Exposing Nigeria’s cough syrup crisis, for my brother

为了我的兄弟,揭露尼日利亚的止咳糖浆危机

The Outlook Podcast Archive

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2022-02-19

27 分钟
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Nigerian Ruona Meyer was inspired by her famous journalist father - Godwin Agbroko - to become an investigative reporter like him. When he was killed, her grieving brother became addicted to codeine cough syrup. Ruona - clad in bullet proof vest and blue lipstick - risked her life to uncover the black market trade in the medicine that’s become a street drug. Her documentary Sweet, Sweet Codeine has been nominated for an Emmy. Presenter: Jo Fidgen Producer: Constanza Hola Image: Ruona Meyer Credit: BBC Get in touch: outlook@bbc.com
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  • Hello, welcome to Outlook Weekend.

  • I'm Jo Fidgeon.

  • Rhona Meyer wasn't supposed to become a journalist.

  • Her mum and dad tried to talk her out of it.

  • They knew what price she might pay for rocking the boat in Nigeria, but she did it anyway.

  • And in 2018, exposed a scandal.

  • Millions of Nigerians addicted to cough syrup containing codeine, risking both their health and their sanity.

  • It's a prescription drug which is being sold on the black market.

  • And Rhona had a very personal reason, a very painful reason, for wanting to uncover who was responsible, no matter what the scale of the program was exposed in her BBC documentary, Sweet, Sweet Codeine.

  • Soon after it came out, Rhona told me how she came to be so committed to the cause.

  • A story that begins with her father, Godwin Agbrocco, very well known in Nigeria as an investigative journalist and a bit of a hero to Rona.

  • I had a very atypical Nigerian African father.

  • We could talk about anything.

  • So my dad would help me pick out what clothes to wear.

  • Every event that was journalism related, my dad would pick out what I would wear.

  • Okay, because, you know, I couldn't let down the side, him being a journalist, I had to keep up.

  • What kind of clothes would you like you to put on?

  • What did he think was appropriate?

  • My dad really liked clothes that showed spunk.

  • My dad also did not mind if one showed a little bit of flesh, which I say, you know, is very atypical for an African dad.