BBC Africa Eye

''BBC Africa Eye'' is an investigative branch of the BBC World Service. It has a network of local and investigative journalists and researchers working across Africa and produces a bi-weekly TV and online investigations series broadcast in English, Hausa, Swahili and French. The series focuses on topics that are of interest and concern to young and underserved audience and aims to strengthen and encourage investigative journalism across Africa.

''BBC Africa Eye'' has produced over 100 investigative journalism documentaries in countries such as Nigeria, Kenya, Ghana, Cameroon, Uganda, Ethiopia, Tanzania and South Africa which have won dozens of awards. Productions range from ten minutes to nearly an hour, and include in-depth undercover investigations as well as open-source journalistic investigations. ''BBC Africa Eye'''s coverage has been credited with restoring Nigerian audience's faith in Western media. However, researchers have questioned how far the documentaries constitute a departure from typical Western media coverage of Africa.

History

''Africa Eye'' was established April 2018 as part of the largest expansion of the BBC World Service since the 1940s. Nisha Kapur, Commissioning Editor for TV said: "Africa Eye will promote the culture of investigative journalism across Africa and strengthen the skills of African investigative journalists. All of the programmes will be based on in-depth reporting that holds power to account. They will tackle topics that are of intense interest and concern to audiences in Africa. These reports will be produced in a fresh and contemporary style that resonates with young audiences."

The series' first documentary was a co-production between Africa Eye and BBC Pidgin, titled ''Sweet Sweet Codeine''. The documentary followed Nigerian journalists Ruona Meyer and Adejuwon Soyinka's undercover investigation, which revealed widespread abuse of a prescription cough medicine laced with an opioid drug, codeine. Less than 24 hours after the documentary was released, the Nigerian government banned the import and manufacture of codeine-based syrup. The film was nominated for an International Emmy and won the One World Media TV Documentary Award 2019.

Notable open-source coverage

Analysis of footage from June 2018 exposed Cameroon's Rapid Intervention Battalion soldiers burning civilian houses down in the Southwest Region, a region where journalists have been systematically denied access in an effort to prevent coverage of the Anglophone Crisis.

''BBC Africa Eye'' used more than 300 videos shot on protestors' phone at the Khartoum massacre on 3 June 2019 in Sudan to report on the killing of over 100 people. The documentary, ''Sudan's Livestream Massacre'', exposed Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo, who previously ran the notorious government-backed Janjaweed militias, as ordering the massacre.

During the Libyan civil war, the ''BBC Africa Eye'' and ''BBC Arabic Documentaries'' revealed that a drone operated by the United Arab Emirates (UAE) killed 26 young cadets at a military academy in Tripoli, on 4 January. Most of the cadets were teenagers and none of them were armed. The Chinese-made drone Wing Loong II fired Blue Arrow 7 missile, which was operated from UAE-run Al-Khadim Libyan air base. In February, these drones stationed in Libya were moved to an air base near Siwa in the western Egyptian desert. Subsequently, ''The Guardian'' probed and discovered the blatant violation of UN arms embargo by the UAE and Turkey on 7 October 2020.

In April, 2021, ''BBC Africa Eye'', in collaboration with Bellingcat and Newsy confirmed the authenticity of footage of the Mahbere Dego massacres in Tigray, evidence in the war crimes in the Tigray War.

Reception

''Sweet Sweet Codeine''

''Sweet Sweet Codeine'' (premiered April 30, 2018) was ''BBC Africa Eye'''s first documentary. It revealed widespread abuse of a prescription cough medicine laced with an opioid drug, codeine. The Nigerial government had previously estimated more than three million bottles of codeine syrup were being consumed every day in just two states. These syrups can cause organ failure if overused. The Nigerian government banned the import and manufacture of codeine-based syrup within 24-hours of the documentary's premier. Later, the Nigerian federal government recalled more than 2.4 million bottles of codeine cough syrup from the market and the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control raided four pharmaceutical companies, dozens of dealers were arrested, and the Nigerian Drug Law Enforcement Agency allocated resources to prevent smuggling.

