Connect with us

Broadcasting

Stakeholders call for Digitisation of African Music @ AFRIMA

Published

on

Kindly share this post

Discussants at the All Africa Music Award (AFRIMA) 2017, yesterday unanimously called for digitisation of music produced in the African continent, to ensure global competitiveness.

The discussants, who made the call at the Music Business Roundtable of the 2017 AFRIMA in Lagos, said that Africa should not be tardy with digitisation of its music brands.

The event had as its theme: “Digital Takeover: Shaping the Future of African Music, Money, and Media.

AFRIMA is a world-class event that holds annually with live performances by celebrity artistes and televised broadcast to 84 countries around the world.

Some of the panelists include General Manager , Sony Music (West Africa), Michael Ugwu; the Chief Executive Officer, (CEO), Lead Consultant, Kelvin Orifa and Rikki Stein, CEO, Kalakuta Sunrise Ltd.

Others include, Sam Onyemelukwe, Managing Director, Trace T.V, and Angela Martins, Head of Culture Division, Department of Social Affairs, African Union.

Ugwu said that embracing digitisation would not only boost the revenue from the entertainment industry, but also put it on the global map.

“We need to get it right that digitisation will help a lot in our projection to the global market; the more we participate the more our music travels.

“It has a lot of impact aside of the monetary values. Many of the artistes are terrified of live streaming of their music asking what they would gain from it since it’s been streamed live.

“There are lots of gains in it; there are lots of negotiations going on about the benefits of live streaming though i also have a bad experience with one of my clients.

“Sometimes live streaming allows for the global views of music because it travels faster than putting on a site for people to download, which may consume more data,’’ he said.

Speaking in the same vein, Kelvin Orifa, Chief Executive Officer, (CEO), Lead Consultant, said that there were lots of opportunity in the marketing of music.

According to him, the only thing left for the artistes is to provide the right content.

“I had to resign my job at one of the leading communication companies to pursue a career in marketing of music which i found rewarding.

“I think with the right content, music from Africa is on the right path, we now have more demands for African music and more collaboration with African Musicians.

“We still need more content to be out there and compete well in the global circuit. My companies now have been able to gather experience in interacting with other segment in the market.

“We should take knowledge of the market seriously and add it to capacity building of our musicians,’’ he said.

Orifa said that marketing music need a lot of projection as to when to expect yields from the music and also the benefits the content providers would derive from their intellectual property.

“Music marketers must take a short term and long term view of their production. It is by finding the environment where the music will sell and be appreciated.

“A lot of music companies have been in existence for many years but not persistent, here we are today; about 15 years ago the world bloggers didn’t exist.

“The industry like other industry are brands and products, they existed years ago but now going into extinction. We need to have projection because of the dynamics of digitisation.

“A very strong brand will have a history, a story line of where it’s coming from. So, projection is the key to the digitisation,’’ he said.

Also, Onyemelukwe of Trace Music, said that artistes need to be patient with their music before thinking they are on the world map..

“Digitisation is a boom; we need to do more of live streaming for the world to see. Many people around the world now want to listen to African tunes online.

“Although the bandwidth in Africa as regards to live streaming is still low, we need something above the present 4G network that we are using, we need 5G.

“Digitisation of our music makes it travel faster and make it known to the world. We may say that it is not very profitable, but it takes artists to places where they can never imagine,’’ he said.


Kindly share this post

Dear Reader, Your support matters. But we believe that technology makes life more exciting and helps improve the lives of people around Nigeria and indeed the world. That is why, we have devoted our energy to independent reportage of technology and finance and how they affect lives. Our incisive and analytical view of how technology news affects the daily life help individuals and organizations make up their minds. Quality journalism costs money. Today, we're asking that you support us to do more. Kindly support our effort to deliver technology and finance journalism to everyone in the world. Donate as little as N1,000. Bank transfers can be made to: UBA Plc 1017156876 Communication Week Media Ltd

Broadcasting

DStv Offers Instant Package Upgrade for Customers from January to February

Published

on

Kindly share this post

DStv has launched a new campaign tagged “We Got You”, aimed at giving customers more entertainment value at the start of the year without additional cost.

