with winds up to 200km/h. millions of homes and businesses are without power. the hurricane is predicted to create a catastrophic storm surge, which could be up to four metres high in places. the west coast now in the storm's path. bangladesh has described myanmar‘s treatment of its rohingya muslim community as "genocide." nearly 300,000 rohingya refugees have fled into bangladeshi territory. and this story is trending on bbc.com. details of new iphones and other forthcoming apple devices have been revealed via an apparent leak. the code refers to an iphone x, in addition to two new iphone 8 handsets. apple is holding a launch event on tuesday. it could be the biggest leak of its kind to hit the firm. it is 12:30 a.m.. i will be back later, but for now, here is

hardtalk. welcome to hardtalk. i'm stephen sackur. 0ver welcome to hardtalk. i'm stephen sackur. over the next 30 years, africa will experience a transformative population africa will experience a tra nsformative population explosion. will it be for good or ill? that depends on whether africa's nations can deliverjobs, depends on whether africa's nations can deliver jobs, housing depends on whether africa's nations can deliverjobs, housing and infrastructure to enable 2 billion people to thrive. it is in a pre— sedans and leadership challenge. mike yesterday as former nigerian president 0lusegun 0basanjo. —— might guest today. he has just published a blueprint for african prosperity. does governance in his own country inspired confidence or scepticism? —— inspire. form of resident 0lusegun 0basanjo,

welcome to hardtalk. —— former president. stephen, it is a pleasure to be with you here again. well, it is nice to have you again. let me ask you a simple question. is the potentially explosive population growth we are going to see in africa over the next generation or so, is that the continent's biggest challenge today? if you ask me what my greatest worry about africa is, i will say demography. the other problems, leadership, governance, corruption, lack of adequate infrastructure, those problems have either been improved upon or they

area either been improved upon or they are a passing phase. but tomography is eight ticking bomb. —— demography is eight ticking bomb. —— demography isa is eight ticking bomb. —— demography is a ticking bomb. let's talk about it to give the audience a sense of what it means. there are roughly1 billion people in africa today. by 2050 that number will be... over 2 billion. so it will more than double. more than double. and in a country such as yours, nigeria, the most populous in africa, 180 million today... most populous in africa, 180 million today. . . we most populous in africa, 180 million today... we fought for independence in1960, and why today... we fought for independence in 1960, and why the year 2020, we will have a50 million. in 1960, and why the year 2020, we will have 450 million. 450 million, which will make you the third most populous country in the world. yes, and we will have increased by a factor of ten. since independence? since independence. and all african

countries that i have checked on, from about 1960, it is about the same. except for one. except niger, which is going up by a factor of 20. and that is one of the poorest countries on earth, where millions of people are constantly fighting against the real prospect of hunger. that's right. given that is the situation today, is that country, niger, how was it possibly going to be able to feed and how is all of its people by 2050? it doesn't seem conceivable. it is a problem. as you can see, in a traditional african way of life, population used to be

seen way of life, population used to be seen as an way of life, population used to be seen as an asset. but today, a population that is not educated, thatis population that is not educated, that is not provided with skill, that is not provided with skill, thatis that is not provided with skill, that is not provided with skill, that is not provided with skill, that is not provided with empowerment, the resources... well, let's talk about possible strategies, and the most obvious one that comes to my mind is to emulate what the chinese did, in the 1950s and 1960s, when they've felt there was a complete imbalance between the potential for population growth and the ability of the state to feed and support its population, they introduced mandatory limit on family size, one child policy. does africa have to consider similar limits on family size? two things make that almost impossible. there is culture, and there is religion. and i don't

know if any african leader would try that. to me, the most important instrument of population management, population control, is education. particularly girl child education. let me make it as personal as possible, if you don't mind. how many children have you fathered?” have done better than what my children are doing. straight on, how many children have you fathered? well, in my part of the world ‘s... can you give me an answer? in my pa rt can you give me an answer? in my part of the world, normally we don't count children. but i would like you to count for me. if i go by that culture i will say many. let me help you. i think the answer is 20 or more. yes! let me be blunt. you are pa rt more. yes! let me be blunt. you are part of the problem. if you were a young man today, would you accept

