Broadcasting
Desert Warriors Expedition/TV Show Takes Off in January
Dr. Newton Jibunoh Desert Warriors Expedition, a joint venture between Lagos State Government’s Ministry of Environment and FADE Africa is expected to take off January 26, 2010, Nigeria CommunicationsWeek has learnt.
The expedition was earlier scheduled to take off in December this year.
Prior to the expedition, organizers are putting up a preliminary/screening stage, which will take the form of an Endurance Reality Show.
It involves 50 men and women aged between 18 and 40 years of age who will be selected from applicants.
The 50 selected participants are invited to become contestants on The Endurance Reality show in Agadez, Niger.
They will join the Nigerian ambassador to Niger Republic, and will work with officials of the Republic of Niger’s Ministry of Environment on various greening projects, community services and endurance exercises.
While in Agadez, the participants will be put through various endurance exercises, physical fitness challenges, discipline tests, social comportment and driving skills tests.
The challenges will be filmed and later transmitted on LTV, Silverbird TV and TVC in Lagos. The show will also air on various TV stations in Niger to show how the participants are faring.
During the show, viewers will be able to vote via sms on which of the contestants they would like to eliminate or keep. The final decision on whom to be eliminated will be made by a panel of judges.
Eventually, the remaining 15 contestants will become official Desert Warriors and will set off on an Expedition.
During the expedition, the participants will drive from Nigeria to the United Kingdom across the Sahara desert by road.
The Desert Warriors will also receive prizes including a Suzuki jeep as well as monetary awards. All 15 Desert warriors will become Lagos state Environment ambassadors and will be honoured at a ceremony in London.
The expedition was founded by Dr. Newton Jibunoh, a dyed in the wool environmentalist, who made three successful journeys across the Sahara Desert by car.
In recognition of his efforts, Dr. Jibunoh was made the Ambassador for Environment, Lagos State; tasked with furthering the plans to make Lagos a "green society". He is committed to the Lagos State Government’s agenda of creating a mega city with a sustainable managed environment.
Broadcasting
MTN Launches One TV with Free-to-View, Pay-as-You-Go

MTN Group has begun rolling out MTN One TV, a new entertainment proposition designed to make digital video content more accessible, relevant, and flexible for customers across African markets.

Introduced in line with MTN’s Ambition 2030 strategy, MTN One TV brings together local storytelling, live channels, international programming, and market-specific viewing options tailored to how customers across the continent access and pay for digital entertainment.
The proposition is designed to give customers greater choice in how they watch content, with viewing models that may vary by market and can include free-to-view content, advertising-funded experiences, pay-as-you-watch access, and subscription offerings.
Depending on local availability, customers may also be able to pay through airtime, Mobile Money, and other locally supported payment methods, helping to reduce common barriers to streaming access.
Beyond enhancing customer experiences, MTN One TV creates new opportunities for African creators, broadcasters, advertisers, and ecosystem partners by helping connect content to wider audiences through MTN’s scale across connectivity, payments, and digital services.
By bringing together a broad mix of content experiences under a single proposition, MTN aims to support greater content discovery, broader audience reach, and sustainable growth across Africa’s digital entertainment ecosystem.
Anchored in MTN’s strategic platforms of Connectivity, Fintech, and Digital Infrastructure, MTN One TV forms part of the Group’s broader ambition to build digital experiences that create value for customers while enabling participation and growth across Africa’s digital economy.
“Entertainment is increasingly becoming an important gateway to digital participation,” said Selorm Adadevoh, MTN group chief commercial, strategy and transformation officer.
“Through MTN One TV, we are leveraging the scale of our connectivity, fintech, and digital capabilities to make relevant content more accessible while creating new opportunities for Africa’s creative and digital economies. This is aligned with our ambition to deliver digital solutions for Africa’s progress.”
MTN One TV is being introduced progressively across MTN markets through a phased rollout approach that reflects local market needs, existing services, and partnership opportunities.
Over time, MTN will bring together a combination of video capabilities, content partnerships, and customer experiences under the MTN One TV brand to create a more consistent and scalable entertainment proposition across its footprint.
Through MTN One TV, MTN continues to extend its role beyond connectivity by combining entertainment, payments, and digital services to deliver experiences tailored to the needs of African consumers.
The rollout supports MTN’s Ambition 2030 vision of leading digital solutions for Africa’s progress while expanding access to digital entertainment across the continent.
Broadcasting
IATA Drops Bombshell: Nigeria Among World’s Most Expensive Countries to Run an Airline

