Panel 54 Podcast
Panel 54 is a podcast where Africa tells its own story. Hosts Waweru Njoroge from Kenya and Ndu Okoh from Kenya/Zimbabwe discuss the people, power, and politics shaping the continent. Episodes feature evidence-first conversations with leaders, activists, athletes, and cultural voices. Topics include sports, identity, security, media, foreign influence, youth movements, sovereignty, and Africa's place in a multipolar world. It offers a global perspective through an African lens.
Episodes
Todd Stiefler - PARTNERSHIPS IN AFRICA
Can partnerships help African defence companies move from promising ideas to deployed capability?
In this episode of Panel 54, Waweru Njoroge speaks with Todd Stiefler, Director of Commercial at Terra Industries. Todd brings experience across government, national security, industrial technology, software and commercial growth, including work connected to GE and WHOOP.
Founded in 2024 by Nathan Nwa
Femi Babafemi Kennedy Echesa Lubengu - Meth In Africa Pt 2
Can African states dismantle meth networks and successfully prosecute those behind them?
In this episode of Panel 54, Waweru Njoroge speaks with Femi Babafemi, Director of Media and Advocacy at Nigeria’s NDLEA, and Kennedy Echesa Lubengu, an Advocate of the High Court of Kenya.
Femi examines Nigeria’s recurring meth laboratories, foreign specialists, precursor chemicals, illicit finance and the in
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Fidel Owusu - Meth in Africa [Part 1]
Is Africa becoming a new frontier for methamphetamine production and trafficking?
In this episode of Panel 54, Waweru Njoroge and Thule Lenneiye speaks with Fidel Amakye Owusu, a Ghanaian geopolitical and security analyst, about the growth of meth production and trafficking across Africa.
The conversation examines clandestine labs in Nigeria, major seizures linked to Ghana and Kenya, foreign crimi
Siaka Nasiru - Defending Nigeria
In this episode of Panel 54, Waweru Njoroge and Thule Lenneiye sit down with Siaka Nasiru, a former Nigerian Army officer, private consultant and security analyst, to examine why Nigeria continues to struggle with insecurity despite its military strength, intelligence capabilities and international partnerships.
Nasiru brings both a tactical and strategic perspective, shaped by 10 years of militar
Nsikak Nelson - Secure Code
In this episode of Panel 54, Waweru Njoroge and Thule Lenneiye sit down with Nsikak Joseph Nelson, a Nigerian defence technology executive, cybersecurity strategist and systems architect, to examine Nigeria's preparation for the dawn of cybersecurity as defence.
Nsikak brings an indigenous defence technology perspective shaped by his work across secure communications, intelligence systems, cyber d
DAUD JIRAN & DR. DIBA WAKO - Pastoral Security
For many families in the Horn of Africa, livestock is wealth, food, savings and survival. One failed season can turn all of it into hunger, displacement and crisis.
In this episode of Panel 54, Waweru Njoroge sits down with Daud Jiran, Somalia Country Director at Mercy Corps, and Dr. Diba Dida Wako, Regional Livestock Programme Director at Mercy Corps, to examine food security, livestock and resil
Hon. Dr Musalia Mudavadi - Kenya's Prime Cabinet Secretary.
What happens when diplomacy becomes the frontline of a country’s security, trade and global influence?
In this episode of Panel 54, Waweru Njoroge sits down with Dr. Musalia Mudavadi, Kenya’s Prime Cabinet Secretary and Cabinet Secretary for Foreign and Diaspora Affairs, to examine Kenya’s place in a changing global order.
From regional security and African diplomacy to diaspora affairs, trade, fo
Thule Lenneiye - Food Security
Thule Lenneiye is a Zimbabwean- Kenyan food systems, climate action and digital transformation expert, and Chief of Staff at AGRA.
This conversation looks at why Africa’s food challenge is not only about producing more food. It is about building systems that can deliver safe, nutritious and affordable food through climate shocks, conflict, trade disruptions and economic pressure.
