Electric vehicles - fixing Africa's fuel crisis?

Electric vehicles - fixing Africa's fuel crisis?

From Focus on Africa by BBC World Service

April 16, 2026 · 23 min

About this episode

The episode explores the viability of electric vehicles in Africa amidst rising fuel prices and discusses efforts to reduce fashion waste through upcycling.

Kenya is the latest African country to increase fuel prices citing the US-Israel war with Iran. While announcing one of the steepest pump price increments in recent times, the government reduced Value Added Tax (VAT) on fuel products from 16% to 8%, as the country's political opposition threatens street demonstrations if measures to lower prices further are not taken. In this episode - we explore if electric vehicles are a viable transport alternative in African countries. Also, the global fashion industry produces 92 million tonnes of textile waste every year with much of it ending up in landfills or being burned, according to the United Nations. We hear a Nigerian fashion designer's journey to curb rising fashion waste through upcycling. Presenter : Nkechi Ogbonna Producers: Bella Twine and Blessing Aderogba Technical Producer: Davis Mwasaru Senior Producer: Charles Gitonga Editor: Maryam Abdalla

People in this episode

Host: Nkechi Ogbonna

Topics covered

  • electric vehicles
  • fuel crisis
  • Kenya
  • fashion waste
  • upcycling
  • political opposition

Keywords

  • electric vehicles
  • fuel prices
  • Kenya
  • fashion industry
  • textile waste
  • upcycling
  • Value Added Tax
  • political opposition

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: United Nations

Places: Kenya

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