Broadcasting
All You Need to Know About ‘YouTube Shorts,’ A New Short-Form Video Experience

YouTube has announced the arrival of the beta version of YouTube Shorts in Nigeria, the company’s new short-form video experience to create short, catchy videos from mobile phones.

First announced in September 2020, YouTube has since expanded Shorts to 26 countries and will now be available across more than 100 countries around the world where YouTube is available.
While short form videos were already viewable in the platform, users in Nigeria will be able to access for the first time Shorts’ creation tools which include a multi-segment camera to string multiple video clips together, the ability to record with music, control speed settings, and more.
Users will also have the ability to sample audio not only from other Shorts but also from videos all across YouTube — which includes billions of videos worldwide — unlocking a new playground of creativity like never before.
This means that users can give their own creative spin on the content they love to watch on YouTube and help find it a new audience — whether it’s reacting to their favorite jokes, trying their hand at a creator’s latest recipe, or re-enacting comedic skits.
Creators will be in control and will be able to opt out if they don’t want their long form video remixed.
In addition, and timed with the product’s international expansion, we’re bringing a new set of features to all existing and new markets such as:
- Add text to specific points in your video
- Automatically add captions to your Short
- Record up to 60 seconds with the Shorts camera
- Add clips from your phone’s gallery to add to your recordings made with the Shorts camera
- Add basic filters to color correct your Shorts, with more effects to come in the future
“We want to make it easy and fun to create Shorts” said Todd Sherman, Global Product Manager for YouTube Shorts.
“As we continue to build Shorts alongside our creators and artists, we’ll be adding more features for users to try”, he added.
When it comes to music, artists and creators will have a large library of songs to use in their Shorts from over 250 labels and publishers around the world, including Universal Music Group’s labels and publishing companies, Sony Music Entertainment and Sony Music Publishing, Warner Music Group and Warner Chappell Music, Believe, Merlin, Because Music, Beggars and Kobalt.
Delivering a seamless viewing experience across YouTube
Helping people find Shorts to enjoy and creators get discovered is also a key component of the product experience.
That is why even before announcing the creation tools, we had introduced a row on the YouTube homepage especially for Shorts, launched a new watch experience that lets you easily swipe vertically from one video to the next, and have added a Shorts tab on mobile that makes it easier for users to watch Shorts with a single tap.
As of today the YouTube Shorts player has surpassed 6.5 billion daily views globally.
Shorts will be integrated to the YouTube experience users already know and love. For example, if a user hears a snippet of a song on Shorts, they can easily find the full song, watch the music video, or learn more about the artist — all on YouTube.
Supporting mobile creators
YouTube has helped an entire generation of creators turn their creativity into businesses and become the next generation media companies. Over the last three years, we’ve paid more than $30 billion to creators, artists, and media companies.
With Shorts being a new way to watch and create on YouTube, the company has been looking at various ways to monetize Shorts and reward creators for their content, including the recently announced YouTube Shorts Fund, a $100M fund distributed over the course of 2021-2022.
“We know that it will take us time to get this right, and we’re just getting started. We can’t wait for you to try Shorts and help us build a first-class short-form video experience right on YouTube” Sherman said.
The Shorts beta will be available to everybody in Nigeria by Wednesday, July 14th.
Broadcasting
Showmax Unlocks Easier Payments for Nigerian Subscribers via Baxi

Showmax, Africa’s leading streaming service, has expanded its payment options in Nigeria through a partnership with Baxi by Onafriq, giving customers an easier and more convenient way to subscribe and stay connected to world-class streaming entertainment.

Started Monday, 22 December 2025, existing Showmax customers can log into the Baxi by Onafriq app, select and pay for any of Showmax plans including: Showmax Entertainment Mobile, Showmax Entertainment (All Devices), Showmax Premier League Mobile, Showmax Entertainment (All Devices) + Premier League Mobile, Showmax Entertainment Mobile + Premier League Mobile.
This update allows customers to complete their entire subscription process within the Baxi app, delivering a more efficient payment experience.
Alternatively, existing customers with verified mobile numbers can top up their Baxi by Onafriq app or through its Baxi POS agent device to load funds directly into their Showmax account. These funds can then be used to pay for a Showmax plan.
For new customers, subscribing is also seamless. After creating a Showmax account on their mobile device, they will receive an OTP via SMS or WhatsApp, which allows them to verify their mobile number and immediately return to the app to top up and activate their subscription.
Speaking on the announcement, Tope Oshunkeye, Executive Head of Marketing, West Africa, MultiChoice, said: “With these new payment options from Baxi by Onafriq, we are making streaming on Showmax more accessible, allowing our customers to pay quickly and securely through a trusted financial service provider. This is a significant step forward in our mission to deliver world-class streaming experiences for our customers”.
“This launch is about making entertainment access seamless,” said Mxolisi Msutwana, Managing Director, Anglophone West Africa, Onafriq. “By automating the renewal process, we are not only providing greater convenience for customers but also helping to drive the adoption of digital payments across Nigeria.”
With more people turning to digital services, Showmax is doubling down on its commitment to make it affordable and effortless for customers to access and stream the stories they love. By partnering with Baxi by Onafriq, a popular agent and digital payment network, Showmax is meeting subscribers where they already are.
Showmax, launched in 2015 and available in more than 40 markets across the continent, is a leading African streaming service. It offers a unique combination of original African content, first and exclusive international series, popular movies, premium documentaries and the best kids’ shows, plus a mobile-only product to watch the Premier League.
Onafriq is an omnichannel network of networks, making borders matter less by providing our partners with a single pathway to unlock the full power of cross-border and cross-platform payment solutions. With a network spanning 43 African markets, Onafriq connects over 1 billion mobile money wallets, 500 million bank accounts, and over 400,000 agents in Nigeria, enabling domestic and cross-border disbursements and collections, card issuing and processing, agency banking, and treasury services.
In Nigeria, Onafriq operates as a B2B payments enabler with an extensive agency banking network through its flagship product, Baxi. Baxi connects over 400,000 agents nationwide, offering essential financial services such as bill payments, airtime and data purchases, funds transfers, cash-in and cash-out transactions, and more, driving financial inclusion and providing seamless access to digital financial services for millions.
Broadcasting
DStv Offers Instant Package Upgrade for Customers from January to February

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
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.
Broadcasting
FIRS Transforms into NRS as Nigeria Ushers in New Tax Era

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.

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.
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