that you could not live the life with the tradition and custom that you lived lives in your 20s, 30s and 405? you lived lives in your 20s, 30s and 40s? would you accept that things have to fundamentally change?” 40s? would you accept that things have to fundamentally change? i tell my children, don't go my way. but i will also tell them that maybe i was lucky, because all my children were educated. all of them. well, you are lucky because you're a member of the elite. do you think are selfish? no, no, no. i made a mistake, iadmit that. i tell my children, do not make the mistake that i made. one of the key elements is that so many of africa's people in 2050 will be young, and that will be looking to jobs. tens of millions of people, tens of millions of newjob entrants into the marketplace every year in africa. and thejobs into the marketplace every year in africa. and the jobs simply not there. the jobs are not there. even before you get a job, you have to

educate them. you have to provide care, services for them. you have to provide housing for them. you have to provide skills for them. now all those things you have to do before you even get them to the point that they will have to look for a job. how do you handle all of that? that is the problem. then, of course, the job. to me, it seems that it will put an unbearable strain on governments across the continent. in the book that you have written, cowritten, making africa work, which addresses the democratic problem, you say that unlike other problems in africa which may be connected with tribal or religion, this youth explosion will not be a localised challenge. it will cut across all

religions, tribes, ethnic areas. it will cut across geographical areas. it will be, you say, s. —— a mess. will cut across geographical areas. it will be, you say, s. -- a mess. a mess, a bomb. isay that it will be, you say, s. -- a mess. a mess, a bomb. i say that we are all sitting on a time bomb. what credibility do you have demanding of african governments that they take seriously the need for structural reform and political reform and clea n reform and political reform and clean governance, which is sort of the message you are giving, what credibility do you have when you are a two—time president in nigeria and use signally failed —— singularly failed on all of those tests? no, i didn't. if anything, failed on all of those tests? no, i didn't. ifanything, i failed on all of those tests? no, i didn't. if anything, i passed all those tests. listen to me, education. world pot late. education. when i came in as military head of state, i started upe, six years of primary education. and when i left, it was abandoned.

when i came back as an elected president, i did even better. i started ube, universal basic education. that was nine years of education. that was nine years of education. six years in primary, and three years in what we calljunior secondary. now, some states went to the supreme court, and the supreme court said the federal government has no defence in primary education. i had to obey that. if i may say, you may choose your arenas to discuss your record very carefully, but i am looking at something you said in may 2005, after you had been in power six years. you said, this government is going to diversify the productive base of our economy away from oil. we are going to foster a market—oriented private sector. we are going to drive an economy with high levels of participation. the

truth is that none happen. when you left office, nigeria was just as reliant on oil is before you started. now, stephen, what you have read is correct. but what has been the result, you have not read. what was the result? when we came in and we gave you a few examples, oil production in nigeria is 150,000 metric tons. by the time i left it was 400,000 metricon is. you know what, you can quibble about the figures, but basically, 90% of nigeria's foreign revenues, and two thirds of its entire national revenues, came from the oil industry, after you left office, just as they did pretty much before you came to office. structural reform is difficult in africa and you didn't achieve it in nigeria. look at your record on energy

production. look at your record on infrastructure, roads built on ra i lwa ys infrastructure, roads built on railways delivered. you did not do what you are now insisting africa's many nationstates have to. stephen, have you finished? let me now tell you that you are wrong. i started a programme. i you that you are wrong. i started a programme. i even you that you are wrong. i started a programme. i even started you'll been —— started building, those who took over from been —— started building, those who took overfrom me, a 25 been —— started building, those who took over from me, a 25 year railway programme to connect nigeria. and that plan is what we are working on today. but those who took over from me decided that they would not go on with it. and you see, if you build the bridge, and somebody comes in and removes the bridge, it is not that you haven't built a bridge. it is that somebody else came and removed the bridge. you talk about power. when i came into government, in1999, power. when i came into government, in 1999, the price of oil hovered

