logo
episode-header-image
Dec 2021
13m 14s

Could Dambe be Nigeria’s next big sport?

Bbc World Service
About this episode

Bruises and broken bones. Dambe is not kind to the human body. As extreme as this combat sport may be, it’s amassed legions of fans not only in Nigeria, where it was born, but also around the world. What’s it all about? And how did it become so popular?

Hosted by Alan Kasujja (@Kasujja on Twitter) Guest: Maxwell Kalu, founder and CEO of African Warriors FC; Dogon Kyallu, Dambe fighter.

#AfricaDaily

(This episode was first broadcast on 1st September 2021)

Up next
Oct 3
Focus on Africa: Can Botswana continue to depend on its diamond industry?
In an exclusive interview with the BBC's Waihiga Mwaura, Botswana's President Duma Boko, outlines his plan to reduce his country's reliance on the diamond industry amid falling global demand, and how he is pushing for a 0% tariff deal with the US.Guinea is showing signs of econom ... Show More
27m 30s
Sep 12
Focus on Africa: Who is Uganda's Joseph Kony?
The International Criminal Court concludes hearings into war crime charges against the Ugandan rebel leader Joseph Kony and will decide whether he should face trial. But who is Joseph Kony and what are the charges against him? How some South African schools are fighting childhood ... Show More
35m 33s
Sep 9
Focus on Africa: Ethiopia opens huge dam despite outside opposition
Ethiopia opens Africa's largest hydroelectric dam on the Blue Nile river deepening a rift with Egypt and Sudan.Authorities in the US have arrested two suspected leaders of the Cameroon separatists' military wing. We find out more about the charges against the two men, and why Cam ... Show More
31m 49s
Recommended Episodes
Jun 2024
Why are two million children in northern Nigeria suffering from severe malnutrition?
Millions of children in northern Nigeria are without sufficient food, that's according to the aid agency, MSF. The persistent malnutrition crisis in the region, MSF says, stems from inflation, security issues and insufficient healthcare infrastructure. We'll hear from Dr Simba Ti ... Show More
28m 16s
Oct 2023
Not Just Coups: Meet the People’s Movements in the Streets of West Africa w/ Kambale Musavuli
Listen to the full episode on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/posts/full-audio-not-w-90192326 The West African countries of Niger, Burkina Faso, and Mali are in rebellion against their former colonial masters, while the imperialists of the Global North try desperately to contain ... Show More
35m 22s
Feb 2022
Are coups catching on in West Africa?
Burkina Faso just experienced the latest in a series of coups across West Africa. Frustration with the lavish lifestyle of aging heads of state, sustained security problems along the Sahel and an anti-colonial sentiment are all breeding discontent. But why so many countries and w ... Show More
23m 19s
Jan 2024
Why are Guinness World Records being smashed in Ghana and Nigeria?
Hundreds of people have been trying to set new world records in Ghana, with applications flying in since July 2023.Earlier this week a Ghanaian chef, Faila Abdul-Razak, completed the longest non-stop cook-a-thon, chopping and frying for more than 227 hours. She hasn’t yet officia ... Show More
14m 52s
May 2019
Baba Go Slow: Nigeria’s President gets another term
Muhammadu Buhari earned the nickname “Baba Go Slow” for a lackadaisical approach to reform as Nigeria’s president. He mismanaged the economy, failed to tackle corruption and has been unable to restrain the terrorist group Boko Haram. Will he be more effective in his second term? ... Show More
18m 48s
Jan 2024
How do African athletes train for the Winter Olympics without ice?
Nigeria’s youth curling team, the Broomzillas, are Africa’s first curling team to reach a Winter Youth Olympics. Their journey to the 2024 Gangwon Games in South Korea hasn’t been easy. They’ve struggled with funding and of course, as Nigeria doesn’t have freezing weather, access ... Show More
14m 3s
Apr 2023
Sudan: The general and the warlord fighting for power
It’s the seventh day of violence in Sudan. Hundreds are reported dead and while civilians flee the capital, two generals - one a former warlord - are fighting for control of the country. So who are these men? And what does a hoard of gold and Putin’s private army have to do with ... Show More
25m 58s
May 2023
Is This White Guy The REAL African UFC Champ?
South African UFC fighter Dricus Du Plessis has been accused of racism for pointing out that he’s the only African fighter who “breathes African air” and who would bring a championship belt back to African soil. Nigerian fighters Kamaru Usman and Israel Adesanya have responded wi ... Show More
43m 59s
Mar 2023
Nigeria's battle against bandits
In the last few years, powerful criminal gangs have terrorised a swathe of north west and central Nigeria. From camps in the forest, gangs of bandits on motorbikes have attacked villages killing and kidnapping men, women and children. So how can Nigeria's new leader restore secur ... Show More
26m 28s