Following the release of the documentary, the Pharmacy Council of Ghana launched an investigation into the abuse of codeine and another painkiller, Tramadol, and in June 2018, as part of the country's National Medicines Policy review, Health Minister Kwaku Agyemang-Manu banned all production and importation of codeine syrup.

A 2021 UN report on pharmaceutical opioids trafficking in West Africa found the bans which followed the airing of ''Sweet Sweet Codeine'' curbed both the demand and availability of codeine-based medications. However, the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crimes noted that the bans sometimes lacked administrative support, accompanying enforcement measures and were weakened by ineffective border controls. Additionally, while the significant increase of syrup prices detered many users, it also made smuggling of codeine medications more lucrative.

''Sweet Sweet Codeine'' was the first time a Nigerian film and a BBC World Service production was nominated for an Emmy.

Other productions

Ghanaian investigative journalist Anas Aremeyaw Anas went undercover his investigative film '' Number 12'', a version of which premiered in June, 2018 under the title ''Betraying The Game'' as part ''BBC Africa Eye'', who provided technical support for the investigation and secured the right to show it to a global audience. Ghanaian President of the Football Association, Kwesi Nyantakyi, was forced to resign following the documentary.

''Rehab Nightmare'' (premiered July 29, 2018) documented Islamic rehab centres in Nairobi, Kenya where patients are routinely tortured, abused and beaten. One of the institutions featured in the documentary, the Darushifa Rehabilitation Centre in Nairobi's Eastleigh, was closed within days of the documentary's premiere. Kenyan authorities shut down two other illegal centres and arrested their staff following the release of the documentary. In 2022, the Kenyan Directorate of Criminal Investigations said it had partnered with the United States embassy in Nairobi, Immigration Services and the Office of the Directorate of Public Prosecution to contain illegal operations of rehabilitation centres.

In partnership with Amnesty International, Bellingcat and independent analysts on Twitter, ''Anatomy of a Killing'' (premiered September 23, 2018) was an open source investigation which exposed the people behind the execution of four civilians (two women and two children) from a viral video. The perpetrators were part of the Cameroonian army, and the three of the individuals who pulled the triggers were ultimately identified. Seven Cameroonian soldiers were tried, five convicted and four jailed for ten years for the murder of the four civilians. The production won a Peabody Award.

In ''Sex for Grades'' (premiered October 8, 2019) Nigerian investigative journalist Kiki Mordi exposed lecturers sexually harassing students in University of Lagos and University of Ghana. Dr. Samuel Oladipo and Dr. Boniface Igbeneghu of University of Lagos, Dr. Ransford Gyampo and Dr. Paul Kwame Butakor of University of Ghana were the lecturers implicated in a viral video that came with the exposé. After the exposé, Gyampo threatened to sue the BBC. Due to the documentary, University of Lagos suspended Igbeneghu and Foursquare Gospel Church asked him to step down from the pulpit. Oladipo was also suspended following the release of the documentary. A "Cold Room" caught in the video where lecturers sexually harass students was shut down by the University of Lagos. Immediately after the release of the documentary, the Nigerian senate re-introduced the anti-sexual harassment bill and was read on the floor of the senate. On 9 July 2020, the Nigerian Senate passed the anti-sexual harassment bill, while proposing up to 14 years jail term for offenders. Nigerian universities have increasingly instituted sexual harassment policies, however, the effectiveness of these policies have been questioned by scholars who note the lack of deep engagement by universities with questions of gender inequality. The documentary was nominated for an international Emmy.

''The Baby Stealers'' (premiered November 15, 2020) revealed government and private hospitals were complicit in the theft and trafficking of babies, taken from their mothers without consent. The investigation also revealed alleged corruption at Mama Lucy Kibaki, a public hospital in Nairobi. In the wake of the ''BBC Africa Eye'' story, police chief Hillary Mutyambai ordered an investigation into hospitals, as well as children's homes in the Kenyan capital. Kenyan authorities arrested people allegedly running a child-trafficking syndicate. At least two of the people involved in trafficking infants have been convicted as of 2023. ''The Baby Stealers'' was the first time a Kenyan production was nominated for an international Emmy.

Notable productions

References

{{reflist

BBC
Journalism in Nigeria
Swahili-language television shows
French-language television shows
English-language television shows