The episode explo
Jummai Abdullahi - The Peace Maker
What does peace look like when a teacher steps into conflict with books, dialogue and trust instead of guns?
In this episode of Panel 54, Waweru Njoroge sits down with Jummai Abdullahi, a teacher and university lecturer from Maiduguri, Nigeria to examine Borno’s non-kinetic security front.
Her work challenges the idea that counterinsurgency is only about soldiers, weapons and battlefield gains. Fo
Dr. Sani Muhammad - Sahel Crisis
Who protects ordinary Nigerians when the state arrives late, local government has collapsed, and armed groups move faster than institutions?
In this episode of Panel 54, Waweru Njoroge sits down with Dr. Sani Abubakar Muhammad to examine Nigeria and the greater Sahel’s security crisis, the spread of insecurity across the Sahel and the urgent need to rethink Africa’s security architecture.
Dr. Sani
Enos Mate & Itoro Richard - Xenophobia in South Africa
What happens when years of work, family, legal status and contribution are still not enough to belong?
In this episode of Panel 54, Waweru Njoroge sits down with Itoro Victor Richard and Enos Mate to examine xenophobia in South Africa through the lives of African migrants who built homes, families and livelihoods there before being forced to leave.
Itoro Victor Richard is a Nigerian entrepreneur,
Amira Adawe: Lightening Death
What happens when beauty becomes exposure, and a personal choice becomes a public health crisis? In this episode of Panel 54, Amira Adawe joins the conversation to examine skin bleaching, colourism, toxic cosmetics and the hidden health risks behind Africa’s beauty industry.
Adawe Adawe, MPH, is a Somali-born, American based public health researcher, policy advocate, and founder and executive di
Lillian, Queenter, Njeri and Cynthia - Sexploitation.
What happens when exploitation becomes an economy, and abuse is protected by silence, poverty and weak institutions?
In this episode of Panel 54, Waweru Njoroge sits down with Lilian Muli, journalist and media personality; Queenter Mbori, AMWIK Executive Director and gender-media advocate; Njeri Migwi, survivor-protection and gender-justice advocate; and Cynthia Delali Alorbu, Ghanaian youth-devel
Prof. Heidi J. Larson - Fear Goes Viral
What happens when fear moves faster than facts, and rumours become a threat to global health?
In this episode of Panel 54, Waweru Njoroge sits down with Professor Heidi J. Larson, PhD, Founder and Director of the Vaccine Confidence Project and Professor of Anthropology, Risk and Decision Science at the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, to examine health scares, Ebola, public trust
H.E. Dr. Ali Maalim Mohamud: Water, Power and Borders
What happens when water becomes a security issue and a border town becomes the gateway to the Horn of Africa?
In this episode of Panel 54, Waweru Njoroge sits down with Dr. H.E. Dr. Ali Maalim Mohamud, the Deputy Governor in County of Mandera, Kenya who also a distinguished environment and public health policy expert, to examine Mandera’s strategic role at the edge of Kenya, Somalia, Somaliland an
Cpt. (Rtd.) Luqman Gidado, PhD: Nigeria’s Insecurity Economy
What happens when insecurity becomes an economy and crime turns into a business model?
In this episode of Panel 54, Waweru Njoroge sits down with Dr. Capt. Lukman Gidado to examine Nigeria’s security crisis, the rise of violent criminal groups, and the systems that allow insecurity to survive.
From banditry and kidnapping for ransom to terrorism, weak local governance, arms trafficking and poor in
David Meshioye - Nigeria & US, Strengthening W. African Security
What happens when insecurity becomes normalised and institutions struggle to keep pace with increasingly organised threats?
In this episode of Panel 54, Waweru Njoroge sits down with David Meshioye, Nigerian journalist and editor, to examine Nigeria’s security challenges and the case for stronger cooperation between the United States and African states.
From banditry and kidnapping to terrorism, c
Fidel Owusu - Coups, Chaos, Conflict
What happens when terrorism, coups, organised crime, and geopolitical competition collide in one of the world's most volatile regions? In this episode of Panel 54, Waweru Njoroge sits down with Fidel Amakye Owusu, Ghanaian geopolitical and security analyst, to unpack the rapidly evolving security landscape across the Sahel and West Africa.
