The frugal businessman capturing young Nigerian heartspublished at 11:10 Greenwich Mean Time 23 February 2023
An army of social media users backs Peter Obi for Nigeria's presidency, but will that translate into votes?
Read MoreThe frugal businessman capturing young Nigerian heartspublished at 11:10 Greenwich Mean Time 23 February 2023
This page is now closedpublished at 07:32 British Summer Time 17 October 2022
For the latest updates, go to bbc.com/africalive.
Scroll down for this week's storiespublished at 18:48 British Summer Time 14 October 2022
We're back on Monday
That's all for this week from the BBC Africa Live Page team but we'll be back on Monday morning Nairobi time. In the meantime there will be an automated service here.
You can also check BBC News Online for updates or listen to our Africa Today podcast.
A reminder of our proverb for the day:
Quote MessageCharacter is like smoke."
A Yoruba proverb sent by Abdussemiu Aliu Lambe in Sokoto, Nigeria.
Click here to send us your African proverbs.
And we leave you with this image from our selection of some of the best photographs from the continent this week; it's of Mawlid celebrations in Morocco:
Image source, Getty ImagesBurkina Faso coup leader to become interim presidentpublished at 18:43 British Summer Time 14 October 2022
BBC World Service
Image source, ReutersImage caption, Capt Ibrahim Traoré seized power two weeks ago
The man who led the latest coup in Burkina Faso has been named interim president until elections in July 2024.
A national forum declared that Capt Ibrahim Traoré would not be allowed to stand in the polls.
He seized power two weeks ago from Lt-Gen Paul-Henri Damiba, who staged a coup in January accusing the authorities of failing to deal with Islamist militants.
The insurgency intensified after the general's takeover, prompting Capt Traoré to remove him by force.
Read more on this story:
IMF pledges support for nations hit by rising food pricespublished at 18:16 British Summer Time 14 October 2022
The International Monetary Fund (IMF) will provide support to African countries hit by food price rises, the institution's Africa head Abebe Aemro Selassie has said.
“The surge in food prices has meant that there are a lot of people that have become food insecure.
“Global economic issues have also become difficult. Access to financing has dried up,” he told Focus on Africa, the BBC's flagship radio programme for the continent.
"Countries have been hit much worse than we expected."
Responding to criticism from listeners that the IMF imposes programmes seeking its help, Mr Abebe defended the IMF's record.
"This is not your grandfather's IMF," he said adding that solutions are not brought in from outside and African ministers know they now have agency when dealing with the IMF.
Media caption, The IMF's Africa Director says it now works in a more collaborative way with countries
Black Sherif - Through pain to famepublished at 17:54 British Summer Time 14 October 2022
DJ Edu
Presenter of This Is Africa on BBC World Service
Image source, David Nana Opoku AnsahGhanaian rapper, singer and songwriter Black Sherif is one of the fastest rising stars in African music.
At the age of just 20, he already has several awards under his belt. He's just released his debut album The Villain I Never Was.
Born Mohammed Ismail Sharrif in Konongo in the Ashanti region, he started making music in high school putting out freestyles recorded on his friend's smartphone.
Quote MessageWhen I realised I wanted to go with music, I needed a stage name, and something heavy. But I didn't want to switch my whole name, so I needed the Sherif, because Sharrif is my name."
He explains that the name means noble and that black is his identity - so together Black Sherif means a noble African.
He got people's attention with the first of his "Sermon" freestyles.
When he followed First Sermon up with the street anthem Second Sermon, he went mainstream and then remixed it featuring Nigerian star Burna Boy.
Earlier this year, his single Kwaku the Traveller reached number one on the Ghanaian and Nigerian Apple Music charts. By August it was the most Shazamed song in the world across genres.
His latest single is Soja.
"I am soldier, you are soldier," he explains. "Everyone is a soldier in this world, because we all have different battles we are fighting. I sacrifice, you sacrifice, everyone sacrifices."
In the song he talks about his fears and insecurities in a very open way.
Quote MessageIf we hop on the streets you will see the kids that are running to me right now. There are kids listening to me, and I don't want them to know I'm perfect. I'm not perfect. I have fears. I have anxiety. I want them to know that I'm a person."
When asked about his main source of inspiration his answer is surprising:
Quote MessageIt's my pain. I have lots of pains in my heart, mostly from things I've seen. There's pain on the streets. There's pain in the air. I do have doubts in so many things about what I do. Life has happened to me. People have disappointed me. Music is my safe haven."
Black Sherif says his main musical influences come from the Highlife music his mother used to play. Then at the age of eight his father turned him on to reggae.
"That was the first time living with my Dad. When I was growing up my Dad was living in Greece. I love reggae so much because you know what elements come with reggae; consciousness, it's raw, it's real. And Highlife is melodious, soulful. That's my main sound inspiration."
