Broadcasting
Breaking Down Barriers to Voter Engagement: The Success Story of Infobip and Yiaga Africa
In an effort to drive more meaningful voter engagement in Nigeria’s 2023 general elections, Yiaga Africa, a leading non-partisan, non-profit organisation, partnered with Infobip, a global cloud communication company to implement an innovative WhatsApp conversational chatbot solution to better connect with, and educate voters across the country.
A first-of-its-kind project for Infobip in Africa, the voter education chatbot named #MyElectionBuddy was developed to provide critical election-related information to the citizens of Nigeria, in line with Yiaga Africa’s drive to increase voters’ education and citizen engagements.
Isaac Akanni, Customer Growth Manager for Africa at Infobip Nigeria, who led the project implementation, noted that this election is crucial for the country, and concerned organisations like Yiaga Africa have worked hard to ensure that eligible voters have all the right information they need to cast their vote at the polls.
Lack of information
“Even though large numbers of people usually register to vote, a relatively lower number turn out in the polls. This is because people often struggle to obtain information about how to cast their votes, where to vote, how to get or renew a voter’s card, or which polling unit they fall under,” he says.
“Voter education was therefore the biggest challenge Yiaga Africa was looking to solve, and they wanted to address it through a comprehensive WhatsApp-driven chatbot that would reach many people.”
The developed chatbot can answer an array of users’ questions and links to the official electoral websites where voters can find external information, like election results.
Global Presence, Local Reach
Akanni explains that after being appointed to the project, Infobip completed implementation by 1 February 2023, amidst very tight timelines.
“With time, we will continue to improve the chatbot and its functionality. However, the user feedback has been positive since the launch, clocking thousands of active users.
Akanni says Yiaga appointed Infobip based on the strength of its solutions and local presence. Infobip gave them a good understanding of the technical requirements to deploy a project of this scale and local insights into the kind of user experience and content that would resonate with Nigerians. One initiative that resonates with the public is the inclusion of a pledge for peace. This feature allows users to win a peace badge for pledging to keep things peaceful and non-violent during the election process.
“We are very honoured to be associated with a prestigious organisation like Yiaga Africa, which has promoted participatory democracy, human rights, and civic participation in Nigeria through its numerous initiatives. With the fantastic relationship we have built with this project, we are confident that we will continue to work together to explore other use cases to help them achieve all their objectives in Africa.”
According to Mark Amaza, Senior Communications Officer at Yiaga Africa, the chatbot increased voters’ confidence in participating in the elections.
“The WhatsApp chatbot enabled us to reach thousands of voters with accurate and timely information in the 2023 Nigerian elections. This information ranged from understanding the electoral process, locating their polling locations, and knowing how to track election results.”
Amaza says they especially appreciate how the Infobip team supported them with the development and launch of the project.
“Infobip ensured that we understood how the chatbot would work and built our capacity to maintain it as an important communication channel for our organisation. Importantly, they were always prompt to respond to inquiries and troubleshoot problems, providing us with 24/7 support.”
You can access the #MyElectionBuddy chatbot by messaging +234 (0) 906 283 0860 on WhatsApp or clicking wa.me/+2349062830860.
MultiChoice Talent Factory (MTF), a Pan-African film and television training institution, has announced the opening of applications for its 2026 intake.
MultiChoice
The fully funded programme is open to African graduates aspiring to become directors, filmmakers, scriptwriters, producers and storytellers.
According to MultiChoice, the nine-month accredited curriculum combines online learning with intensive in-person training, and is designed to balance theoretical knowledge with practical immersion.
MTF academies are located in Kenya, Nigeria and Zambia, and serve aspiring filmmakers from 14 African countries. Since its inception in 2018, the initiative has trained 296 filmmakers, with graduates producing more than 42 movies aired on DStv, GOtv and Showmax platforms.
Organisers said alumni of the programme have gone on to establish over 50 production companies, while many continue to work within the MultiChoice ecosystem.
Graduates have also won accolades at the Africa Magic Viewers’ Choice Awards, Kalasha Awards, Uganda Film Festival and Women in Film Awards.
Applications for the 2026 intake close on Feb. 27, 2026. Interested candidates can visit https://apo-opa.co/3XW53oE for programme requirements.
Broadcasting
Davido, Babajide Sanwo-Olu, Karl Toriola, Others To Be Honoured At The Most Influential People of African Descent Awards In Lagos
Most Influential People of African Descent (MIPAD) is excited to announce the Lagos Diaspora Experience 2025, a week-long celebration of African art, culture, innovation, and connection, culminating in the End of the Year Awards & Celebration on Sunday, December 21st, 2025, in Lagos, Nigeria.
The Most Influential People of African Descent Awards
This historic occasion marks the first time the world-famous Most Influential 100 Recognition & Awards Ceremony—traditionally held in New York on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA)—will be hosted in Lagos, Nigeria.
The week will feature events such as Diaspora Day at the Fela Exhibition (Afrobeat Meets Diaspora), Cultural Heritage Day, and Business Leadership Luncheons, all culminating in the awards celebration.
The evening will honor the Best & Brightest of the Year, recognizing exceptional individuals and institutions whose work has advanced Global African Achievement and Black Excellence across business, government, media, culture, and technology.
