Kidnapping is endemic in nearly all parts of Nigeria, as shown by the recent high profile mass abduction and release of nearly 300 schoolchildren.

And for young Nigerians who are taking part in the national youth service programme - NYSC - they are particularly vulnerable as they travel to their postings along the country's long rural roads.

Service is mandatory if you want to use your degree - but are the risks just too great now?

And what impact does it have on young people’s futures?

Produced and presented by Frey Lindsay

(Image: National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) members in Ogun State, in 2019. Credit: Getty Images)

Smell is a powerful sense that can evoke memories and spark emotional connections. And it's increasingly big business.

In this programme, we lift the lid on the multi-billion dollar fragrance industry; finding out how scent can influence customer behaviour, build teams, and even help to sell houses.

We hear from a perfume-maker who crowdsources some of the world's most expensive fragrance ingredients, and visit a 15 million dollar house on the market in London, to find out how the right aroma in a property can entice a potential buyer.

And we hear why a major drinks brand has created a fragrance for its company headquarters.

(Picture: A woman smelling perfume. Credit: Getty Images)

Presented and produced by Elizabeth Hotson

We're in Iceland, where, in attempt to fight climate change, huge machines are being used to pull carbon dioxide out of the atmosphere.

And then locking it away deep underground, turning it into stone.

The business behind the technology believes this is a crucial step in reducing the amount of CO2 in the air.

But how economical, and impactful, is this carbon capture?

Presented and produced by Adrienne Murray

(Image: A carbon injection site run by Carbfix in Hellisheidi, Iceland. Credit: Getty Images)

We explore the fashion trend that involves minimal labels and logos.

Loved by celebrities and social media influencers, what is it about the quiet luxury trend that is so appealing – particularly in countries like China?

And can you follow the 'stealth wealth' trend on a low budget?

(Picture: Woman standing in luxury hotel suite looking at view with curtains blowing in wind. Credit: Getty Images)

Presented and produced by Gabriele Shaw

Founded in 1901, the International Labour Organisation works with governments of over 180 countries, to help promote internationally recognised labour rights. In all of its 105 year-history, Gilbert F. Houngbo is the first African to be in charge of the UN agency.

In this programme, the ILO leader talks to Rahul Tandon about what he's doing to try to tackle some of the biggest global challenges the world currently faces - from unemployment, to migration, to artificial intelligence.

And we hear about Mr Houngbo's own journey; from a rural upbringing, to studying in Canada, and how he felt when he was asked to serve as Prime Minister of Togo.

(Picture: Gilbert F. Houngbo. Credit: Violaine Martin/ILO)

Presenter: Rahul Tandon Producer: Amber Mehmood and Olie D'Albertanson

The Pentland Firth is the strait that lies between the far north of mainland Scotland and the Orkney Islands.

It's a wild area with some of the fastest tides in the world, where the power of the sea is being harnessed by tidal turbines sitting on the sea bed.

But this type of green energy is still very expensive to generate - so what is the future of tidal and wave power?

We explore some of the ground breaking projects being developed in the region and speak to companies who are trying to reduce costs to make the energy more viable.

Produced and presented by Theo Leggett

(Image: A MeyGen turbine being installed on the sea bed. Credit: MeyGen)

Padel is a fast-growing sport, attracting investment from celebrities and major brands. What is it about the game that makes it so attractive?

We hear from professional players of the sport, and head to Sweden, where the Padel boom, and subsequent bust, might hold some lessons for other countries.

(Image: Portuguese football player Cristiano Ronaldo plays Padel during an event in Singapore, 2023. Credit: Getty Images)

Presented and produced by Daniel Rosney

Up to 40% of food in Africa and India is wasted because of a lack of what's called "the cold chain" - the infrastructure keeping food chilled and fresh, from farm to fork.

Many small-scale farmers have no access to any kind of refrigeration, meaning they're losing income and wasting food that could otherwise be sold.

Devina Gupta meets the entrepreneur who is building pay-as-you-go solar powered cold rooms in India, and hears from farmers, traders and experts on how we can keep food cold as the population grows and the planet warms up.

(Picture: A farmer carries a crate of mangoes from an orchard on the outskirts of Bangalore. Credit: Getty Images)

Presenter: Devina Gupta Producer: Lexy O'Connor

The past few years have been marked by two economic trends that have affected pretty much everyone on the planet.

The first is the cost of living crisis that followed the Covid pandemic and was made worse by Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. That saw prices in the shops soar - in many countries they rose by their fastest pace for four decades.

The attempt to stamp out this inflation is the second of those big economic trends, as central banks aggressively increased the cost of borrowing. Millions of households and businesses saw the cost of home and company loans shoot up.

But the action taken by central banks does seem to have worked in curbing inflation, and now financial markets predict that interest rates in the United States and Europe will be cut this year. But will they reduce them soon?

(Picture: Federal Reserve Building in Washington, DC, United States. Credit: Getty Images)

Presented and produced by Rob Young

Lawyer Leigh Steinberg had no big dream to become a sports agent. He was a huge sports fan, but the job was not something he was aspiring to – more something that he stumbled across.

Today, he's built up a career representing more than 300 professional athletes across a range of disciplines: from big money-making sports like football and basketball, to Olympic gymnastics; building sporting careers worth billions of dollars.

His influence in sport is so influential that he's often credited as the real-life inspiration for the sports agent in the film Jerry Maguire, starring Tom Cruise.

We speak to Leigh Steinberg about how he started his career as an agent, how he builds a brand around a sports star, and how he's succeeded in such a competitive environment - overcoming some personal struggles along the way. And - how he responds when members of the public approach him with the famous phrase, "Show me the money".

(Picture: Leigh Steinberg. Credit: Getty Images)

Presenter: Roger Hearing Producers: Matt Lines and Hannah Mullane

An alcohol shop for diplomats has opened in Saudi Arabia. It’s a significant move in a country that has banned alcohol for over 70 years.

Some believe in order to transform the tourism economy it is a sign of things to come. In the meantime, Riyadh has become known for making some of the best non-alcohol cocktails in the world.

Is this a small policy change, or does it signal a wider relaxation of the rules? We hear from young Saudis about the generational divide in a country trying to change its image.

(Picture: A bartender prepares a non-alcoholic cocktail in a bar in Riyadh. Credit: Getty Images)

Presented and produced by Rick Kelsey

The Chinese-owned online store has exploded in popularity in the past year, shipping to customers in 49 countries around the world. And its advertising has taken centre stage at one of the world’s most watched events: the Super Bowl.

So why is Temu so cheap? And how can it afford to spend hundreds of millions of dollars on advertising to take on its rivals?

We hear from experts, politicians and shoppers in China, the US, and the UK about how the company operates, as it seeks to out-pace the competition.

(Picture: The Temu logo displayed on the screen of a mobile device. Credit: Getty Images)

Presented and produced by Sam Gruet