Broadcasting
Thanks to Digital Marketing, Every Entrepreneur can go Global
The dream of every entrepreneur is to have a global customer base. After all, nothing shows you’ve made it like people all around the world buying your products or digital services. Until recently, getting to that point was reserved for a select few who manage to expand outward after saturating their home markets.
Today, thanks to ecommerce and digital marketing in particular, even entrepreneurs in niche fields can build a global customer base. Whether they’re building an online fashion empire or selling handcrafted designer decor, an entrepreneur in Accra or Lagos can compete on a global scale with their counterparts in Paris or New York.
To ensure that they have the best chance of doing so, however, it’s critical that they market themselves on the most relevant online platforms with the highest reach of potential consumers.
The growth potential of emerging markets
This growth opportunity is especially true for entrepreneurs targeting emerging markets with rapidly growing online populations. Nigeria, for example, is set to add 35 million new internet users by 2026, according to Statista. In Ghana, meanwhile, World Bank figures indicate that 58% of the population is online, with the number of internet users having grown more than six percent between 2020 and 2021.
Not only does this opportunity for growth exist from industry momentum, it also exists from demographic dynamics. Both of these markets have incredibly young populations. In Ghana, the median age is 21 and in Nigeria, it’s a shade over 18. As populations in the rest of the world age out, it’s to these often underserved markets that businesses around the world will look to for growth.
This young population is increasingly becoming tech-savvy and connected. They want and expect the same kinds of consumer experiences they see their counterparts in other parts of the globe having. This means that with the right messages on the right platforms, businesses can reach these consumers and make sales, no matter where they might be based.
But these young people are also looking to develop their digital skills so they can seek careers in the high-growth industries that promise economic advancement. In Nigeria, for example, the Digital Development Program Trust Fund estimates that 35% to 45% of jobs will require some level of digital skill.
These same young people are also entrepreneurial and have a growing pool of successful entrepreneurs from across the region and continents to draw inspiration from. Outside of the tech unicorns like Flutterwave, Jumia, and Wave there are local entrepreneurs in fields as diverse as fashion, healthcare, and decor who have proven that with more equal access to the digital marketing ecosystem, it’s possible to expand regionally and internationally, ultimately building businesses that thrive at a bigger scale and enrich the rest of the world through their products and services.
Building the right skills through access to digital media education
In order for that to happen at scale, they also need the requisite skills to market themselves online in whatever markets they want to reach. At the very least, those entrepreneurs should have easy access to people with those skills.
It’s important to note here, that these aren’t just fundamental digital marketing skills, but ones that relate to the specifics of marketing on the world’s leading digital advertising platforms such as Twitter, Snapchat, and Spotify where people across the globe spend most of their time online. With the right types of messages, these platforms are the most effective places to reach new customers across a broad range of markets.
This is something that we’re passionate about at Aleph Group and is the reason we launched our Digital Ad Expert programme, which aims to educate, certify and connect thousands of Africans with the digital skills needed to succeed in a rapidly digitising economy. While it’s entirely possible that someone with the right degree of determination and curiosity could develop those skills on their own, it’s critical that more and more resources are accessible to build them up at scale.
This is crucial to ensuring that markets such as Ghana and Nigeria aren’t just growth targets for international companies, but incubators for a new generation of entrepreneurs capable of competing on a global level themselves.
Turning small businesses into international players
Fortunately, there is a strong base of small businesses across the region with untapped potential. With the requisite skills, those businesses will be ready to take the next step and globalise their customer base.
In Nigeria, for example, SMEs contribute 48% of national GDP, account for 96% of businesses and 84% of employment. And in Ghana, it’s estimated that more than 90% of the country’s businesses are SMEs, employing 60% of the labour force and accounting for 70% of the country’s GDP. If even just a small fraction of those SMEs are able to build international customer bases they’ll unlock and drive economic growth in these growing countries, bringing momentum for the next wave of entrepreneurs.
Thanks to currently available digital marketing tools and increasing access to digital marketing skills, that’s entirely achievable too.
Drone
The US Department of Homeland Security (DHS) will invest $115 million in counter-drone technology to safeguard the 2026 FIFA World Cup and events marking America’s 250th independence anniversary, creating a dedicated office for rapid drone system deployment.
Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem described drones as “the new frontier of American air superiority,” stressing the need to counter threats from drug cartels using unmanned aircraft for smuggling and surveillance, alongside incidents like a 2025 NFL stadium drone flight and 2024 New Jersey sightings.
The funding supports 11 World Cup host cities expecting over one million visitors, building on FEMA’s $250 million grants to those states and addressing risks heightened by cartels’ advancing tech, including a reported FBI tracking plot in Mexico.
DHS has conducted over 1,500 counter-drone missions since 2018, with the new Program Executive Office accelerating acquisitions amid President Trump’s border security push.
Broadcasting
Youth Talent Takes Center Stage as T2 Ignites High-Octane Rap Battles @ Carnival Calabar
The energy at the Carnival Calabar Music Concert reached a new high as T2 introduced a first-ever rap battle platform, giving young Nigerians an electrifying stage to showcase their talent, creativity, and self-expression while competing for exciting prizes.
