Africa Daily

Last week, the United Nations passed a resolution condemning Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. But the vote split African nations: with 25 voting for, 17 abstaining and just one - Eritrea - voting against it. Disagreements over who to support in the conflict have split the general public as well. But today on Africa Daily we speak to a political analyst who says it’s time Africa stops treating the war ‘like a football match’ and instead thinks more deeply about how it will impact the continent. So how can Africa best defend its own interests and become a player on the world stage?#AfricaDailyPresenter: Alan Kasujja (@kasujja) Guests: Beverly Ochieng (@BeverlyOchieng) and Robert Kabushenga (@rkabushenga)

Like in many countries on the continent, prayer is a big part of school life in Kenya. Pupils at public schools will often pray at the beginning of the day. And there may be specific prayer days, where the school worships together. However, not everyone is happy with this. Some atheists are calling for a ban on mandatory prayer in public schools. They think children should have the option of whether to participate or not. So, do their ideas have much support?#AfricaDaily

An estimated million people have fled into neighbouring countries seeking safe havens, as bombs continue to be dropped over towns and cities across Ukraine. Among those who’ve left are the thousands of Africans who had made Ukraine their home away from home. On a previous episode Alan Kasujja spoke to one lucky student who had made it safely home back to Ghana. The relief of being safe and the happiness of seeing his family again were palpable. Now he hears from the students who are still in Ukraine and those who are only just reaching the border. Alan also spoke with the BBC’s Peter Okwoche who’s been reporting from Przemyśl, a city in south-eastern Poland near the Ukraine crossing point.

The war in Ukraine has entered its eighth day and in that time people have now become used to the sound of air raid sirens. Several people have been seeking shelter in bunkers while missiles hit the towns and cities above their heads. Many have left the country. The United Nations estimates that more than half a million people have fled Ukraine since Russia’s invasion on 24th February. Among those fleeing the war in a European country are thousands of Africans, many of whom are students.While some are still trying to reach safety in neighbouring countries, a few lucky ones have made it back to their home countries.As the war rages on, Alan Kasujja hears the stories of Africans caught up in Ukraine since the initial attack. A week after the invasion, 17 relieved Ghanaian students landed at Kotoka International Airport in Accra. Ghana was one of the first African countries to evacuate their citizens from Ukraine.Alan spoke to Ghana’s deputy minister of information, Fati Abubakar and a young Ghanaian student, Nana Agyemang, who had been living and studying medicine in Ukraine for the last five years.

Last week, Malawi recorded a case of wild polio, an infectious disease that can lead to paralysis, most often in children. It’s the first time that a case has been reported in the country since 1992. And in 2020, the whole of Africa was declared polio free after a decades long vaccination programme. The case in Malawi is thought to be linked to a strain still in circulation in Pakistan. It is yet to be determined how the disease arrived in Malawi. And people are anxious as to whether more cases will emerge. What can be done to stop it spreading? #AfricaDaily

Social media platforms have given ordinary people a platform to share our ideas and opinions. If you have a large following, you can reach a huge audience on platforms like Twitter, Facebook and Instagram. Or you can exercise influence as part of an online campaign like #EndSARS or #AfricansinUkraine. But are we listening to people who don’t share our opinions? And can we find common ground with people who have different ideas? For this special episode recorded live for AfricaNXT 2022 in Lagos, #AfricaDaily asks whether we can build consensus on social media.Host: Alan Kasujja (@kasujja) Guests: Feyikemi Abudu (@fkabudu) Jola Ayeye(@jollz) Yemisi Adegoke (@briticoyemo)

Gender inequality is rife in many African countries, where women often do the vast majority of housework, childcare and look after entire families. But it doesn’t always have to be this way, at least not for some men in Burkina Faso. Men in the west African country are being offered the opportunity of attending what is known as “Husband Schools”. The aim is for men to learn how they can become better husbands and help their wives in all aspects of family life. Alan Kasujja has been speaking with a family – a husband and his two wives – who say they’ve seen changes after the husband attended the school. He also spoke to Minata Coulibaly, a women’s rights activist on her thoughts about such schools, as well as our reporter in Burkina Faso, Sasha Gankin. But first he heard from Hamady Somtore - a project assistant for the Sahel Women's Empowerment and Demographics Project - or SWEDD – which is behind these schools

The world’s attention has been focussed on Ukraine after President Putin ordered Russian troops to begin a large-scale military attack on its smaller neighbour.In Africa, the influence of Russia has been extending across the continent, leading to a range of opinions about Putin’s leadership, ambition and power.And while it might be many miles away, what’s happening in Ukraine has been a topic of debate on social media among Africans. So, how is the conflict is being viewed in Nigeria – which has a sizeable expat population in Ukraine? And which governments are relying on Russia for military support?HOST: Alan Kasujja (@kasujja)#AfricaDaily

In 2018, courts in South Africa ruled that personal use of marijuana was not illegal. The law allows households to keep small stashes of the drug under certain circumstances. People are also allowed to cultivate medical cannabis. And in the last couple of weeks, President Ramaphosa has announced that the production of cannabis will be industrialised. He said he wants South Africa to realise the huge potential for investment and job creation. So, could cannabis give the economy a welcome boost?#AfricaDaily

Around 60 people were killed in an explosion at an informal gold mine in Burkina Faso on Monday. In recent years, gold has become Burkina Faso’s biggest export. Informal, artisan mining operations are becoming more common there and across the region. People in these mines aren’t employed by big mining companies. And there is often little regulation or oversight. So, can mining in west Africa be made safer?#AfricaDaily