By Paul Ndiho,

Namibian President Hage Geingob died Sunday while receiving medical treatment for cancer. The 82-year-old had a colonoscopy and a gastroscopy on Jan. 8, followed by a biopsy, his office said last month. Dr. Panduleni Itula, president of Independent Patriots for Change (IPC), Namibia’s leading opposition party, has called for calm and urged all his party members to stop all campaign activities until the deceased president is buried. Speaking to VOA’s Paul Ndiho, Dr. Itula said Dr. Geingob was an exceptional leader and a patriotic statesman who believed in building his country.

By Paul Ndiho

ContentFrontiers is a leading company that creates engaging storytelling, valuable insights, and innovative digital campaigns. These efforts strengthen business and investment relationships between the United States and Africa. Joining us is Shanta Gyan, Founder and CEO of ContentFrontiers. Shanta will provide her perspective on harnessing initiatives like the US-Africa Leaders’ Summit, AGOA, the US-Africa Development Foundation, and Prosper Africa to boost trade and investment across the African continent. http://www.contentfrontiers.com

By Paul Ndiho,

UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak’s government wins the backing of the elected House of Commons for his controversial plan to send migrants to Rwanda. The government fended off right-wing Conservative rebels to win the final vote on the legislation in the parliament’s lower chamber by 320 votes to 276. To learn more about what this means for the asylum seeker who might be sent to Rwanda, VOA’s Paul Ndiho Spoke to Yasmine Ahmed, the UK director at Human Rights Watch, via Skype for more perspective.

By Paul Ndiho

Good coding skills are more crucial than ever in today’s rapidly evolving digital environment. A US-based tech entrepreneur, Afia Owusu Forfie has made it her mission to empower individuals in underserved regions with essential computer and programming skills. Afia Owusu Forfie, the founder and CEO of Coders Who Travel Inc., a not-for-profit organization established in December 2016, works closely with local tech communities to make a meaningful impact. Afia’s commitment to bridging the digital divide and fostering a sense of empowerment through technology is truly inspiring. Her mission is changing lives, one line of code at a time.

By Paul Ndiho

Israel has defended itself against South Africa’s allegation that the war with Hamas amounts to genocide against Palestinians at the United Nations’ top court Friday. Israel vehemently denies the claim. 

Although the case is likely to take years to resolve, South Africa is asking the ICJ to order an immediate suspension of Israel’s military offensive in the Gaza Strip. VOA’s Paul Ndiho Spoke to Yasmine Ahmed, the UK director at Human Rights Watch, via Skype for more perspective.

By Paul Ndiho

In July 2023, Russia hosted 49 African delegations and 17 heads of state for the second Russia-Africa Summit in St. Petersburg. Attendance in 2019 was down to 45 delegations. However, Russia’s growing influence in Africa has been increasing, rekindling its Cold War ties in southern Africa since then. For more perspective, VOA’s Paul Ndiho spoke to Paul Nantulya, a research associate at the Africa Center for Strategic Studies at the National Defense University.

By Paul Ndiho

Women hold only 25% of tech jobs in Tanzania, and just 10% of students earning degrees in computer science are women and girls, according to Tanzania Communication Regulatory Authority (TCRA) statistics. Tanzania is actively working to reduce the gender gap in its rapidly growing tech industry. It is committed to increasing women’s participation in sectors traditionally dominated by men, such as the tech industry. Pellagia Njau, a broadcast engineer at Azam TV and Affiliate Station, teaches girls how to code and gives them a chance to shape their future in the tech industry.

More than 37 percent of the world’s population still has no reliable access to the Internet, according to the International Telecommunication Union, a UN agency for information and communication technologies. However, an organization like the Open Foundation West Africa in Ghana aims to change that by providing open education and education programs through its popular wireless software program, Kiwix. That’s shocking, considering that we in the developed world take the Internet for granted. However, in some places around Africa, it’s still hard to have reliable access to the Internet because of cost and lack of infrastructure. Ruby Damenshie Brown, a senior Open Foundation West Africa program officer, joins me via Skype.

Nearly 20 presidential and parliamentary elections are scheduled to take place in Africa in 2024, according to The Electoral Institute for Sustainable Democracy, a not-for-profit organization promoting credible elections and sustainable democracies in Africa. AI’s use in political campaigns raises red flags for the 2024 global elections. However, Political experts say this could be a game changer. To learn more, VOA’s Paul Ndiho spoke with Zeph Shamba, Chairman of the International Political Campaigns Expo 2024 based in Cape Town, South Africa.

It has been a year since African leaders assembled in Washington, D.C., for the U.S.-Africa Leaders Summit. The summit focused on developing economic and strategic partnerships between the United States and African countries. Significantly enhance two-way trade and investment collaborations, boost Africa’s position in the global economy, promote innovation and entrepreneurship, and make advancements in critical sectors. To shed light on the progress achieved since the 2022 U.S.-Africa Leaders’ Summit, VOA’s Paul Ndiho interviewed Michael Jordan, Prosper Africa’s chief-of-staff, via Skype.