around $8 or $9 a barrel. by the time it got to $22 a barrel we started going into power production, we started seven... you have a great capacity for putting a very rosy tint on your record, but it is not me accusing you, if i may, mr president, it is not me accusing you of failing president, it is not me accusing you offailing in president, it is not me accusing you of failing in your tenure. i am only judging you in this way because you make so many claims to be a crusader for it governance, clean governance. . . for it governance, clean governance... yes, because i did it. and you are not, you are not dealing with what was done. you are dealing with what was done. you are dealing with what was done. you are dealing with what came after.” with what was done. you are dealing with what came after. i am dealing with what came after. i am dealing with the way nigeria perceives you today. hang on. when you say it is necessary for africa's governments to clean up their acts today, it is

corruption is corrosive at a time when population is rising so fast, be mindful of what the national assembly said in november of last year. what did they say? when you lectured them about corruption. what did they say? would you like me to read it? lest we forget, the person who introduced corruption to this national assembly is chief 0lusegun 0basanjo. he entered the fourth national assembly would corrupt practices from day one of his administration. stephen, they are talking rubbish. listen to me. when i took over, the first thing that the national assembly sent to me, and they sent who was my national security adviser, is that am sending a bill to them, i shall send security adviser, is that am sending a bill to them, ishall send it security adviser, is that am sending a bill to them, i shall send it with money, and i said, no. if! a bill to them, i shall send it with money, and i said, no. if i send a bill to them and they do not pass it, i will still... the national

assembly says, have you forgotten the sacks of money that were displayed on the floor of the house of representatives? where did this come from? being used for bribes. where did it come from? you tell me, you were in charge. who put it on the table? he says you did, i am quoting him directly, the grandfather of corruption in nigeria. i never gave anybody a dime. never. why do so many nigerians not believe you? i wrote the national, the efcc, the anti—corru ption watchdog investigated me and completely absolved me of corruption. the grandfather of corruption. the national assembly. do you know why? they are fed up with you lecturing

them. i will continue to do so, including you. you don't know what the result is. now i told you. it said that the report was submitted to my successor. he then sent it to me. we will not just stay to my successor. he then sent it to me. we will notjust stay on the personal. you will defend your record. i am telling you many nigerians don't like your record. you don't like what is positive, what is positive. i am just quoting the words of influential nigerians. let us not get hung up on... we are not hung up on... i am getting it

right. so you say. so you say. if you agree we are not getting it right, let's get it right.” you agree we are not getting it right, let's get it right. i will ask you another question. ok... hang on, usea ask you another question. ok... hang on, use a meeting this challenge of the demographic time bomb can only happen if governance is improved. —— you say. now, do you believe democracy, genuine democracy, is the way forward? what is genuine democracy? stephen, what is genuine democracy? stephen, what is genuine democracy? for example, you personally, although this book says democracy, accountability, transparency, are vitally important, you personally have raised many times the president of rwanda and ethiopian as well. you say they are shining examples of how africa can meet the future challenges. neither

of them, it is fair to say, are seen as running genuine democracies. what isa as running genuine democracies. what is a genuine democracy? is rural and a genuine democracy in your view? —— rwanda. it is not undemocratic in my view. you think they have the full freedom of expression and a free press ? freedom of expression and a free press? i don't know what decision is given or not given. but to my own mind, rwanda is democratic, and neither is ethiopia. zimbabwe? you went there and monitored their election and said there is no problem. i did not say there was no problem. i did not say there was no problem. 2017 are you said... i said the results reflected the will, the desire, and the feeling of the

majority of the people of zimbabwe. robert mugabe is in his 90s. the menu supported, mr buhari, is in his 70s. —— man you. he had to be in london in hospital at one point. look at equatorial guinea. the longest serving leader in africa, over 37 years. africa need to match this population growth with a new generation of younger leaders. they are coming up. you have one in gabon. you have a younger leader in, umm... tanzania. you have one in zambia. they are coming. they are

not going to come overnight. they are coming. you have a younger leader in burkina faso. they are coming. you have a younger leader in tunisia. they are coming. throughout this interview you have tried to be extraordinarily positive despite opening up with the statement about the ticking bomb of population growth. i am an optimist by nature. let me quote to you your own book. quote, those who depend on the old order, and we havejust talked

