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Aba Hackathon Challenge Opens Application Portal for Startups

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The application portal for ‘Aba Hackathon Challenge’ opened for Startups and teams with great ideas on how to add value to the Aba manufacturing clusters.

 

The Hackathon Challenge is an extension of the Proudly Made in Aba Campaign by TBWA in partnership with #StartupSouth and funded by Ford Foundation.

 

The portal will close on February 26, 2018 with the main event scheduled for March 16, 2018.

 

The initial campaign brought more attention to the Aba manufacturing clusters – exposing the great innovative and resilient spirit of the traders/manufacturers.

 

It also exposed the challenges and deficiencies as well as steps required to fully actualize the mandate of the campaign which is to inspire a revolutionary growth of the Aba manufacturing clusters through re-energized interest in their products from both within and outside Nigeria.

 

Proudly Made in Aba Campaign Insight

Some of the insights from the campaign revealed that over eight hundred thousand (800,000) pairs of shoes, three hundred and fifty thousand (350,000) Belts, Bags and other leather goods are manufactured everyday in Aba.

 

Also, another One Million, Five Hundred Thousand (1,500,000) Clothing items are manufactured every week in Aba.

 

This is excluding other manufacturing activities around industries such as upholstery, metal, machine and automobile repairs and fabrication.

 

Some of the challenges identified range from access to market, distribution/logistic difficulties, lack of marketing/branding knowledge to lack of modern manufacturing equipment and processes to mention just a few.

 

The Right Teams / Who Should Apply

The Hackathon Challenge is seeking passionate teams familiar with and knowledgeable about issues mentioned (and others not mentioned) here and building a solution that can solve any or all of the problems.

 

To be successful, teams should be able to demonstrate their understanding of the problem, the impact of their solution to the stated problem area and the experience of their team.

 

Virgin ideas may apply, however, ideas with traction backed by experienced teams stand a better chance.

 

A shortlist of 10 teams will be pre-approved to proceed to the Hackathon camp and made to present to a panel of judges comprised of multi-disciplined seasoned business leaders.

 

About #StartupSouth

#StartupSouth is a Startup Ecosystem development project by Havilah & Hills with a mission to expose, connect and attract investment to startups/founders in the South-South and South-East. Please see www.startupsouth.org for more information

 

About TBWA\Concept 

TBWA\Concept is part of a global network of 300 agencies in over 100 countries committed to helping brands find strategic and creative white space with the main objective of achieving growth through our proprietary strategic tool, Disruption. Please see www.tbwaconcept.com for more information

 

About Ford Foundation

Ford Foundation is an international philanthropy organisation dedicated to the advancement of human welfare through reducing poverty and promoting democratic values, peace, and educational opportunity.

Please see www.fordfoundation.org for more information


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Ugo Onwuaso is an ICT enthusiast. He believes technology should be used for general good. He holds a Master of Public Administration (MPA) degree from the Lagos state University. 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

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NIPR Postpones Maiden PRICE Awards to January 25, 2026

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Nigerian Institute of Public Relations (NIPR) has announced the postponement of its maiden annual Public Relations, Reputation, Ideas, Concepts and Excellence (PRICE) Awards and Prizes to January 25, 2026.

NIPR Postpones Maiden PRICE Awards to January 25, 2026

NIPR

The event, earlier scheduled for December 7, 2025, was deferred to accommodate stakeholders whose observance of Christmas festivities had commenced earlier than expected.

Chairman of the Organising Committee, Mr. Israel Opayemi, urged stakeholders to note the new date and prepare to participate in the ceremony.

He said the awards would motivate professionals, practitioners and scholars, while enhancing Nigeria’s global competitiveness in the public relations ecosystem and strengthening brand equity for all stakeholders.

Opayemi reaffirmed the Committee’s commitment to delivering a best-in-class award administration and ceremony, describing the PRICE Awards as a credible and enduring platform to identify, celebrate and elevate outstanding individuals, campaigns and organisations shaping the public relations landscape across sectors.

The development of the PRICE Awards peaked in September 2025 when the NIPR President and Chairman, Council, Dr. Ike Neliaku, inaugurated a 12-man committee to organise the maiden edition. The inauguration followed the Council’s adoption of the report of a technical team tasked with establishing the awards.


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Netflix Seals $82.7bn Deal to Acquire Warner Bros., HBO Max

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Netflix has announced a landmark agreement to acquire Warner Bros. and HBO Max in a transaction valued at $82.7 billion, a move analysts say will reshape the global entertainment industry.

Netflix Seals $82.7bn Deal to Acquire Warner Bros., HBO Max

Netflix

The deal, which includes Warner Bros.’ film and television studios, HBO, HBO Max, and Warner Bros. Games, was unanimously approved by the boards of both companies. Under the terms, Warner Bros. Discovery (WBD) shareholders will receive $23.25 in cash and $4.50 in Netflix shares for each WBD share.

Netflix co-CEO Ted Sarandos described the acquisition as “a defining moment” for the streaming giant, noting that the company intends to maintain Warner Bros.’ current operations while expanding its production capacity.

“By combining Warner Bros.’ incredible library of shows and movies with Netflix’s culture-defining titles, we can give audiences more of what they love and help define the next century of storytelling,” Sarandos said.

The transaction is expected to close within 12 to 18 months, following the planned spin-off of WBD’s TV networks division, Discovery Global, in 2026. Netflix projects annual cost savings of $2–3 billion by the third year after completion and expects the deal to be accretive to earnings per share by year two.

Industry groups, including the Directors Guild of America and Cinema United, have raised concerns about the impact on movie theaters, while regulators are expected to scrutinize the deal over antitrust issues. Netflix has pledged to continue supporting theatrical releases, with Warner Bros.’ cinema commitments running through 2029.

Warner Bros. Discovery CEO David Zaslav hailed the agreement, saying it “combines two of the greatest storytelling companies in the world to bring to even more people the entertainment they love.”

Observers note that the acquisition comes 15 years after former Time Warner chief Jeff Bewkes dismissed Netflix as “the Albanian army,” underscoring the dramatic shift in the entertainment landscape.


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It is Official, DStv Confirms Termination of 16 Major Channels

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A major shake‑up rocks viewers and subscribers of DSTV/GOTV as many channels are set to shut down and be removed on January 1, 2026.

It is Official, DStv Confirms Termination of 16 Major Channels

The trigger for the upcoming shut‑down is a breakdown in negotiations between the owners of multiple global channels and the pay‑TV operator.

As of December 2025, the deal between Warner Bros. Discovery (WBD) and DStv/GOtv has expired and the two parties have not reached a renewal agreement.

Without a new carriage/distribution agreement, the channels belonging to WBD risk being pulled off the DStv/GOtv line‑up.

This is the most significant content cutback the service has seen in years.

The affected channels are:

Discovery Channel

TLC

Cartoonito

Cartoon Network

CNN International

Food Network

The Travel Channel

TNT

Investigation Discovery

Real Time

HGTV

Discovery Family


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