General News
AFEX Marks World Hunger Day by Committing to Feeding an Additional 1M Households
AFEX, Nigeria’s leading commodities exchange, marked World Hunger Day by committing to feeding an additional one million households over the next 12 months.
To date, AFEX has helped smallholder farmers grow their income by 400%, within 2-3 years of joining its platform. It has worked with over 350,000 farmers and traded 600,000MT worth of commodities, which in turn has resulted in the company feeding over 4 million households.The company is focused on helping the additional one million households avoid hunger in the coming year.
World Hunger Day is an internationally recognised day of awareness focused on tackling the global hunger crisis. Although world economies produce enough food to adequately meet humanity’s nutritional needs, the UN estimated that in 2021 alone up to 811 million people experienced hunger, with the numbers suffering hunger and malnutrition increasing following the Covid-19 pandemic and recent shocks to world supply chains from the war in Ukraine.
Africa is acutely affected by food insecurity, with 70 percent of populations in West Africa running out of food in 2020.
AFEX is committed to helping the continent feed itself by levelling-up Africa’s agro-tech sector and by boosting and making food production more efficient. The company works closely with farmers and uses its unique tech solutions to increase yields and productivity.
With more efficient pricing mechanisms and transparent, fair distribution fees, agricultural producers working with AFEX benefit from significant – and often life-changing – savings on taxes, charges, and transportation costs.
Ayodeji Balogun, CEO at AFEX said, “AFEX is committed to reducing food insecurity and smallholder farmers in the ecosystem play a very important role in this effort. At the core of what we do is to ensure that those furthest behind are reached, especially with the aggravated global food crisis we’re currently facing.
“Our food producers do an amazing job to ensure Africa is fed and our mission is to ensure that an additional 1 million households over the course of the next year don’t go hungry.”
“Through a more equitable and fair distribution of income for the smallholder farmer, the lifeblood of our food supply chain, we are laser focused on continued employment generation, social integration and remaining one step closer to eradicating hunger for those at most risk.”
According to AFEX’s 2021 Crop Production Survey report, a lack of access to inputs – such as seedlings, pesticides, and fertilizers – is a major factor in underproduction. AFEX’s distribution networks give smallholder farmers access to these inputs, while its extension services provide advice on their most optimal use.
Nigeria’s storage capacities currently stand at less than 5%, resulting in excessive post-harvest losses, all of which impact food security. To solve the problem, AFEX operates a nationwide network of warehouses that are in close proximity to farmers. The company is targeting empowering more farmers to generate employment and help boost food production across the country.
Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) has unveiled a forward-looking strategy that places satellite-enabled mobile connectivity at the heart of the country’s drive to bridge its long-standing coverage gaps.
The draft Spectrum Roadmap for the Communications Sector for 2025 to 2030 lays out how satellite technologies could help deliver reliable voice and data services to millions of Nigerians who live beyond the reach of conventional mobile networks.
The direction is outlined in the Commission’s draft Spectrum Roadmap for the Communications Sector covering the period.
The proposed approach highlights non-terrestrial networks as a complement to existing mobile infrastructure, especially in areas where terrain, insecurity, or high costs limit the deployment of base stations.
The NCC said D2D satellite technology, which allows standard mobile phones to connect directly to satellites, is gaining traction globally as a means of delivering voice and data services without reliance on ground towers.
According to the regulator, the technology could help close persistent coverage gaps in rural, riverine, and border communities that remain outside the reach of conventional networks.
It also noted that satellite-backed connectivity could improve network reliability by providing alternative links during fibre cuts, power failures, or other disruptions affecting terrestrial systems.
The Commission added that wider adoption of D2D services could support emergency communications, public safety operations, Internet of Things applications, and services such as smart agriculture in underserved regions.
It also pointed to potential investment opportunities through partnerships between mobile network operators and satellite companies, including more efficient use of shared spectrum resources.
Beyond D2D services, the roadmap places emphasis on Low-Earth Orbit satellites to expand broadband access to remote parts of the country.
It also proposes better utilisation of Geostationary Orbit satellites and the exploration of high-altitude platforms, such as stratospheric balloons, to support mobile backhaul and rural connectivity.
The policy signals come shortly after Airtel Africa announced an agreement with SpaceX to introduce Starlink-powered direct-to-cell services in Nigeria.
