Connect with us

General News

BON Urges FG to Transition to Digitization

Published

on

Emeka Mba, DG, NBC
Kindly share this post

The Broadcasting Organisation of Nigeria (BON) has appealed to the federal government to establish a fund to enhance a seamless digital transition programme for the country.

Malam Abubakar Jijiwa, chairman of BON, made the statement in Abuja yesterday at the opening of a two-day digital broadcast summit with the theme “Digital switch-over: milestones and bridges’’. organised by the National Broadcasting Commission (NBC).

Jijiwa said the challenges in the broadcasting sector were enormous and urged the government to ensure that no station, whether private of public, would be left behind by 2015.

He said that the constraint of finance and other challenges in the broadcast sector could make it impossible for some stations to meet the deadline of Jan. 1, 2015.

“The challenges in the broadcasting sector are becoming more complex as we move closer to the switch-over date of 2015. We, therefore, want to call for a marshal plan to assist broadcast stations with the needed funds to actualise our goal of transiting seamlessly by January 2015. We are not saying government should give subvention to stations. It should be a loan with a generous repayment arrangement so that our members can have access to funds to address all grey areas ahead of the switch-over date,’’ Jijiwa said.

Advertisement

He said that all BON members were committed to the transition programme as outlined by government, but would need a lot of support from stakeholders to succeed in the exercise.

In his address, Emeka Mba, director-general of NBC, said the forum was to avail stakeholders the opportunity to discuss on digitisation and assess the work done so far.

He said the deadline was real and that NBC and other stakeholders were set to implement key aspects of the road map to the eventual switch-over to digital broadcasting.

Mba said areas slated for discussion included the mechanism for new content development, signal distribution and other key aspects of digital broadcasting.

Labaran Maku, minister of Information, represented by Mrs. Folashade Esan, permanent secretary,  commended NBC for the initiative to meet with stakeholders.

Advertisement

She stressed the need for stakeholders to assess the milestones and bridges in Nigeria’s quest to join the rest of the world to switch to digital broadcasting.

Esan urged all players in the broadcast sector to endeavour to adopt trends in technology to ensure that the transition was not only hitch-free but beneficial to all broadcast audiences.

Sen. Bello Tukur, deputy chairman, Senate Committee on Information, commended NBC, BON and other stakeholders for their efforts in pushing the process of digitsation.

Tukur assured the stakeholders of the support of the National Assembly in ensuring that all the activities and programmes that would culminate in a successful transition were actualised.

Victor Oghene, deputy chairman of the House Committee on Information, said the House of Representatives would support in whatever way to ensure that no station was left behind.

Advertisement

Oghene added that the house would not hesitate to amend the relevant laws to give the digitisation exercise a legislative backing.

He said that the house was concerned about the success of the programme because of the excitement with which the Nigerian broadcast audience looked forward to the digital era.

“The year 2015 is very unique for Nigeria; it is not just because it is an electioneering year but because it is an important landmark in the broadcast industry,’’ he said.

He called on participants in the summit to also deliberate on the challenges that could emerge in the digital era, particularly those that would touch on content and signal distribution.

Advertisement

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

General News

Court Remands Akujobi, Ex Access over alleged Theft of N294.5m

Published

on

Kindly share this post

Chinonso Akujobi, former staff of Access Bank in Lagos, has been remanded in Ikoyi prison after she was arraigned on a five-count charge bordering on stealing to the tune of N294.5m.

Court Remands Akujobi, Ex Access over alleged Theft of N294.5m

Akujobi who is being prosecuted by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) was arraigned before Justice I.O. Ijelu of the State High Court sitting in Ikeja, Lagos.

EFCC alleged that Akujobi stole the money between January and December 2025 while under the employment of Access Bank Plc.

As stated in one the charges, the defendant stole the money through unauthorized payments from the general ledger of Access Bank to her account number 0036668871 with the name Chinonso A., Uchechi A. and Florence A., thereby committing an offence of stealing, contrary to Section 280 and punishable under Section 287 of the Criminal Law of Lagos State, 2015.

‎The defendant pleaded “not guilty“ to the charges when they were read to her.

Advertisement

‎In view of this, S.M.Yabo, prosecution counsel, asked the court for a trial date and also prayed for the remand of the defendant in a Correctional centre.

Justice Ijelu, thereafter, adjourned the case till October 8, 2026, for the hearing of the bail application and the commencement of trial.

The Judge also ordered that the defendant be remanded in the Ikoyi correctional Centre.

