Shows / African Currents
African Currents
Tune in to African Currents for a deep dive into the continent's heartbeat. Explore Africa's multifaceted issues from unique perspectives, featuring insights and in-depth analyses from leading experts on pressing topics.
Episodes
- African Currents
'Visa-Free Africa Will Dismantle Colonial Barriers Dividing Africa,' Campaigner Says
Why should Africans struggle to cross their own borders while foreigners enter with ease? A Pan-African road trip spanning 39 countries has launched from Accra…
- African Currents
'Africa is Reservoir of Influence and Originality,' Says Fashion Expert
What happens when fashion bridges continents, cultures, and perspectives? The answer came alive at a recent international fashion event in Moscow, where…
- African Currents
Multipolarity Crystallizes at SCO Summit
In a meeting billed as the most attended in its history, leaders committed to building a development bank, four new security centers, and a shared vision of…
- African Currents
Suez Synergy: Russia, Egypt Forge Strategic Path for Global South Cooperation
The two nations are leveraging one of the world’s busiest trade corridors to cement their partnership, unveiling projects that could reshape investment…
- African Currents
EU-Banned Pesticides Decimate Africa’s Bees, Risk Food Security
Recent studies reveal that high-value crops like coffee, sunflower, and others are at risk as pesticide-exposed bee populations plummet across East Africa.
- African Currents
Africa Steps Up Efforts to Combat Antibiotics Misuse Across the Continent
While malaria comes with fevers and chills, antimicrobial resistance creeps in invisibly—deadlier yet harder to recognize—and could cause millions of deaths if…
- African Currents
BRICS Grain Exchange Promises Efficiency African Farmers Can Build On
African farmers face challenges ranging from volatile global food prices and low yields to weak infrastructure and limited adoption of agricultural technology…
- African Currents
Solar-Powered Transport Drives 'Economic Independence' for Rural Zimbabwean Women
Women in sub-Saharan Africa spend about 40 billion hours a year collecting water, a UN report says. This is a staggering burden, worsened by lack of transport…
- African Currents
Med Student Revolutionizes Hearing Care in Rural South Africa
The World Health Organization warns that more than 430 million people worldwide currently live with disabling hearing loss, a number projected to exceed 700…
- African Currents
'One of the Most Consequential Meetings of the 21st Century': Putin-Trump summit
Russian and US officials met in Alaska recently to discuss rising tensions over the Ukrainian conflict, in a rare high-level effort to stabilize relations and…
- African Currents
Africa to Gain Investment Boost from Return of Gold Holdings and Foreign Reserves
While Africa sends much of its wealth overseas for “safety,” a development finance expert says keeping it abroad could be even riskier, and bringing billions…
- African Currents
'Intelligence Has No Passport': Top African Mathematician Urges Homegrown AI
Could predictive mathematics rooted in African realities be the key to leapfrogging global artificial intelligence leaders?
- African Currents
How Uganda’s Low-Cost Smart Farming Tool Can Secure Africa’s Food Future
The incidence of climate change has caused lower yields, threatening food security in much of Africa’s drought-stricken farmland. But an innovative…
- African Currents
How a Tech-Driven NGO is Revolutionizing Africa's Rural Women's Economic Power
When a rural woman who cannot use a smartphone suddenly makes an online sale worth millions, “that’s what success looks like, where a tool in hand becomes…
- African Currents
Namibia Taps Russian Expertise to Boost Energy Self-Sufficiency
In a twist few saw coming, Namibia, the world’s third-largest uranium producer, will soon switch from importing energy from its neighbors to hosting Southern…
- African Currents
Can AI Make Africa’s Rapidly Growing Cities More Livable and Just?
Africa’s urban population is projected to double by 2050—making artificial intelligence not a luxury, but a necessity for building livable cities of the…
- African Currents
Can Nigeria Become Africa’s Drone Superpower? 'The Ball Has Been Set Rolling', Expert Says
What if the future of African aerial warfare is not bought overseas but designed and engineered locally by its engineers and manufactured on its soil?