Key Recognitions for 2025
– Governor of the Year & City of the Year: His Excellency Babajide Sanwo-Olu, Governor of Lagos State, honored alongside Lagos as City of the Year for its global leadership in culture, innovation, tourism, and diaspora engagement.
– Her Excellency Hannatu Musa Musawa, Minister of Art, Culture, Tourism and Creative Economy, will be honoured as Minister of the Year for her contribution to the creative economy’s role in nation branding and cultural diplomacy.
– Most Influential Woman of the Year: Olorì Atúwàtse III, Queen Consort of the Warri Kingdom
– Most Influential Man of the Year: Adewale Tinubu, Group Chief Executive, OANDO
– CEO of the Year: Karl Toriola, Chief Executive Officer of MTN Nigeria; who will deliver a keynote address, recognized for his transformative leadership and impact on Nigeria’s telecommunications and digital economy.
Others include; Karl Toriola of MTN as CEO of the year, Uche Pedro of Bella Naija as Lifestyle Personality Of The Year, Ojy Okpe of Artise News as Most Influential News Anchor Of The Year, Stephanie Busari as Media Executive of the Year, Kayode Okikiolu as Pressman of the year, Davido as Artist of the year and several others.
In celebrating this year’s honorees, Michael Ehindero, Managing Director, Pernod Ricard Nigeria, owners of Martell Cognac, who emerged as Brand Of The Year expressed deep appreciation for the brand’s continued global recognition, saying: “It’s a great reward for the team who’s delivered Martell excellently in Nigeria over the years.
“We say thank you to the teams, we say thank you to our consumers and we say thank you to MIPAD.
“Martell has a lot of promising experiences in the years to come in Nigeria and with this we invite you over to Nigeria to experience Detty December”.
The ceremony will also celebrate the achievements of the Class of 2025 Honorees, alongside past Nigerian honorees who were unable to attend their year of recognition in New York.
“For the first time, we’re bringing our world-famous recognition platform home to celebrate excellence within the Global Africa Family — right here in Lagos,” said Kamil Olufowobi, Founder & Chairman of MIPAD. “This is more than an event; it’s a movement uniting the best of us — connecting, collaborating, and working together to change the world.”
Event Details
📍 Lagos, Nigeria
– Friday, Dec 19 – #DettyDec Diaspora Day at Fela Exhibition FREE
– Sunday, Dec 21 – End of Year Recognition & Award Ceremony STRICTLY BY INVITATION
🎟️ RSVP: https://rsvp.oakenevents.com/mipad
Nigerian Copyright Commission (NCC) has called for urgent adoption of advanced digital protections after blocking seven piracy sites amid escalating online threats to Nollywood content.
The call was made during a webinar hosted by Greychapel Legal titled “Clicks, Streams, and Copyright: Who Owns Nollywood’s Digital Future?”, which brought together filmmakers, regulators, entertainment lawyers and media strategists to examine how content ownership and copyright enforcement are being reshaped by the digital age.
Lynda Alphaeus, director and head of the NCC Lagos Office, said the Commission has intensified its efforts to combat piracy across digital channels and is upgrading its operations to meet emerging threats.
According to her, Nigeria’s new Copyright Act was deliberately updated to strengthen creators’ rights amid the explosion of online distribution.
“NCC has worked, and is still working tirelessly to adapt Nigeria’s legal framework to cope with digital distribution challenges. We now have the power to block networks publishing illegal content, and we have already blocked seven websites distributing pirated Nigerian works,” Alphaeus said.
She revealed that the Commission has established a special taskforce known as the STOP Unit to coordinate anti-piracy operations online, alongside new awareness campaigns targeting local markets and schools to educate content creators and the public on copyright obligations.
Alphaeus urged filmmakers and producers to take ownership of their digital safety by deploying available technological protections to safeguard their intellectual property.
She explained that tools such as encryption help prevent unauthorised copying, blockchain technology offers immutable proof of ownership, digital watermarking allows creators to trace illegal uploads, while cloud security and regular offline backups protect creative files before they reach the market.
While noting that copyright in Nigeria does not legally require registration, she stressed that registering one’s work strengthens protection and provides legal presumptions that can be vital in enforcement.
“Whatever you register is presumed to be yours until proven otherwise,” she said, urging creators to invest in copyright knowledge as part of their business strategy.
Other speakers at the webinar reinforced the urgency of protecting Nollywood’s digital assets.
James Omokwe, film director, noted that while streaming platforms have created unprecedented opportunities for visibility and monetisation, they have also opened new vectors for intellectual property theft and unauthorised redistribution.
Solafunmi Laelle, media strategist, added that audience data, which streaming platforms rely heavily on, will increasingly determine leverage and value in film licensing negotiations.
According to her, creators who lose control of their intellectual property, whether through piracy or unfavourable contracts, also lose access to valuable data that could shape their long-term earnings.
Nky Ofeimun, entertainment lawyer, emphasised the need for creators to understand the contractual implications of ownership, platform exclusivity, and reversion rights.
She noted that many filmmakers still underestimate how quickly digital copies can be illegally duplicated or uploaded once control is lost.
The panelists agreed that as Nollywood deepens its digital footprint, piracy will continue to evolve and become more sophisticated.
They stressed that the industry must respond with equally sophisticated tools, stronger contract negotiation, and improved education around copyright.
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