Kindly share this post
Continue Reading

General News

NSIB Faults Runway Identification, Reveals Cockpit Disagreement in Asaba Jet Incident

Published

on

Kindly share this post

The Nigerian Safety Investigation Bureau (NSIB) says the flight captain of the VMO Aero aircraft that landed on a roadway near Asaba Airport in Delta State told investigators that the observer pilot mistakenly identified the paved road as the runway before touchdown.

The bureau disclosed this in a preliminary report released on Thursday on the June 10 incident, which prompted the Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) to ground the private jet.

The aircraft had seven people on board, including the pilot-in-command (PIC), second-in-command (SIC), an observer pilot, a cabin crew member and three passengers.

According to the report, the aircraft was cleared by Air Traffic Control (ATC) to approach Runway 11 at Asaba Airport after the crew requested a right orbit.

The crew initially discontinued the approach, executed a missed approach and repositioned for a second landing attempt.

Advertisement

NSIB said the crew reported that the aircraft’s navigation systems indicated it was correctly established on the published RNAV Runway 11 approach.

“The PIC and SIC reported that the observer pilot identified the paved surface ahead as the runway,” the report stated.

However, the observer pilot gave investigators a different version of events.

According to NSIB, he said the aircraft remained inside cloud until late in the approach and that the Ground Proximity Warning System (GPWS) repeatedly issued “TERRAIN, TERRAIN, PULL UP” alerts.

He also said he observed a telecommunications mast directly ahead and instructed the flight captain to abandon the approach and climb immediately.

Advertisement

The bureau further disclosed that a cabin crew member reported that one of the passengers became concerned after overhearing discussions among the pilots and asked whether one of them was undergoing training. The passenger was reportedly reassured that all three pilots on board were experienced captains.

NSIB said no abnormal events were reported in the cabin before touchdown.

The aircraft eventually landed at about 8:57 a.m. on an under-construction paved roadway near Asaba Airport instead of the designated runway.

The bureau said its investigation into the incident is ongoing, while the preliminary report highlights conflicting accounts among the cockpit crew over the circumstances that led to the erroneous landing.

Advertisement

Kindly share this post
Continue Reading

General News

EU warns Meta over addictive Facebook, Instagram designs, threatens fines

Published

on

Kindly share this post

European Union has warned Meta Platforms Inc. that it could face a significant financial penalty unless it changes what regulators describe as the “addictive design” features of Facebook and Instagram.

EU warns Meta over addictive Facebook, Instagram designs, threatens fines

The European Commission issued the warning in preliminary findings released on Friday, saying Meta had failed to sufficiently address risks posed by its platforms, particularly to children and vulnerable users.

The Commission said features such as infinite scrolling, personalised content recommendations and automatic video playback were designed in ways that encouraged excessive engagement with the platforms.

EU Executive Vice-President for Tech Sovereignty, Security and Democracy, Henna Virkkunen, said protecting the physical and mental well-being of European citizens should be a priority for social media companies.

The Commission said Meta should consider introducing design changes, including disabling autoplay and infinite scrolling by default, providing effective screen-time reminders and adjusting recommendation systems to reduce the focus on maximising user engagement.

Advertisement

The findings were issued under the European Union’s Digital Services Act (DSA), which sets obligations for major online platforms to address risks associated with their services.

Meta, however, rejected the Commission’s conclusions, saying it disagreed with the findings but would continue engaging with European regulators.

The company said it had already implemented measures aimed at protecting younger users, including Teen Accounts that allow parents to manage screen time limits and restrict access during night hours.

The EU said its investigation, which began in 2024, found that existing time-management tools on Facebook and Instagram could easily be bypassed, while parental controls required technical knowledge that limited their effectiveness.

Regulators also expressed concerns over children’s nighttime use of the platforms and the possibility that features such as Reels and Stories could encourage compulsive behaviour.

Advertisement

If the Commission’s preliminary findings are confirmed, Meta could face a fine of up to six per cent of its annual global revenue under the DSA.

The warning comes as the EU steps up efforts to strengthen online safety measures for children, with an expert panel established by European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen expected to present recommendations on protecting minors online.

Several EU member states, including France, have also supported discussions on restricting social media access for children, following Australia’s decision to ban users under 16 from accessing social media platforms.

Meanwhile, the Commission is continuing a separate investigation into whether Meta’s recommendation algorithms create “rabbit hole” effects by directing users towards increasingly extreme content.

Advertisement

Kindly share this post
Continue Reading

Trending