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Earlier this month, President Trump signed an executive order directing the Justice Department to pause prosecutions of Americans accused of bribing foreign officials to enhance economic competitiveness. The order calls for revised enforcement guidelines for the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act (FCPA) of 1977 and instructs Attorney General Pam Bondi to halt enforcement until new guidance is issued. This move has raised concerns about the potential encouragement of global corruption.
VOA’s Paul Ndiho spoke with Chinwe Esimai, President and CEO of Scepter 3 Global Advisors, to learn more about executive orders and the FCPA’s enforcement pause.

Earlier this month, the Central African Republic launched a cryptocurrency meme, which initially experienced a surge in value before crashing. This is just one of the most recent examples of the rising interest in cryptocurrency investments across the continent. According to Statista, the number of cryptocurrency users in Africa is expected to reach nearly 54 million by 2025. But what exactly is cryptocurrency? Who stands to gain from it, who controls it, and who is investing in it? Join Vincent Makori and his guests: VOA Africa technology reporter Paul Ndiho, Ghanaian social innovator and entrepreneur Bright Simons, and Mussie Haile, the CEO of Moya Technologies, for an in-depth discussion on Cryptocurrency in Africa.

The 2024 Corruption Perceptions Index (CPI) highlights that corruption remains a critical issue worldwide. Sub-Saharan Africa again scored the lowest average at 33 out of 100—90 percent of countries in the region scored below 50. However, some nations have made remarkable progress through anti-corruption efforts. 

The highest scorers include Seychelles, 72; Cabo Verde, 62; Botswana and Rwanda, 57. Conversely, the lowest scorers are Equatorial Guinea, 13; Eritrea, 13; Somalia, 9; and South Sudan, 8. 

VOA’s Paul Ndiho spoke with Sombo Muzata, Co-Director of the Masters of Public Administration Program and assistant professor at James Madison University, about the report’s significance.

From securing a multimillion-dollar contract with one of the world’s leading retailers, Walmart, to supplying Unity Girl Dolls and selling the African-themed toys on Amazon’s online store, Lagos—Nigeria-based Auldon Toys, a leading manufacturer of Unity Girl Dolls, has done it again. Auldon Toy has expansion plans for the retail toy space.

Auldon Toys is expanding into the retail toy market with a multi-million-dollar complex that aims to transform how children and families shop for toys in Nigeria and beyond. The company plans to create a fun atmosphere for kids to enjoy their shopping experience. I earlier spoke with Auldon CEO Paul Orajiaka.

The Democratic Republic of Congo government has urged Rwanda to cease its alleged support for the M23 rebel group. Rwanda denies any links. The M23 has made significant territorial gains, including the capture of Goma in January and Bukavu, where residents welcomed them over the weekend. The DRC government confirmed the rebels have “occupied” this second major city in the eastern mineral-rich region.
For an update, VOA’s Paul Ndiho Spoke with Fabien Mweze, secretary general of the Center of Political and Strategic Studies, based in Bukavu.

The South African government remains resolute after the Trump administration threatened to cut funding over a new land reform act to address racial disparities in land ownership. Despite three decades since apartheid, most farmland is still owned by white people. The government faces pressure to implement reforms, though critics argue they should proceed cautiously.

For more perspective on the Land Land Reform Act, VOA’s Paul Ndiho spoke with Ricky Mukonza, a political analyst and professor at Tshwane University of Technology in South Africa.  

U.S. President Donald Trump announced he would “cut off all aid to South Africa until further notice” due to the country’s land reform policy. This decision follows an executive order to reduce U.S. financial assistance linked to South Africa’s land policy and its case against Israel at the International Court of Justice. In response, South Africa’s foreign ministry criticized the order for its inaccuracies and its failure to recognize the nation’s colonial and apartheid history. VOA’s Paul Ndiho spoke with political commentator Dr. Maropeng Mpya in Johannesburg about the impact on U.S.-South Africa relations.

Government leaders and technology company heads gathered at the AI Action Summit in Paris, France, to discuss the future of artificial intelligence and explore the use of Big Data. Leaders called for rules and international governance so people could trust the new technology.

Heads of state and technology executives convened in Paris to discuss safely embracing artificial intelligence amid mounting resistance to heavy-handed red tape that businesses say stifles innovation. But for AI technology to develop, we need big Data. To help us understand how AI and Big Data work, we turn to Isaac Mwinongo, a data analyst based in Silver Spring, Maryland.

Many humanitarian workers worldwide have faced layoffs due to President Trump’s closure of the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), the primary source of humanitarian assistance. Tanzania, a rapidly growing economy in Africa with an annual GDP growth rate of nearly 7 percent, is one of the countries significantly affected by this change.
USAID initiatives in Tanzania focused on empowering women and youth and tackling health issues like HIV/AIDS, malaria, tuberculosis, family planning, and nutrition. Reducing these programs could severely impact the nation’s development goals.
For more insight, I’m joined by Hon. Eric James Shigongo, a Member of Parliament from the ruling party, Chama Cha Mapinduzi (CCM).

On January 20th, after U.S. President Donald Trump’s return to the White House, his cryptocurrency, $TRUMP, surged 73% to a market value of about $9.2 billion. Melania Trump also launched her meme coin. However, cryptocurrency prices fell earlier this week, with Bitcoin reaching a three-week low.
Concerns over a global trade war drove the decline. President Trump initially imposed 25% tariffs on Mexican and Canadian imports and 10% on Chinese goods but later reversed his decision. To learn more about cryptocurrencies, I’m joined live by Mussie Haile, CEO and founder of Moya Technologies Inc. in Fairfax, Virginia.