DStv Offers Instant Package Upgrade for Customers from January to February

DStv

The campaign, which runs from January 1 to February 28, 2026, allows subscribers who pay for their current package in full to enjoy an automatic upgrade to the next DStv package.

The initiative is designed to ease the pressure that often comes with January, a period marked by school resumption, tighter budgets and increased household demands.

Through the offer, DStv is rewarding customer loyalty by unlocking more channels, stories, sports, children’s content, local productions and international programmes at no extra charge.

Speaking on the campaign, Tope Oshunkeye, Executive Head of Marketing, West Africa, MultiChoice, said, “We want our customers to step into the year feeling valued.

“When you buy your package, we upgrade you because you deserve more. This is our way of bringing extra excitement, choice and convenience into your home.”

According to DStv, the offer is open to existing subscribers who remain active during the promotion period, customers who reconnect their decoders, and new subscribers who join between January 1 and February 28.

Under the offer, subscribers who pay for DStv Yanga will be upgraded to DStv Confam, Confam customers will receive DStv Compact, Compact subscribers will be upgraded to Compact Plus, while Compact Plus customers will enjoy access to DStv Premium.

The upgrade applies only to decoder viewing, and subscribers will revert to their original packages at the end of the promotion period.


Kindly share this post
Continue Reading

Broadcasting

FIRS Transforms into NRS as Nigeria Ushers in New Tax Era

Published

on

Kindly share this post

Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS) has officially given way to the Nigeria Revenue Service (NRS), signalling a pivotal shift in the country’s revenue administration framework as the Nigeria Revenue Service Establishment Act 2025 takes full effect from January 1, 2026.

FIRS Transforms into NRS as Nigeria Ushers in New Tax Era

NRS


President Bola Ahmed Tinubu signed the landmark legislation in June 2025, alongside a comprehensive package of tax reforms designed to streamline compliance, expand the tax net and bolster federal revenue for critical infrastructure and social services.

At a colourful ceremony in Abuja on December 30, 2025, NRS Executive Chairman, Dr Zacch Adedeji, unveiled the agency’s new logo and corporate identity, describing it as a beacon of modernisation and efficiency.

Adedeji, who doubles as the pioneer helmsman, stated that the fresh branding embodies “a renewed commitment to a unified, service-driven revenue system” in line with global standards and Nigeria’s economic aspirations.

“The new identity underscores continuity in mandate, enhanced capacity and proactive taxpayer support, fostering trust and shared prosperity,” he added, according to a statement by his Special Adviser on Media, Mr Dare Adekanmbi.

The NRS emergence caps decades of advocacy for tax overhaul, repealing the FIRS (Establishment) Act 2007 and vesting the new body with broader powers for revenue assessment, collection and accountability.

Judicial hurdles were cleared when an FCT High Court dismissed suits seeking to stall implementation, paving the way for the four key Acts — Nigeria Revenue Service, Tax Administration, Nigeria Tax and Joint Revenue Board — to roll out seamlessly.

Despite pockets of controversy, including claims of bill alterations, the Budget Office affirmed the laws’ authenticity, prioritising fiscal stability and investor confidence.

For ordinary Nigerians and enterprises, the NRS promises simplified processes, digital innovations and reduced red tape to ease compliance burdens while curbing evasion.

Technical Assistant on Broadcast Media to the Chairman, Mrs Aderonke Atoyebi, reassured that core values of integrity, fairness and professionalism persist, with staff nationwide driving the transition.

Industry watchers anticipate a surge in non-oil revenue, crucial as Nigeria navigates global headwinds, with the NRS positioned to elevate the tax-to-GDP ratio through transparent engagement.


Kindly share this post
Continue Reading

Broadcasting

How to Use the Correlation of Gold with Other Trading Assets in the Forex Market

Published

on

Kindly share this post

Gold remains one of the most powerful commodities in the global financial architecture. It is widely recognized that, for traders in Nigeria, specifically, currency pressures, inflation expectations, and shifts in global liquidity make up the macro environment more often than not; hence, understanding the correlation of gold with key Forex assets is more of an economic insight than a trading tactic.

The correlation between gold and currencies, equities, bonds, and even energy markets provides a broader framework for interpreting global risk sentiment. A growing number of Nigerian investors use this correlation to hedge against inflation, read capital-flow trends, and adjust trading strategies across major currency pairs.

