BBC Africa Eye celebrates 1 year of award-winning investigations

By BBC World Service Group Communications

BBC Africa Eye documentaries have made a huge impact across the continent since the launch of the series in 2018:Winner of 4 international awards, including a Webby and a Peabody (and 7 nominations for further awards)BBC Africa Eye has had over 19 million views on Facebook and 109 million minutes of BBC Africa Eye documentaries have been watched on YouTube. On Twitter the @BBCAfrica thread covering the Cameroon: Anatomy of a Killing doc has had over 16 million impressions.Following the release of the investigation “ Sweet Sweet Codeine ” – there has been a ban on the production and importation of codeine in Nigeria and Ghana and legislation has been tightened across the continent. This led to thousands of codeine related arrests and seizures.“ Anatomy of a Killing ” exposing human rights violations in Cameroon made global news headlines and had a huge social media response. The investigation contributed to U.S Department of Defence Sanctions and EU Parliament Resolutions against the country. “Rehab Nightmare” revealed serious abuse inside Islamic drug ‘treatment’ centres. Following broadcast, all the centres featured in the documentary were shut-down and other similar potentially abusive establishments were investigated.Following the transmission of “ Betraying the Game ” – a look at the work of well-known Ghanaian journalist Anas Anas, all football was suspended in Ghana, more than fifty referees were suspended and one of the most powerful men in African football was arrested.Launched in April 2018, BBC Africa Eye is the first of its kind from the BBC. A bi-weekly TV and online investigations series broadcast in English, Hausa, Swahili and French. Using pioneering techniques and a large network of on-the-ground reporters, BBC Africa Eye has uncovered hidden local stories across Africa and held power to account. The unique investigations tackle topics that are of interest and concern to young and underserved audience and aim to strengthen and encourage investigative journalism across the region.As part of the 1st birthday celebrations, audiences will have the chance to catch up on four of the most ground-breaking Africa Eye investigations to find out What happened Next?– find them on BBC.com/AfricaEye . These will be released weekly on the site.BBC Africa Eye was launched as part of BBC World Service’s commitment to invest in original content for Africa and as part of the expansion of the BBC World Service (the largest since the 1940s). BBC Africa Eye is creating a network of trained investigative journalists across the continent – within BBC Africa, among the BBC’s partner organisations on the continent. They also work with local independent journalists.