What prompted weeks-long students protests in Senegal? episode artwork

EPISODE · Feb 18, 2026 · 22 MIN

What prompted weeks-long students protests in Senegal?

from Focus on Africa · host BBC World Service

University students in Senegal have been protesting in demand of payment of their stipend from the government. They say the allowance, paid to students mostly from low-income backgrounds, has not been disbursed for months. A week ago, a protest at the country's main Cheikh Anta Diop University in Dakar left one student dead after a confrontation between the protestors and the police. The push by the learners comes at a time when Senegal is facing a high debt burden. And we hear from award-winning poet Hafsat Abdullahi on the evolution of spoken word poetry in Africa, and its role in cultural preservation and activism. Presenter: Nkechi Ogbonna Producers: Bella Twine and Ayuba Iliya Technical Producer: Herbert Masua Senior Producer: Charles Gitonga Editors: Samuel Murunga and Maryam Abdalla

Episode metadata supplied by the publisher feed · Published Feb 18, 2026

Embed this episode

NOW PLAYING

What prompted weeks-long students protests in Senegal?

0:00 22:59

No transcript for this episode yet

We transcribe on demand. Request one and we'll notify you when it's ready — usually under 10 minutes.

No similar episodes found.

No similar podcasts found.

Frequently Asked Questions

How long is this episode of Focus on Africa?

This episode is 22 minutes long.

When was this Focus on Africa episode published?

This episode was published on February 18, 2026.

Can I download this Focus on Africa episode?

Yes. Use the download control on the episode player to save the publisher-provided media file.
URL copied to clipboard!