From military coups and extremist violence to foreign sec
Brig - Gen Kapeh Alwali Kazir (Rtd) - Securing Nigeria.
What does it take to build peace when conflict is never far away?
In this episode of Panel 54, Waweru Njoroge sits down with Brigadier General Kapeh Alwali Kazir (Rtd), former Nigerian Army officer, peacekeeper, and security strategist, to discuss leadership, diplomacy, defence cooperation, and Africa’s evolving security challenges.
Drawing on service across Nigeria, peacekeeping experience in Dar
Maj. Gen. (Rtd) Charles Tai Gituai - Paper Peace
What does peace actually look like in a region shaped by conflict, fragile diplomacy, and shifting security alliances?
In this episode of Panel 54 Podcast, Waweru Njoroge sits down with Maj. Gen. (Rtd) Charles Tai Gituai to unpack the realities of diplomacy, defence cooperation with the USA and others, Kenyan military history, and the difficult work of sustaining peace in East Africa and beyond.
D
Jinna Mutune & Mkamzee Mwatela -Who Controls Stories
What if culture is one of Africa’s most powerful geopolitical tools? In this episode of Panel 54, Waweru Njoroge sits down with Jinna Mutune and Mkamzee Mwatela to explore storytelling, film, performance, and the growing global influence of African creative industries.
The discussion explores how film, television, and performance can become forms of soft power, and why Africa’s creative economy ma
Dr Omole: Fragility or Failure.
What if the security crisis in West Africa isn’t what it seems?
In this episode of Panel 54, Waweru Njoroge and Ndu Okoh sit down with Dr. Charles Omole, security expert and global adviser, to unpack the realities behind instability in the Sahel and Nigeria. From insurgency and banditry to governance failures and economic dependency, this conversation challenges the idea that conflicts in West A
Nazanine Moshiri - Inside Iran
What if everything you think you know about Iran is incomplete?
In this episode of Panel 54, Waweru Njoroge and Ndu Okoh sit down with Nazanine Moshiri, British-Iranian journalist and conflict analyst, to break down a country often reduced to headlines but lived in complexity...
From the structure of Iran’s security state, including the Basij and war-era networks, to a younger generation disconnec
Canon Fodder - Felix Kimutai & Peter Njenga
What happens when young men leave home for opportunity and are turned into cannon fodder in a foreign war?
In this episode of Panel 54, Waweru Njoroge and Ndu Okoh sit down with a Kenyan father ,David Mutai, searching for his missing son, Felix Mutai, and a returnee, Peter Njenga, who survived warzone and combat, to examine a growing and underreported crisis: African men being recruited into the R
Africa Builds Back - George Gachara
What happens when Africa stops exporting culture and starts building the financial infrastructure to own it?
In this episode, Waweru Njoroge and Ndu Okoh sit down with George Gachara, a cultural investor and capital architect working at the intersection of culture, finance, and policy across Africa’s creative economy.
Drawing from more than a decade financing creative industries, Gachara explains
Ferdinand Omondi - Water, Minerals & War!
What happens when climate change becomes a hidden driver of conflict and war across Africa?
In this episode, Waweru Njoroge and Ndu Okoh speak with Ferdinand Omondi, Communications and Story Manager for Anglophone Africa at Greenpeace Africa and an investigative journalist covering environmental and resource issues across the continent from BBC, KTN, NTV, on how drought, land degradation, and wate
Maureen Farrell - Africa’s Resource Moment
What happens when Africa stops waiting for capital and starts negotiating over the resources the world needs most?
In this episode of Panel 54, Waweru Njoroge and Ndu Okoh sit down with Maureen Farrell, Vice President for Global Partnerships at Valar Frontiers , a U.S.-based strategy and risk firm working across Africa, and also a former senior U.S. defense official for African affairs.
Drawing on
Nic Cheeseman - Your Vote Was Already Bought!
