breakdown you don’t want to miss.

Send us Fan Mail

South Africa pulls off a major diplomatic win in Johannesburg as the world’s richest nations agree to debt relief and climate financing—even without the United States at the table.
Meanwhile, Nigeria faces one of its toughest moments yet, battling a surge in militant attacks and mass school kidnappings that have shaken the nation.
And in Sudan, the crisis deepens: mass killings, famine-level conditions, and a dangerous Saudi–UAE power struggle threaten to redraw the region’s future.
This episode unpacks the shifting global order, Africa’s role in it, and what these flashpoints mean for the continent’s stability.