He says he loves all his songs on the album, but he singles out O Paradise, a moving track inspired by his first girlfriend who sadly passed away. He's certainly not afraid to wear his heart on his sleeve.
He says the main message on the album is one of perseverance.
"It's inspirational, motivational. It's about self realisation. Listen. It will speak to you."
To hear the full interview with Black Sherif listen to This is Africa on BBC World Service radio and partner stations across Africa, and online here.
Kampala remains Ebola-free despite death - governmentpublished at 17:18 British Summer Time 14 October 2022
Image source, Getty ImagesImage caption, Red Cross workers in Mubende, Uganda buried a boy who was suspected to have died from Ebola
The Ugandan capital, Kampala, remains Ebola-free despite a 45-year-old man dying from the virus in the city a week ago, Health Minister Jane Ruth Aceng is quoted by the AFP news agency as saying.
The victim – the 19th death from Ebola in the current outbreak – had fled from Mubende district.
On Thursday, the Ugandan authorities said that his wife had tested positive before giving birth at a clinic in the hospital, AFP reports.
"I want to state very clearly that this does not mean Kampala has Ebola," Dr Aceng said.
"Cases that were already listed in Mubende remain cases of Mubende. Unless Kampala generates its own cases that start within Kampala, we cannot call that a Kampala case."
Uganda has recorded 58 cases of the Sudan strain of Ebola since last month. There is no vaccine available for this strain.
President Yoweri Museveni’s office has announced that on Saturday he will be addressing the nation on Ebola for the second time this week.
Read more on this story:
Kenyan Boston Marathon winner Kipyokei suspendedpublished at 16:26 British Summer Time 14 October 2022
Marcus Erbe
BBC World Service News
Image source, ReutersImage caption, Diana Kipyokei won the Boston marathon in 2021
International athletics officials have provisionally suspended the Kenyan winner of the 2021 Boston marathon, Diana Kipyokei, for violating anti-doping rules.
The Athletics Integrity Unit (AIU) also suspended her compatriot Betty Wilson Lempus.
In addition, both athletes were charged with tampering with the doping control process.
The AIU launched an investigation after a banned substance - triamcinolone acetonide - was found in samples they had provided.
Eight other Kenyan athletes have tested positive for the drug, compared with only two other runners in the rest of the world since 2021.
Nigerian court drops charges against separatistpublished at 16:05 British Summer Time 14 October 2022
Nnamdi Kanu was illegally arrested and extradited, a court rules in a major blow to the government.
Read MoreAuthorities investigating nurses who filmed dying manpublished at 15:46 British Summer Time 14 October 2022
BBC Pidgin
The authorities in Lagos say they are investigating the conduct of nurses at a private Nigerian hospital after videos emerged of them filming a dying man.
In videos that were then posted on social media, the nurses filmed Big Brother Naija reality TV star Rico Swavey, whose real name was Patrick Fakoya, as he lay unconscious on a chair where he had been propped up. He was taken to hospital after he had been involved in a car accident.
On the recording, one nurse is heard telling the others to stop the recording.
Gbenga Omotosho, Lagos state commissioner of information, told the BBC that the hospital risked being shut down by the government after it concluded its investigation.
Fans were shocked on Thursday after Rico's team announced his death:
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End of twitter postThe video of his final moments outraged many who said that the TV star had been neglected at the hospital.
Why are Kenyan farmers turning to social media?published at 15:09 British Summer Time 14 October 2022
Kenyan farmers are turning to social media platforms to increase their knowledge of farming and boost their incomes.
Read MoreKenya lawyers query dropping of major corruption casespublished at 15:05 British Summer Time 14 October 2022
Image source, AFPImage caption, Director of Public Prosecutions Noordin Haji announced the withdrawal of the charges earlier this week
Kenya's law society has condemned the country's public prosecutor for withdrawing corruption cases against high-profile individuals, including a cabinet nominee.
Law Society of Kenya (LSK) President Eric Theuri on Thursday called on the Director of Public Prosecution (DPP) Noordin Haji to publicly reveal the reasons behind the successive withdrawal of high-profile cases.
"We are... alarmed by the recent decisions by the DPP as they point to either two disturbing scenarios; that the prosecutions were mounted for the ulterior purpose whose end has been achieved or overtaken by events, or that the DPP has withdrawn the cases to aid an ulterior motive,” Mr Theuri said.
The LSK has threatened to pursue legal action against Mr Haji “so as to avert the abuse of the prosecutorial powers donated to Mr Haji by Kenyans through the constitution”.
Opposition legislators have also questioned why the withdrawal of cases came a few days before the commencement of the vetting of cabinet nominees by parliament next week.