What happens when elections become rituals and power refuses to leave the room?
In this episode of Panel 54, Waweru Njoroge and Ndu Okoh sit down with Prof. Nic Cheeseman, one of the world's leading scholars on African democracy, based at the University of Birmingham and the mind behind Democracy in Africa.
Cheeseman brings three decades of research across the continent to a conversation that cuts
A New Security Order - Frederick Grounds
What does conflict actually look like up close, long before headlines catch up?In this episode of Panel 54, Waweru Njoroge and Ndu Okoh sit down with Frederick Grounds, a former Lieutenant Colonel in the British Army with over three decades of service, much of it spent training and working alongside African armed forces across the continent.
Now based in Nairobi, Grounds offers a rare practitioner
The New Power Game - Peter Kagwanja
Africa is no longer peripheral to global power. It is central to it. The problem is that influence does not always translate into control.In this episode of Panel 54, Waweru Njoroge and Ndu Okoh are joined by Prof. Peter Kagwanja, one of East Africa’s most influential geopolitical thinkers, to examine how power is exercised, defended, and contested across the continent.
The conversation moves thro
Tsepiso, James, Theophilus & Mbugua - Year in Review- Part 1
In Part One of Panel 54’s end-of-year special, Waweru Njoroge and Ndu Okoh sit down with some of Africa’s most influential editors to interrogate a hard question: who controls Africa’s story at a moment of global upheaval?
Joining the conversation are Theophilus Yardy from Ghana, Tsepiso Makwetla from South Africa, James Muyanwa from Zambia, and James Mbugua from Kenya. The editors unpack collap
H.E. Ambassador Hiroshi Matsuura: Japan and Africa
Japan and Africa meet at a critical moment in a changing world. One is navigating demographic pressure, technological transition and a complex security environment. The other is rising in strategic importance as the global order shifts toward multipolarity.
In this episode of Panel 54, hosts Waweru Njoroge and Ndu Okoh sit down with His Excellency Ambassador Hiroshi Matsuura, Japan’s Ambassador to
Michael Lenaimado - Poachers, Politics & The Battle for Survival.
Poaching networks, shrinking habitats, foreign market demand and political neglect are reshaping conservation across the region. And rangers are paying the highest price. In this episode of Panel 54, veteran ranger Michael Lenaimado joins Waweru Njoroge and Ndu Okoh to break down what’s really happening on the front lines.
He exposes how organised poaching networks operate, why demand in China f
Ndu and Waweru - China, Gen Z and Africa’s Future
After twenty-one episodes across politics, diplomacy, security, mining, protests, soft power and geopolitics, Ndu Okoh and Waweru Njoroge step away from the guest chair and turn the lens on themselves.In this special introspective episode of Panel 54, the hosts reflect on the conversations that shaped the season: interviewing former President Kufuor in Accra, unpacking debt and foreign influence,
Seth Bokpe - Money and the Mining Mafia in Ghana
West Africa’s gold is enriching the world — but devastating the people who live closest to it. Illegal mining has become an environmental catastrophe, a political flashpoint and a lucrative gateway for foreign interests. And at the centre of it all is the uncomfortable truth: exploitation thrives when governance fails.
In this episode of Panel 54, Seth Bokpe, one of Ghana’s leading investigative
Hassan Khannaje - Chaos in the Horn of Africa
Wars without victory, alliances without trust, and peace that profits the few. The Horn of Africa remains one of the most strategic yet unstable regions in the world, and understanding why means following the money. In this episode of Panel 54, Prof. Hassan Khannaje, Director of the Horn International Institute for Strategic Studies, joins Waweru Njoroge and Ndu Okoh to unpack the business of chao
Ted Kwaka - The Soft Power of Cultural Diplomacy
Africa’s influence on the world isn’t just political or economic; it’s cultural. From music and fashion to film and festivals, soft power is becoming the new diplomacy.