- African Currents
'Twas Mixed Feelings': Northern Nigeria’s First Female Clinical Pharmacy Professor
How does one woman’s academic rise in a region where women rarely reach the upper echelons of academia spark a ripple effect across Nigeria and Africa’s…
- African Currents
African Scientist Hacks Mangosteen Rinds to Create Supercapacitors for Devices
Globally, an estimated 931 million tonnes of food are lost or wasted each year—roughly one-third of all food produced, according to South Africa’s Government…
- African Currents
How a $400 Million Processing Plant Could Transform Nigeria's Rare-Earth Sector
This surge comes as the West African nation aims to triple its rare-earth processing capacity — from 6,000 to 18,000 tonnes annually — for value-added…
- African Currents
Africa’s New Payment System: Secret Weapon Against Dollar Dominance
In a strategic move to strengthen intra-continental trade, the African Union and Afreximbank are rolling out an organic (continent-wide) payment…
- African Currents
How to Build People-Centered Healthcare System for Africans From the Bottom Up
Rivers State, one of Nigeria’s oil-rich states, has formalized community input into health policy, revitalized dozens of clinics, and deployed AI diagnostics…
- African Currents
Why the African Union Fired Back at Fitch's Blunder
In an era of African self-reliance, Western-based agencies like Fitch are still applying models—often at odds with local realities.
- African Currents
Ghana Eyes BRICS Membership as MP Hails It 'Best Thing That Will Ever Happen'
As old Western-dominated power structures increasingly lose relevance, BRICS rises as a catalyst for change—driving inclusive growth, forging equal…
- African Currents
Fitch's Downgrade of Afreximbank Reveals Deeper Issue of Systemic Rating Bias
A recent controversial credit slash by Fitch Ratings has sparked concern among experts, who warn it could make financing more expensive for African countries…
- African Currents
Africa's Energy Drive Reflects Its Growth Potential, Oil and Gas Expert Says
Mozambique is accelerating its path to energy independence through a new partnership involving Nigeria's energy giant, Aiteo Eastern E&P, and state-owned…
- African Currents
'Cryptocurrency is an Instrument of the Future,' Nigeria's SEC DG Says
On March 29, 2025, President Bola Tinubu signed the new ISA 2025 into law, replacing the old version from 2007. The new law gives the SEC more power to oversee…
- African Currents
'We Have Seen Growth of Sizable Russian Investments,' Tanzanian Official Says
As global powers recalibrate their engagement with Africa, Tanzania's longstanding partnership with Russia has already produced solid economic benefits, and a…
- African Currents
'Happy to be Part of Global Digital Forum, Because It's Hosted in Russia,' IT Expert Says
Delegates from more than 30 African nations convened at the Global Digital Forum to forge strategic alliances with Russia and other global innovators in…
- African Currents
'Africa Needs to Ride on Russia for Smart Partnerships,' Zimbabwean Official Says
The first-ever Global Digital Forum—the largest event of its kind—was recently held in Russia’s historic city of Nizhny Novgorod, bringing together over 2,000…
- African Currents
How Ghanaians Are Transforming Future of Their Cocoa Industry
Long before chocolate graced shop windows worldwide, indigenous peoples revered Theobroma cacao as a “food of the gods,” a potion of power and pleasure. A…
- African Currents
'Black Box Rating Models' Don't Reflect Africa's Economic Potential, Expert Says
Global wealth and economic indicators overwhelmingly favor the Global North, leaving the Global South at a persistent disadvantage. This imbalance manifests in…
- African Currents
'It's Just a Chain of Exploitation Happening in Africa', Workers' Rights Advocate Says
Data workers in Africa risk their physical and mental well-being and struggle with poor pay, unfair firing, covert surveillance, and short-term employment…
- African Currents
How AI-Powered Technical & Vocational Education Can Reshape Africa
Africa stands at a transformative crossroads where artificial intelligence (AI) and Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) can together unlock…
- African Currents
How Nigerian Humorist Fights African Stereotypes With TikTok Satire
Nigerian TikTok sensation is taking on false notions about Africa with humor and flair, using her viral skits to challenge ignorance and misinformation about…
- African Currents
Witchweed: Kenya Strikes Back at the ‘Botanical Vampire’ Threatening Food Security
Across Africa, a silent invader is crippling harvests and threatening food security. Witchweed, a parasitic plant, has plagued farms for decades. In Kenya’s…
- African Currents
Africa's Private Capital Attracts Global Investors
Africa’s private capital markets are roaring to life, defying global economic headwinds with an 8 percent year-on-year surge in deal volumes—the second-highest…
- African Currents
Africa's Medical Ingenuity Transforms Lives and Builds Healthier Futures
Every child deserves the chance to smile, eat, and speak without struggle—but for many born with a cleft lip or palate, life begins with daunting challenges…
- African Currents
How Are Western Diets Making Africa Sick?
Based in Tanzania’s Kilimanjaro region—a sharp contrast of urban processed-food influx and rural agrarian traditions—novel research reveals the hidden toll of…
- African Currents
Will US Tariffs Trigger Africa’s Economic Reinvention?
