Focus on Africa Folgen

In January 2027, Nigeria will be heading to the polls. But there’s one thing still largely missing from the ballot, women. According to Nigerian civil society organisation, policy and legal advocacy centre, Nigeria has one of the lowest rates of women’s political representation in the world. In fact, women make up less than 5% of members of parliament. And currently only 54 women hold positions across 990 seats in State Houses of Assembly, and 15 states have no female legislators at all.Focus on Africa host, Nkechi Ogbonna, spoke to Ufuoma Nnamdi-Udeh, the Executive Director of Enough is Enough, a civic society organisation and Zainab Buba Galadima, a politician based in Abuja. Presenter: Nkechi Ogbonna Producers: Keikantse Shumba, Fana Negash, Bella Twine and Carolyne Jotham Technical Producer: Davis Mwasaru Senior Producer: Priyanka Sippy and Blessing Aderogba Editors: Daniel Dadzie and Maryam Abdalla

South Africa has been shaken by a string of unexplained deaths, with nine women found dead in and around Kempton Park, northeast of Johannesburg, over the past two months. South Africa has one of the world’s highest rates of gender-based violence, with women being killed at five times the global average, according to UN Women. The killings have reignited concerns about women's safety and intensified pressure on police to find answers. President Cyril Ramaphosa has pledged that authorities will use every available resource to ensure those responsible are brought to justice.And we hear from African music star Fally Ipupa on representing the Democratic Republic of Congo on the world stage amid the country's worsening displacement crisis. Fresh from making history with his album XX and receiving Congo's highest honour, he reflects on his global success and national pride.Presenter: Nkechi Ogbonna Producers: Keikantse Shumba, Ayuba Iliya, Bella Twine and Charles Gitonga Technical Producer: Davis Mwasaru Senior Producer: Blessing Aderogba Editors: Daniel Dadzie and Maryam Abdalla

More than 2,000 people have fled across the Red Sea into neighbouring Djibouti as fighting in Yemen escalates. The renewed conflict between the Iran-backed Houthi movement and the Saudi-backed Yemeni government has also displaced more than 100,000 people inside Yemen. Iran‑aligned Houthi rebels have seized Yemen’s entire Red Sea coast after fierce battles with government forces, tightening their hold on crucial shipping lanes. With thousands more seeking safety across the Red Sea. We take a closer look at the human cost of the conflict and why the latest developments matter for Africa. And as African cities expand, forests, wetlands and other natural spaces are being cleared for development. Experts say this is altering how cities absorb heat, manage flooding and store carbon. We explore the importance of natural ecosystems to African cities.Presenter: Nkechi Ogbonna Producers: Keikantse Shumba, Ayuba Iliya, Bella Twine and Charles Gitonga Technical Producer: Davis Mwasaru Senior Producer: Blessing Aderogba Editors: Daniel Dadzie and Maryam Abdalla