In this nineteenth episode of Panel 54, Ted Kwaka, cultural envoy and former Consul General for Kenya in Los Angeles, joins Waweru Njoroge and Ndu Okoh to explore how Africa can use its creative industries to shape global perceptio
Kevin Kigima - The Chinese Debt Trap- Real or Imagined
Africa’s debt crisis is no longer just about economics — it’s about power, sovereignty, and the politics of influence.
In this episode of Panel 54, economist Kevin Kigima Ng’ang’a joins Waweru Njoroge and Ndu Okoh to unpack China’s “debt trap” and what it really means for the continent’s independence and future growth.
From Zambia’s default to Kenya’s SGR repayments, Kevin separates myth from real
Ralph Goff & Seth Shava – Drones, AI and the Future of Warfare
In Episode 17 of Panel 54, hosts Waweru Njoroge and Ndu Okoh sit down with Retired KAF Colonel, Seth Shava and former CIA Station Chief, Ralph Goff to unpack how artificial intelligence and drone warfare are reshaping security, sovereignty, and the future of conflict.
The conversation explores the new face of war, where drones, data, and algorithms are as powerful as armies. From the battlefields
Tom Amolo - A Seat at The Table.
In Episode 16 of Panel 54, hosts Waweru Njoroge and Ndu Okoh sit down with veteran Kenyan diplomat, Tom Amolo and former Ambassador to Germany and US, to unpack Africa’s missing seat at the world’s top table.
The conversation explores how diplomacy became one of Africa’s quiet strengths yet lost its strategic edge. From Kenya’s evolving foreign policy to Nigeria’s regional ambitions, from South Af
Stella Agara: Power, Protest & the New Price of Influence in Africa
In Episode 15 of Panel 54, Stella Agara a Governance and Youth Development Specialist joins Waweru Njoroge and Ndu Okoh to unpack a continent at a crossroads, where young Africans are pushing back against corruption, foreign influence, and the quiet capture of democracy.
From Kenya’s Gen Z protests to Malawi’s ballot revolution, from China’s growing economic footprint to the shadow of global inte
Charles Murito - Africa in the Age of AI
Artificial Intelligence is no longer science fiction , it’s already reshaping how we learn, heal, farm, and tell stories. In this episode of Panel 54, Somoina Kimojino, Kenyan media and radio veteran, steps in to host while Waweru Njoroge and Ndu Okoh are on assignment. She sits down with Charles Murito, Google’s Regional Director for Sub-Saharan Africa, Government Affairs & Public Policy, and
Edgar Wamalwa - Africa’s Debt, Dependency, and "Africapitalism"
Africa fuels the world with cobalt, cocoa, oil, and gold , yet still carries over $1.1 trillion in external debt. In this episode of Panel 54, hosts Waweru Njoroge and Ndu Okoh sit with Edgar Wamalwa, a strategic consultant and project finance expert with over three decades in banking and infrastructure, to unpack Africa’s paradox of plenty.
From Kenya’s ballooning public debt to the DRC’s cobalt
Tom Mukhwana & Babior Newton - Telling Africa's Story
In this episode of Panel 54, hosts Waweru Njoroge and Ndu Okoh sit down with journalist Tom Mukhwana and author Babior Newton to tackle one of the biggest questions of our time: who gets to tell Africa’s story?
We dive deep into the media and power dynamics that shape the global narrative, asking the tough questions: Why do conflicts in Sudan and the DRC go largely ignored while Ukraine and Gaza d
Jerotich Seii - China in Africa: Progress or Plunder?
China in Africa: Progress or Plunder?
They call it development. hosts Waweru Njoroge and Ndu Okoh sit down with Jerotich Seii — humanitarian, social justice advocate, and active citizen to rip open the myth of China’s “partnership” with Africa.
From ports in Djibouti to debt-laden railways in Nairobi, Jerotich asks what no leader will: are we selling our sovereignty for shiny infrastructure, le
Cynthia, Musa , Chris Ochieng & Elly - The Beautiful Game!
