Broadcasting
Stakeholders call for Digitisation of African Music @ AFRIMA

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.
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.
Telecom3 days agoNDSF 2026: Teniola, Ebeledike Inducted into Hall of Fame as NiRA, MTN, Digital Realty sweep top honors
News3 days agoMobile Internet Gender Gap Widest in Africa – GSMA
Telecom3 days agoAirtel Africa Foundation Publishes Inaugural Annual Report
E-Financial3 days agoAccess Holdings Affirms Long-Term Value Strategy @ 4th AGM
Telecom3 days agoZoho Unveils Homegrown Server, Takes Bold Step Toward Tech Independence
General News3 days agoKaspersky Warns of “Grey” Scam Websites Exploiting User Trust
News2 days agoUK, Nigeria Launch £15m Growth Programme to Accelerate Economic Transformation
General News2 days agoHaleon Introduces New Corporate Identity in Nigeria