International Air Transport Association (IATA) has identified Nigeria as one of the most expensive countries in the world for airline operations, citing high taxes, charges and operational costs that continue to weigh heavily on local carriers.

IATA’s Regional Vice President for Africa and the Middle East, Kamil Al-Awadhi, disclosed this during the association’s Annual General Meeting held in Rio de Janeiro.
Al-Awadhi said that although Nigeria’s Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Festus Keyamo, had been pursuing reforms aimed at improving the aviation sector, airlines operating in the country still faced enormous cost pressures.
According to him, the high-cost operating environment has continued to affect the profitability and competitiveness of Nigerian airlines, making it difficult for the industry to realise its full potential.
He noted that excessive taxes, regulatory charges and other operating expenses remained major obstacles to airline growth across the region, with Nigeria ranking among the most challenging markets from a cost perspective.
Al-Awadhi urged member states of the Economic Community of West African States to adopt a proposed 25 per cent reduction in aviation taxes and charges to ease the burden on airlines and passengers.
According to him, lowering taxes and charges would reduce airfares, stimulate passenger traffic and strengthen the competitiveness of carriers operating within West Africa.
He stressed that a more supportive policy environment was critical to unlocking the economic benefits of aviation, including increased trade, tourism and regional integration.
Industry stakeholders have consistently advocated lower taxes and regulatory fees, arguing that the current cost structure makes air travel less affordable and limits the growth of the sector.
IATA’s latest remarks add to calls for governments in West Africa to implement policies that will promote a more sustainable and competitive aviation industry across the region.
Broadcasting
NASENI Trains 50 Women in Kano on Renewable Energy Technologies Under She-Powers Initiative

The National Agency for Science and Engineering Infrastructure (NASENI), under the leadership of its Executive Vice Chairman/CEO, Khalil Suleiman Halilu, has trained 50 women in Kano State on inverter and battery technologies through its She-Powers Energy Initiative.

The three-day programme, held at the Technology Incubation Centre, Farm Centre, Kano which ended yesterday, was designed to equip participants with practical renewable energy skills, promote women-led enterprises, and enhance sustainable livelihoods.
The initiative forms part of NASENI’s broader commitment to empowering women, creating economic opportunities, and expanding participation in Nigeria’s growing clean energy sector. It also aligns with the Renewed Hope Agenda of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu by supporting job creation, entrepreneurship, and inclusive economic development.
Through targeted interventions such as the She-Powers Energy Initiative, NASENI continues to demonstrate its commitment to leveraging technology and innovation to improve lives and drive sustainable development across the country.
Photos: Participants at the She-Powers Energy Initiative training organised by the National Agency for Science and Engineering Infrastructure (NASENI) held at the the Technology Incubation Centre, Farm Centre, Kano yesterday.
E-Financial3 days agoBOI Wins Dual Honours @ EMEA Finance Awards for Sustainability and Social Impact Leadership
E-Financial3 days agoCBN Imposes N100m Penalty on Dealing Bank Inadequate Processing of Forex Documents
Telecom3 days agoPrice of Data in Nigerian Mobile among Top Four Cheapest Globally – MTN CEO
E-Business3 days agoNITDA Okays NiRA’s Annual, Business Report
Telecom3 days agoNAIFF Returns for 2026, Expands Focus on AI-Powered Storytelling in Africa
Telecom2 days agoFCCPC Refutes Airtime Market Takeover Claims
General News2 days agoSSDC Warns Businesses against Cyber, Election-Related Risks
E-Financial2 days agoReps Committee Recovers N521m Unremitted VAT from CBN