quote, those who depend on the old order, and we have just talked about the old crony elites, those who depend on the old order can immediately see the writing is now on the wall. and vague, the old order, will fight viciously to defend the status quo. —— and they. that is a quote from the book and does not sound optimistic. that is optimistic. a vicious fight to maintain the status quo. the old order is disappearing. 0nly recently. they have decided to bow out. what an am saying is those who are older who have decided to stay will be left behind. —— what i am. if you do not leave power, power will leave you. that is what i am saying. if anyone has decided to die in office, believe me, he will die, and won't carry the office away. but as this unfolds, many african people

are living in poverty. many have a dream to get out of their nation, even their continents, and make a better life in europe. surely the only conclusion we can get from your research is that that effort to move, to my great out of africa and to reach richer shores, primarily in europe, the numbers will increase exponentially. if we do not do anything right and continue like this. what i am saying in that book is it cannot be business as usual. it must not be business as usual. we must think outside of the box. and we must act out of the box. so isn't it time for you to and, for example, your support of president buhari in nigeria, if you look at employment figures, the failure to deliver rapporteur man in the power sector, the failure to deliver new road and

rail projects, it is not working. —— deliver successes indeed.” rail projects, it is not working. —— deliver successes indeed. i don't know what you mean by the status quo. buhari has not changed. he is not strong on the economy, that has not strong on the economy, that has not changed. i said he is not strong on fighting corruption, at least give him that credit, because he did. he has tried to fight the insurgency. please give him that credit. now, if you see only pessimism, then i do not see only

pessimism. you said africa faces a ticking bomb. they tend to explode. africa faces a ticking bomb is africa faces a ticking bomb is africa does not change the way of doing things. so, what this book is about... we are nearly out of time. tell me in brief kahlon has africa got? how long does a nation like nigeria have two reform and restructure and deliver better governance before it is too late? we have to start and we have started. we have to start, and we have started. when i came in, there was no efcc to fight corruption, no icpc

to fight corruption. those are what africa is using to fight corruption. you can see that we have started to reform. we have to end it there, but 0lusegun 0basanjo, thank you for being on hardtalk. stephen, it was a pleasure to be here with you. hello. as irma continues north across the state of florida, we here in the british isles have experienced quite an unsettled weekend. and that theme continues on into the forthcoming week. for a time, we will see cool and windy weather. heavy downpours to boot. the concern starts as early as monday morning, especially so across wales and the south—west, where some of the wind could easily get to around 50, if not,

60 miles per hour. at the same time, those conditions could be exacerbated by some squally showers indeed. the british isles, the start of the new week. the wind is not a concern as in wales and the south—west. but the wind will be ever present for western scotland and northern ireland and a good part of england and wales. and there will be plenty of showers to go around as well. at times, some of those shower will merge to give the odd spell of rain. nowhere more so than this north—eastern corner of scotland. quite close to low pressure there. showers, they will have hail and thunder. if you see too many, you are not going to be in the mid to upper teens, closer to 10—11. on to monday and tuesday, high pressure working across the british isles, tending to settle things down.

this is a quiet day of the week, at least to start with. it will feel pleasant with less wind. 16-19. something like that. later in the day and overnight into wednesday, we could see the emergence from the atlantic of a very vigorous area of low pressure gradually churning its way right across the heart of the british isles. there are already warnings from the met office about the intensity of that rain for the north of england and wales and the strength of the wind. the system has the good grace to move on into the north sea, leaving behind, for the bulk of us, wednesday as another really showery day. and do you know what, we continue that theme into wednesday. the wind from the north—west still quite a noticeable feature of the day. not much done for the temperature 12—13 in the north. around 17—18 in the south. thursday and friday, a tantalising teasing prospect

of some high pressurejust beginning to work and to the west. but it will probably keep those fronts at bay for the northern parts of britain. i'm sharanjit leyl in singapore. the headlines: hurricane irma hits mainland florida. strong winds and storm surges leave at least three people dead and millions of homes without power. there is barely a soul on the streets anywhere in southern florida, and that is because of the risk of flying debris. irma has caused catastrophic damage across the caribbean. a massive aid operation is under way to help thousands who have lost their homes. i'm babita sharma in london. also in the programme: bangladesh accuses its neighbour myanmar of genocide, as more and more

rohingya refugees flee across the border. and smashing boundaries. we meet the girls changing the face of indian cricket.