Held at the U.J. Esuene Stadium, the activation blended pulsating music, vibrant culture, and youthful energy into a dynamic celebration that kept thousands of carnival-goers fully engaged from start to finish.
Eight fearless contestants stepped into the spotlight, going bar for bar in an intense lyrical showdown. Rappers fused local languages, pidgin, and sharp punchlines, creatively weaving the T2 brand into their verses.
Anchored by the energetic hosting duo MC Double I and MC Princess, the rap battles thrilled over 16,000 attendees, including the Governor of Cross River State, Senator Bassey Otu, delivering an unforgettable showcase of youth talent and cultural expression.
With prizes including fridges, gas cookers, sound systems, and airtime top-ups, the competition remained fierce throughout the night. After two high-energy rounds narrowed the field to a five-man final duel, Emmanuel Eye emerged as the overall winner, taking home the grand prize — a fridge.
“I never expected this at all,” Emmanuel said. “I came to the concert like anyone else, and hearing about the T2 rap battle was a surprise. When I got the chance to perform, I just went for it. Being named the overall winner is amazing, and I’m grateful to T2 for creating this platform to showcase our talent.”
Beyond the stage performances, T2’s presence added a digital layer to the carnival experience. As part of its role as Digital Technology Partner of Carnival Calabar, the brand introduced the MyT2 App as a lifestyle companion, while also enabling line reactivations, airtime top-ups, and instant rewards for hundreds of attendees, blending technology seamlessly into the live celebration.
Commenting on the activation, Chinelo Manefo, Specialist, Events and Sponsorship at T2, said:
“The energy from both the rappers and the crowd was incredible. This platform reflects exactly what T2 aims to create — a celebration of youth, creativity, and culture, enhanced by technology that connects people and experiences. Seeing the audience so immersed shows how music and performance can empower the next generation.”
The Carnival Calabar Music Concert, headlined by Tiwa Savage, Timaya, and top local performers, was further energized by T2’s interactive rap battle platform. By blending music, culture, youth expression, and digital innovation, T2 reinforced its commitment to championing Nigeria’s next generation, giving young creatives a stage to shine while enriching how they experience the festival.
Broadcasting
Aig-Imoukhuede Foundation Wrapped Up 2025 with Real Change in Governance, Health, Media Across Africa
Aig-Imoukhuede Foundation has announced its 2025 achievements, marking a year of accelerated impact, systemic reforms and innovation in public leadership and service delivery across Africa.
Aig-Imoukhuede Foundation
A statement issued on Wednesday in Lagos said the foundation strengthened governance, improved primary healthcare, drove digital transformation and elevated media’s role in promoting public sector accountability.
It said the AIG Public Leaders Programme (PLP) trained 72 public sector leaders from Nigeria, Egypt, Tanzania, Cameroon, Zambia, Malawi and Kenya—its fastest growth to date—bringing the alumni network to 309.
These alumni are driving 237 reform projects to enhance public institutions, from faster decision-making to greater transparency, with nine promoted to higher roles for their contributions.
On civil service modernisation, the foundation accelerated digitalisation at the Office of the Head of the Civil Service of the Federation (OHCSF), streamlining 19 processes and achieving a 75 per cent increase in work speed through automated workflows.
It also trained over 400 officials from the Federal Ministry of Justice, Federal Civil Service Commission and Federal Ministry of Innovation, Trade and Investment in digital skills to support the FCCSIP 25 initiative and ongoing digital rollouts.
In healthcare, the Adopt-A-Healthcare-Facility Programme renovated four primary healthcare centres in Edo State, boosting antenatal visits by 73 per cent, immunisation coverage over 100-fold and fully vaccinating 554 children, while supporting 6,788 patients.
The foundation recognised 18 outstanding public servants with ₦500,000 each via the Emily Aig-Imoukhuede Endowment Awards and received a partnership award from the OHCSF for civil service reform efforts.
To empower media, it trained 50 journalists from top Nigerian media houses in impact storytelling, data analysis, visual and ethical reporting to better inform citizens on public sector changes.
Over five years (2021–2025), the foundation invested £2.6 million in PLP, saved ₦2.38 billion for the public sector through capacity building, trained 1,500+ civil servants, upskilled 660 digitally, trained 40 permanent secretaries and awarded 33 scholarships driving seven policy changes.
Other milestones include digitising 5,000 files, automating 333 processes, a 61 per cent efficiency gain, 60 per cent digital file creation at OHCSF, 128 excellence awards, 116 process reforms, 23 advocacy projects, 25 capacity initiatives, 18 podcasts, four healthcare articles, three policy papers, 23 adopted PHCs (four renovated) and 878+ fully immunised children aged 0–9 months.
Executive Vice Chair, Mr Aigboje Aig-Imoukhuede, said: “2025 was a year of real, measurable impact. From training hundreds of public servants to improving healthcare, helping ministries go digital, and equipping journalists to tell stories that matter, our work is making governments work better for citizens and communities across Africa.”
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