The NCC’s roadmap is expected to shape future spectrum allocation, licensing decisions, and technology adoption across the telecommunications sector.
General News
House of Reps Releases Certified Copies of Tax Reform Acts amid Gazette Discrepancy Claims
House of Representatives has released certified true copies of the four tax reform Acts signed into law by President Bola Tinubu, addressing public concerns over alleged discrepancies between legislative versions and circulated gazetted documents.
Tax Reform Acts
House spokesperson, Akin Rotimi, disclosed this in a statement, noting that Speaker Tajudeen Abbas directed the immediate publication of the Acts—including endorsement and presidential assent pages—for public verification, in collaboration with Senate President Godswill Akpabio.
The move followed allegations raised by Rep. Abdulsamad Dasuki on the House floor, highlighting inconsistencies between Bills passed by the National Assembly and executive gazetted versions, which he warned could erode legislative integrity and public trust.
Abbas constituted a seven-member ad hoc committee chaired by Rep. Aliyu Betara, with members including Idris Wase, Sada Soli, Adedeji Faleke, Igariwey Iduma, Fred Agbedi and Babajimi Benson, to investigate the alleged alterations, unauthorised circulation and preventive measures.
The committee’s mandate includes probing circumstances around the discrepancies, while Abbas ordered internal verification and public release of certified copies to dispel doubts and safeguard legislative records. Legal experts, tax professionals and civil society had demanded clarification and implementation suspension amid heated debates triggered by Dasuki’s intervention.
The released laws comprise the Nigeria Tax Act, 2025; Nigeria Tax Administration Act, 2025; National Revenue Service Establishment Act, 2025; and Joint Revenue Board Establishment Act, 2025, described as foundational to modernising Nigeria’s tax system.
These reforms aim to enhance compliance, curb inefficiencies, eliminate overlaps and bolster fiscal coordination across federal, state and local tiers, following extensive stakeholder consultations, committee reviews and plenary debates under Abbas’s leadership.
Rotimi reassured Nigerians: “The National Assembly is an institution built on records, procedure, and institutional memory. Every Bill, every amendment, and every Act follows a traceable constitutional and parliamentary pathway.”
He emphasised that only National Assembly-certified versions hold authority, urging the public, institutions and stakeholders to disregard all other circulating documents as unofficial.
MultiChoice, a CANAL+ company, has retained the distribution rights to 12 Warner Bros. Discovery thematic channels following the signing of a new multi-year, multi-territory agreement between CANAL+ Group and Warner Bros. Discovery, marking a significant expansion of their long-standing partnership.
MultiChoice
The new deal, which spans several regions across Africa and Europe, covers the distribution of HBO Max as well as the renewal of selected Warner Bros. Discovery thematic channels. It represents a major milestone in the companies’ international collaboration and strengthens content offerings across MultiChoice Group territories.
MultiChoice disclosed that this agreement builds on earlier partnerships concluded in Europe. “It builds on the landmark agreements concluded in France in 2024,including the renewal of the exclusive pay-TV window for Warner Bros. Pictures films just six months after their theatrical release in France and the integration of HBO Max within select CANAL+ group offers – as well as in Poland in 2025, with the renewal of the distribution agreement for 22 thematic channels (including TVN 24 and Eurosport) and 4 free-to-air channels (including TVN).”
Under the renewed arrangement, MultiChoice Group will continue to distribute 12 Warner Bros. Discovery thematic channels across its territories, with some channels offered on an exclusive basis. CNN International and Cartoon Network will remain exclusive to South Africa while being distributed non-exclusively in other markets. Cartoon Network Porto will be exclusive in Angola and Mozambique and non-exclusive elsewhere. Other channels such as Discovery Channel, TLC, HGTV, Food Network, TNT Africa, Travel, ID and Cartoonito will be offered on a non-exclusive basis.
According to the partners, the deal reinforces CANAL+ Group’s channel portfolio on the continent. “This agreement enables CANAL+ Group to strengthen its entertainment, kids, news, and documentary channel offerings in African markets.”
The agreement is also expected to improve access for CANAL+ Group subscribers to Warner Bros. Discovery’s premium content through HBO Max and selected channels, including globally recognised series and films, further extending the studio’s international reach while consolidating MultiChoice’s content offering in key markets.
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