LONDON — CNN International has hired British-Nigerian journalist Adefemi Akinsanya to host a new multiplatform series, Africa Inc., which will spotlight African companies expanding their businesses and competing on the global stage.
The series will explore the continent’s growing business and creative economy, with coverage spanning technology, hospitality, manufacturing and entertainment.
Akinsanya joins the project with extensive international reporting experience. She has worked with major international media organisations including Al Jazeera English, Reuters, Sky News and TRT World, and has served as an international correspondent and anchor at Arise News in Lagos.
Her reporting has covered business and economic development, health, conflict, migration and social issues. She has also reported from major international events, including the World Economic Forum in Davos, the IMF and World Bank meetings in Washington and the G7 Forum.
Africa Inc. comes as CNN continues to expand its coverage of African entrepreneurship, innovation and business.
CNN’s Africa-focused programming has previously included Connecting Africa, which profiles companies, projects and people driving business and economic transformation across the continent. The series, hosted by CNN anchor and correspondent Eleni Giokos and correspondent Victoria Rubadiri, has been available across television, digital and social platforms.
CNN has also used Inside Africa to highlight entrepreneurs, innovators and creative figures shaping the continent’s future. The long-running series marked its 25th anniversary in 2025 and continues to distribute its content across television, digital and social media.
The network’s business-focused African programming has increasingly sought to present the continent through the lens of innovation, entrepreneurship and global competitiveness.
In 2015, CNN International described Marketplace Africa as a programme examining Africa’s position within global markets and the industries and business leaders shaping the continent’s economic future.
The launch of Africa Inc. extends that editorial focus, putting African companies at the centre of stories about growth, innovation and international expansion.
For Akinsanya, the new role adds another chapter to a career that has taken her across international newsrooms and major global events. She was also a 2023 Nieman Fellow at Harvard University and holds a bachelor’s degree in International Politics from King’s College London.
The series is expected to provide a global platform for African businesses seeking to demonstrate that companies built on the continent can compete beyond their domestic and regional markets.