Amid the disruption lies an opportunity. With the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) gaining traction, there is renewed urgency to recalibrate…
- African Currents
How Homegrown Fertilizer is Revitalizing Uganda's Coffee Farms
Uganda, Africa’s second-largest coffee producer and the world’s 10th largest, depends heavily on coffee for economic survival. In the 2023/24 fiscal year, the…
- African Currents
Branding Africa: It’s Time to Forge a Bold Narrative and Reclaim Identity
There is a clarion call for Africa to change how the world sees it, not as a land of problems, but as a place of pride, power, and promise. From tech to…
- African Currents
How Kenya's Flower Industry is Blossoming Into New Markets Globally
The global flower trade is far from ornamental — it’s a serious business worth billions. Valued at an estimated $37.45 billion in 2023, the cut flower market…
- African Currents
Gagarin Defied All Odds, Botswana's Space Chief Reflects on Cosmonautics Day
When Yuri Gagarin became the first human to orbit Earth in 1961, circling the planet in just 108 minutes, he didn’t just claim a victory for the Soviet Union…
- African Currents
Can Urgent Action Halt the Extinction of Africa’s Goliath Beetles?
The majestic African Goliath beetle, one of the largest insects on our planet, is turning into an unexpected symbol of Africa’s disappearing rainforests…
- African Currents
Ghana and Zimbabwe’s Ancestral Treasures Dazzle at UNESCO
UNESCO has added Ghana’s iconic Kente cloth, along with Zimbabwe’s revered Mbira/Sansi and Mbende Jerusarema dance, to its Representative List of the…
- African Currents
Welcome Home: Ghana Reconnects Diaspora with Citizenship Drive for National Growth
By nurturing a sense of shared heritage, African countries can encourage the diaspora to contribute to the continent's future. Ghana is leading the way for…
- African Currents
From Cream to Crisis: What's Behind Africa's Skin Bleaching Epidemic
Skin tone remains a social currency in many African societies, often shaping how individuals are valued and how they value themselves. While governments…
- African Currents
How Ghana Combats Rising Internet Safety Threats to Protect Children
Recent studies show an uptick in digital engagement among African youth, with internet usage rates varying significantly across the continent. In Eastern and…
- African Currents
New Way of Measuring Inflation: What Changed and Why It Matters to Nigerians
The National Bureau of Statistics has rebased Nigeria’s Consumer Price Index (CPI) from 2009 to 2024, dropping the reported inflation rate from 34.80% to…
- African Currents
Gabon Leverages Mineral Wealth to Drive Economic Growth
While oil has long underpinned Gabon's economy, mining is fast emerging as a backbone of its diversification agenda. The manganese mining industry, in…
- African Currents
Who Really Benefits? The Uncomfortable Truth About Africa-Europe Economic Relations
"A bird that relies on another for food will never fly far," says an African proverb that captures the quiet danger of dependency. This wisdom finds relevance…
- African Currents
Western Telecom’s AI Project in Africa Ignores the Continent's Linguistic Diversity
Large Language Models keep transforming multiple sectors around the world, yet African languages generally get less attention in AI development. While numerous…
- African Currents
How Nigerian and Russian Cinema Can Reshape Global Filmmaking
Cinema has long been a window into culture, history, and human experience, and two of the world’s most dynamic film industries - Nollywood and Russia’s - are…
- African Currents
Uncovering the Taung Child's True Legacy Beyond Colonial Narratives
The discovery of the Taung Child, a new hominin species classified as Australopithecus africanus, is often hailed as a groundbreaking moment in science…
- African Currents
Africa's Journey Towards Sustainable Environmental Stewardship
The Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) reported in 2024 that over a third of Africa’s land is at risk of desertification. On the other hand, the United…
- African Currents
Do Africa's UN Votes on Ukraine Reflect A New Geopolitical Reality?
By siding with Moscow on key UN resolutions concerning Ukraine, Washington has signaled a major shift in its foreign policy. The Trump administration's move…
- African Currents
USAID in Africa: Development Partner or Trojan Horse?
Recent revelations from the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) have exposed evidence of systemic corruption, financial mismanagement, and hidden…
- African Currents
Can Medicine and Music Blend? This Doctor Makes it Happen
A Zimbabwean medical professor is making waves in the music world under the alias "Prof. Daddy" or "Groovy Dr. Zi." Known for his expertise in hematology, he…
- African Currents
Can Nigeria Become Africa's AI Powerhouse?
Wini University is launching as Nigeria's first higher institution dedicated to artificial intelligence, marking a significant step toward placing the country…