Why Gold Matters in Today’s Macro Environment

This can be explained by looking at the larger picture and how global factors either positively or negatively impact the price of gold: spiraling inflation, geopolitical tension, tightening by central banks, and the flight-to-safety dynamic that heightens in moments of market stress. African traders, especially those active with international brokers such as JustMarkets, are very sensitive to how gold performs not only as a commodity but also as a macro indicator.

Indeed, the strongest correlations of gold are more often found with the US dollar, major bond markets, equity indices, and energy instruments in periods of high geopolitical risk. Each one of these offers a different angle for Nigerian traders to approach macroeconomic changes.

Gold and US Dollar: The Most Watched Correlation

The inverse correlation between XAU and the USD remains one of the bedrock relationships in global finance. It usually weighs on gold because a stronger dollar raises the opportunity cost of holding the metal. Conversely, the opposite has occurred when the market has priced in rate cuts, rising inflation, or policy uncertainty.

This relationship provides Forex traders in Nigeria with a macro perspective:

  • USD strength; pressure on gold; bullish signals for USD-pairs like USD/JPY or USD/CHF

  • USD weakness; appreciation of gold; potential strengthening of the non-USD majors

This dynamic is often emphasized by platforms such as JustMarkets in their markets analytics, allowing traders to match the technical setup with real policy shifts from the Federal Reserve.

Gold and Bond Yields: A Window into Global Risk Appetite

Gold is highly sensitive to real interest rates. When US real yields fell, it sent gold higher because investors saw it as a hedge against inflation and thus a haven. Yet higher yields tend to dampen demand for precious metals.

To traders, this correlation is a reason for short-run volatility around announcements like:

  • US CPI

  • FOMC decisions

  • Results of Treasury auctions

In countries like Nigeria, when domestic inflation is high and Naira pressure amplifies sensitivity to global risk, the movement of gold often proves an early indicator of how capital might rotate between safe havens and risk assets worldwide.

Gold and Equity Markets: The Fear Gauge

While geopolitical tensions or recession fears tend to deflate equity markets, they strengthen gold. This negative relationship is considered helpful for traders looking to deduce spikes in volatility and risk-off flows. Examples include:

  • Sharp US30 or NAS100 declines coupled with XAU/USD rallies

  • Broad-based sell-offs driven by political uncertainty or commodity shocks

This dynamic helps explain to the Nigerian analysts focused on policy and political economy how global risk events transmit to the local market through capital-flow sentiment.

Gold and Energy: Transmission via the Inflation Channels

Although gold and oil are not directly correlated, both respond to inflation expectations. Surging oil prices can fuel inflation forecasts that support the price of gold.

This channel is particularly important in the case of Nigeria, a major oil exporter. When crude markets temporarily tighten due to supply disruptions or OPEC policy decisions, gold becomes a complement to hedge against global inflation risk.

Trading with the Use of Gold Correlations

A structured approach allows traders to put gold’s relationships into practice:

  1. Start with the macro driver.
    Identify whether inflation, geopolitics, or monetary policy is the primary force shaping markets.

  2. Translate the macro event into correlation expectations.
    Example: falling bond yields lead to a weaker USD, which in turn supports gold and could lead to upside in EUR/USD.

  3. Use correlation clusters instead of isolated signals.
    Gold + USD + bonds provide a more reliable picture than gold alone.

  4. Apply risk management aligned with volatility cycles.
    Gold’s volatility often spills over into major currency pairs.

Market platforms like JustMarkets emphasize these cross-asset links to help traders simplify complex macro interactions into actionable insights.

Why Nigerian Traders Pay Close Attention

The Nigerian economy is highly integrated into global commodity flows; inflation cycles, dollar liquidity, and geopolitical developments tend to reach the local market faster than the pace at which policy adjustments can be made.

Gold serves as a barometer of global risk, a hedge against currency depreciation, and a signal of moves in the key USD pairs that headline Nigeria’s trading activity.

In a region increasingly active in the Forex market, understanding the relationships involving gold is not just about trading but also a strategic tool for analyzing global economic behavior


Kindly share this post
Continue Reading

Trending