In this special conversation, Panel 54 brings together sports manager Cynthia Mumbo, sports scientist and broadcaster Musa Abdi, Chris Ochieng (Gor Mahia striker), and Elly Asiete (Mathare FC captain) with hosts Waweru Njoroge and Ndu Okoh to explore football’s grip on Africa, from CHAN pride to Premier League passion.
The discussion moves beyond the game itself into identity, business, and politi
Panel 54 Podcast - Pres. John Kufuor, Pt 2
In Part Two of this conversation with His Excellency John Agyekum Kufuor, former President of Ghana, the discussion moves beyond the early years and into the heart of his presidency, from ushering in Ghana’s golden age of business to striking oil, reforming health and education, and navigating diplomacy across Africa.
He reflects on the challenges of leadership, Africa’s economic future, and the
Panel 54 Podcast - Pres. John Kufuor, Pt 1
In this special two-part, on-location interview, Waweru Njoroge sits down in Accra, Ghana with His Excellency John Agyekum Kufuor, former President of the Republic of Ghana and one of Africa’s most respected statesmen.
Part One traces his journey from Kumasi’s royal roots to Oxford’s law halls, to Ghana’s presidency and beyond. We explore the early life that shaped “The Gentle Giant,” his role in
Peter Kagwanja - Violence in Africa!
In this episode of Panel 54, public intellectual and scholar Prof. Peter Kagwanja joins Waweru and Nduh for an unflinching conversation on the nature and function of violence in Africa. From colonial brutality to the tactics of modern regimes and resistance movements, Kagwanja explores how violence has become a tool — not just for survival or protest, but for control, manipulation, and power.
Is v
Mbugua Ng'anga - Media For Sale
In this episode of Panel 54, investigative journalist and editor Mbugua Ng'anga joins Waweru and Nduh for a revealing conversation about the slow death of media neutrality in Africa. As global powers like China invest heavily in newsrooms and training programs, soft power—not censorship—is reshaping what counts as news.
Sponsored content is no longer the exception; it is becoming the default. The
Winnie Kabintie - Is Pan-Africanism Relevant Now?
In this episode of Panel 54, youth advocate and policy analyst Winnie Kabinti joins Waweru and Ndu for a sharp and unfiltered look at the promise and problems of Pan-Africanism today. From Nkrumah’s original vision to the fragmented realities of modern leadership, they explore whether unity still means something or if it has become just a convenient slogan. As Africa’s under-27 majority grows mor
Dr Willy Mutunga - Death of Liberty
In this episode of Panel 54, former Kenyan Chief Justice Dr. Willy Mutunga joins Waweru and Nduh for a powerful conversation on how civic space is being dismantled across East Africa. From protest bans in Uganda and press crackdowns in Tanzania to Kenya’s quiet rise in surveillance, Dr. Mutunga breaks down how governments are using legal systems and fear—not force—to control citizens.
Together, t
Tom Mukhwana - Gen Z Activism
In this third episode of Panel 54, investigative journalist Tom Mukhwana joins Waweru Njoroge and Ndu Okoh for a sharp, unfiltered conversation on Gen Z activism across Africa. From Nigeria’s #EndSARS to Kenya’s anti-finance bill protests and South Africa’s Fees Must Fall, we explore how a digital first generation is reshaping the idea of youth power.
Are social led movements a genuine political
Col (Rtd) Seth Shava - Security in Africa
In this powerful second episode of Panel 54, former Kenya Air Force Commander and Top Gun graduate Colonel Seth Shava joins hosts Waweru Njoroge and Ndu Okoh to expose the truth behind Africa’s role in global defence. From foreign military bases to joint drills and surveillance ops, Africa is hosting the war but not writing the rules. So we ask: is the continent building real capacity, or just exe
Khainga O’Okwemba - Rise and Fall of African media
Welcome to the debut episode of Panel 54, where real power meets real perspective. Hosts Waweru Njoroge, a seasoned Kenyan journalist media disruptor and strategist, and Ndu Okoh, a fearless cultural critic, media maven and journalist take you beyond the headlines into the heart of Africa’s most urgent conversations.
In this first episode, they unpack the rise and fall of media trust in Africa. Is