On Wednesday, the prosecutor said he was dropping a $157,000 (£140,000) corruption case against the nominated minister for public service, Aisha Jumwa. Another $3.3m corruption case against a former managing director of state utility firm Kenya Power was also dropped.
All had denied the allegations against them.
In the footsteps of Benin's 'Woman King'published at 14:15 British Summer Time 14 October 2022
Benin's four-time presidential candidate, Marie-Elise Gbedo, traces the story of the legendary Dahomey warriors.
Read MoreDelegates chart Burkina Faso's post-coup futurepublished at 14:12 British Summer Time 14 October 2022
BBC World Service
Image source, ReutersImage caption, Coup leader Captain Ibrahim Traoré says he does not want to be interim president
More than 300 military officials, politicians and community leaders are meeting in Burkina Faso to chart the country's future following its second coup in less than a year.
They are expected to agree that elections should be held by July 2024.
Demonstrators in the capital, Ouagadougou, say they want coup leader Captain Ibrahim Traoré to be the interim president.
He says he doesn't want the job.
Like his predecessor, Lt-Gen General Paul-Henri Damiba, Capt Traoré justified the coup by saying the authorities were failing to deal with Islamist insurgents.
Read more:
Taiwan charges 10 over Uganda students abuse - reportpublished at 13:30 British Summer Time 14 October 2022
Authorities in Taiwan have charged a university administrator and nine others over a scholarship scam that saw Ugandan students forced to work in a factory instead of studying, the AFP news agency reports.
It follows local reports in January of student complaints of being ordered to "intern" at factories, AFP adds.
Chung Chou University of Science and Technology has since been banned from recruiting foreign students.
Prosecutors on Friday charged the school's dean of student affairs, the deputy chief of the county government's youth development department and eight others with human trafficking, fraud and corruption among other charges.
The dean and two others allegedly "tricked" the Ugandans with "fake promises of hefty scholarships and high-tech industry internships", district prosecutors are quoted by AFP as saying.
The students are reported to have been informed that they owed the school travel and other expenses, and had to do work at labour-intensive local factories.
The university is quoted as having told a local news agency in January that “there was a major difference in understanding between foreign students and school administration”.
Mass crab deaths prompt Zanzibar investigationpublished at 13:12 British Summer Time 14 October 2022
Thousands of dead swimming crabs have washed up on the beaches of the Tanzanian islands.
Read MoreCameroon get tough Women's World Cup play-off drawpublished at 13:04 British Summer Time 14 October 2022
Cameroon receive tough draw in the 10-team intercontinental play-offs to reach the 2023 Women's World Cup.
Read MoreMillions of Kenya Sim cards set to be cut offpublished at 12:48 British Summer Time 14 October 2022
Charles Gitonga
BBC News, Nairobi
Image source, Getty ImagesThe Kenyan authorities will disconnect about 12.5 million Sim cards this weekend as the registration window draws to a close.
Kenyans who have not verified their Sim card details will see services suspended from Sunday. They will not be able to make or receive calls, send or receive messages or even access mobile internet services.
In April, the Communications Authority of Kenya extended the deadline for verification by six months.
By Thursday, only 53 million subscribers had verified their registration data. Of these, 38 million were Safaricom subscribers, the largest telecoms company in the country. Airtel and Telkom Kenya saw 13.4 million and 1.8 million subscribers, respectively, verify their details two days to the deadline.
Sim card owners can update their registration details by presenting their national identity card to a merchant, or register through online portals set up by the service providers.
The verification drive is aimed at weeding out Sim cards that have been fraudulently registered and reduce cases of theft and insecurity in the country.
“We don’t want criminals to have a field day out there,” Liston Kirui, from the Communications Authority of Kenya said on Friday.
'Wasted eight months': Nigeria university strike endspublished at 12:39 British Summer Time 14 October 2022
Lecturers agree to resume lessons but the future of Nigeria's universities remains unclear.
Read MoreHundreds could die every day in Somalia from hunger - Oxfampublished at 12:11 British Summer Time 14 October 2022
Mary Harper
Africa editor, BBC World Service
Image source, ReutersImage caption, Hajira Ali is one of tens of thousands who have been displaced by the drought
The aid agency, Oxfam, says one person is likely to die every 36 seconds, external between now and the end of the year in the Horn of Africa as drought ravages the region.
Large parts of Kenya, Somalia and Ethiopia are bracing for a fifth failed rainy season, with millions abandoning rural areas for makeshift camps near towns.
Oxfam said the number of people experiencing acute hunger in Somalia has surpassed the number affected by the famine of 2011 when 250,000 people died.
The war in Ukraine has affected the prices of basic foodstuffs which have tripled in some areas.
Read more on the background to this story: