General News
Africa Accounts for 2.3% in International Aviation Traffic in 2014

In terms of market share, Africa accounted for 2.3% of the international aviation traffic last year, as revealed in the 59th Edition of IATA World Air Transport Statistics.
The International Air Transport Association (IATA) announced industry performance statistics for 2014 showing the growing demand for air transport.
Asia Asia-Pacific has clearly established itself as the industry’s largest market. In 2014 that was demonstrated by several measures:
International traffic to, from and within the Asia-Pacific region represented 42% of total international revenue passenger kilometers (RPKs).
Carriers registered in the Asia-Pacific region carried some 33% of total passengers
The five busiest international and domestic city-pair air routes were all in the Asia-Pacific region.
The information was reported in the recently released 59th Edition of the World Air Transport Statistics (WATS), the yearbook of the airline industry’s annual performance.
“Commercial aviation is a remarkable engine for economic activity. The growth of connectivity illustrates the point. A billion more people boarded aircraft last year than did a decade ago. Much of that growth has been in the Asia-Pacific region where expanding connectivity has gone hand-in-hand with economic opportunity. The industry’s 2014 performance shows aviation connectivity as a driving force in emerging economies and a critical component in the developed world,” said Tony Tyler, IATA’s Director General and CEO.
In 2014 airlines operated some100,000 flights per day and transported 51.3 million tonnes of cargo, equivalent to around 35% of the total value of all goods traded internationally.
Highlights of the 2014 airline industry performance:
Passenger
System-wide, airlines carried 3.3 billion passengers on scheduled services, an increase of 5.8% over 2013.
Airlines in the Asia-Pacific region once again carried the largest number of passengers. The regional ranking (based on total passengers carried on scheduled services by airlines registered in that region) is:
Asia-Pacific 33.3% market share (1.1 billion passengers, an increase of 8% compared to the region’s passengers in 2013)
Europe 26.3% market share (873.4 million passengers, up 5.6% over 2013); North America 25.3% market share (841.8 million, up 2.6% over 2013); Latin America and the Caribbean 7.7% market share (255.9 million, up 7.0%); Middle East 5.2% market share (173.0 million, an increase of 10.0%); Africa 2.3% market share (76.7 million, up 2.4% over 2013).
The top five airlines ranked by total scheduled passengers carried (domestic and international) were:
Delta Air Lines (129.4 million); Southwest Airlines (129.1 million); China Southern Airlines (100.7 million); United Airlines (90.4 million)
American Airlines (87.8 million) (note: does not include results of US Airways (54.4 million), which operated as a separate country in 2014)
The top five international/regional passenger airport-pairs were all within the Asia-Pacific region:
Hong Kong-Taipei (5.1 million, up 4% from 2013); Jakarta-Singapore (3.5 million, up 1.4%)
Hong Kong-Singapore (2.8 million, increase of 7.8%); Hong Kong-Shanghai (2.7 million, up 5.9%); Hong Kong-Seoul (2.5 million, an increase of 25.8% from 2013)
The top five domestic passenger airport-pairs were also all in the Asia-Pacific region:
Jeju Seoul (10.5 million, up 10.9% over 2013); Fukuoka-Tokyo (8.3 million, up 11.7%); Sapporo-Tokyo (7.8 million, a decrease of 4.0% from 2013); Melbourne-Sydney (7.0 million, down 5.2%); Beijing-Shanghai (5.8 million, down 1.1% from 2013).
Cargo
Globally, cargo markets showed a 5.8% expansion in freight tonne kilometers (FTKs). This outstripped a capacity increase of 5.0% lifting load factors to 48%.
The top five airlines ranked by total freight tonnes carried on scheduled services were:
Federal Express (7.1 million); UPS Airlines (4.2 million); Emirates (2.3 million); Korean Air (1.5 million); Cathay Pacific Airways (1.5 million)
Airline Alliances
Star Alliance maintained its position as the largest airline alliance in 2014 with 23.7% of total scheduled traffic (in RPK), followed by SkyTeam (20.5%) and oneworld (18.3%).
General News
Teenager Hacks Celebrities Whatsapps, Sells Adult Content in Delta

Delta State Police Command has revealed how a 17-year-old boy allegedly hacked into celebrities’ WhatsApp accounts and sold explicit adult content to classmates.

This was disclosed in a viral video shared by comedian Otaghware Onodjayeke, popularly known as I Go Save, during a security awareness programme where he spoke with Temi Agbede-Zuokumor, divisional police officer (DPO) of Ugborikoko Division, Uvwie Local Government Area of Delta State.
The DPO explained that the case came to light after a routine check of a student’s phone, which first raised suspicion.
Agbede-Zuokumor disclosed that the student’s mother had initially claimed the phone belonged to his sister, but further inspection revealed otherwise.
“The woman looked very modest, so I asked her if she was from Deeper Life. She said no. I then asked why her son took a phone to school, and she claimed it belonged to his sister,” she narrated.
The DPO expressed that the development triggered her suspicion, prompting officers to examine the phone’s contents.
“Something told me to check the phone. When we did, we discovered that everything on the device belonged to the boy,” she said.
She added that the phone contained over 80 foreign numbers, including Australian contacts, alongside numerous explicit materials.
“We saw several foreign numbers, over 80 Australian lines, and the phone was filled with pornographic content,” she said.
The police officer further disclosed that the suspect allegedly sold explicit materials to his classmates, who referred to him as “boss.”
“We also saw chats with his classmates asking if he had explicit content to sell. They were calling him ‘boss’ in school,” she added.
According to her, investigations also revealed that the teenager had hacked into WhatsApp accounts belonging to prominent individuals and used them to solicit money.
“We discovered he had access to WhatsApp accounts of some celebrities, which he used to demand money from unsuspecting victims,” she said.
Speaking during the session, comedian I Go Save recounted a similar experience, describing how he was once contacted by a suspected fraudster impersonating Elon Musk, Forbes world richest man.
“That was how someone impersonating Elon Musk messaged me, saying he was stranded and needed a recharge card,” he said.
“I was surprised and asked which network he used. The person later sent an Opay account,” he added.
The police warned parents and school authorities to be more vigilant, stressing the growing concern of cyber-related crimes among young people.
General News
SERAP Asks Tinubu to Probe Alleged N2.9Bn Fraud In NIGCOMSAT, NNRA

Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP) has urged President Bola Tinubu to direct Bosun Tijani, minister of Communications, Innovation and Digital Economy, as well as the management of the Nigerian Communications Satellite Ltd (NIGCOMSAT) and the Nigerian Nuclear Regulatory Authority (NNRA), to account for and explain the whereabouts of an alleged ₦2.9 billion in missing or diverted public funds.

SERAP also called on Lateef Fagbemi (SAN), attorney general of the federation and minister of justice, and relevant anti-corruption agencies to investigate the alleged diversion of funds, including those documented in previous Auditor-General reports.
In a letter dated April 11, 2026, and signed by Kolawole Oluwadare, deputy director SERAP, said: “These allegations, involving critical public institutions, represent a grave violation of the public trust and a fundamental breach of Nigeria’s anti-corruption laws and international obligations.”
The group further urged the Federal Government to direct NIGCOMSAT to disclose the shareholders and beneficial owners of a company that allegedly received ₦465 million in “unauthorised investment” from the agency.
SERAP said, “Anyone suspected to be responsible should face prosecution as appropriate, if there is sufficient admissible evidence, and any missing or diverted public funds should be fully recovered and remitted to the treasury.”
The organisation gave the government seven days to comply, warning that it may initiate legal action if its demands are not met.
It also stated that accountability in both agencies is critical, given their strategic roles, saying: “Accountability in NIGCOMSAT and NNRA is critical given their strategic roles in Nigeria’s digital economy and national safety systems. Mismanagement in these agencies not only wastes scarce public resources but also threatens national development, technological progress, and public safety.”
SERAP added: “Ensuring accountability is therefore essential to protecting both Nigeria’s present and its future.”
It warned that failure to address the allegations would continue to erode public trust, stating: “These allegations, if left unaddressed, will continue to undermine public confidence in government institutions, weaken Nigeria’s anti-corruption framework, and deprive citizens of resources needed for development.”
The allegations were drawn from the Auditor-General’s report published on September 9, 2025, which examined financial activities in NIGCOMSAT and NNRA and raised concerns over possible mismanagement of public funds.
According to the report, NIGCOMSAT failed to account for over ₦465 million used for an “unauthorised investment” in Gicell Wireless Ltd, made without approvals from the Minister of Science and Technology and the Accountant-General of the Federation.
It also noted that “there was also no evidence that a competent Investment Analyst performed investment appraisal,” while the investment agreement raised concerns over valuation and exchange rate assumptions.
The Auditor-General further stated that “NIGCOMSAT made ineligible, irregular and wrong payments of over ₦3 million to staff,” and that “the payment was made without due process and any documents on what the payments were meant for.”
It also flagged an irregular rent payment of over ₦4.3 million, noting that although a refund was requested, “there was no evidence that the consultant refunded the money.”
It added that NIGCOMSAT “failed to remit over ₦507 million of its internally generated revenue to the Consolidated Revenue Fund,” while also failing to account for over ₦6 million for undelivered store items.
The report further stated that “there was also no evidence of how the transferred funds were spent or utilised,” referring to an irregular ₦84.78 million transfer from a Remita account to a special project account.
On NNRA, the report alleged that ₦4.35 million was spent on training without evidence that it took place, while ₦16.7 million was paid for ICT equipment without approval.
It also stated that ₦33.4 million was spent on items that were never supplied, and that “there were no documents to support” several payments for operational activities.
The Auditor-General further noted that NNRA “failed to retire over ₦6.5 million of cash advances granted to staff,” and that ₦2.05 million paid for foreign training had no evidence of participation.
It also stated that ₦1.95 million collected through Remita was not recorded in the agency’s cashbook, leading to concerns of revenue understatement.
SERAP said the findings point to “a systemic pattern of financial mismanagement, opacity, and corruption within an agency entrusted with advancing Nigeria’s digital and communications infrastructure,” adding that NNRA’s lapses also raise serious concerns about compliance with safety and financial regulations.
General News
IHS Nigeria Renovates, Upgrade Facilities at the National Museum Lagos

IHS Nigeria, part of the IHS Holding Limited (“IHS Towers”) group, one of the largest independent owners, operators, and developers of shared communications infrastructure in the world by tower count, has partnered with the National Commission for Museums and Monuments to renovate and upgrade facilities at the National Museum, Lagos.

Commissioned by the Honorable Minister of Art, Culture, Tourism and the Creative Economy, Hannatu Musawa, the project is a significant step towards restoring and improving critical facilities at the museum complex, while supporting the long-term preservation of Nigeria’s cultural assets and heritage.
The project has improved the overall aesthetic appeal of the museum site and featured extensive restoration of the museum’s main gallery. The restored gallery incorporates the installation of modern display and lighting systems, air‑conditioning units, a solar inverter system to enhance energy efficiency, and surveillance cameras to aid safety, security and operational performance across the facility. These renovations and upgrades follow on from IHS Nigeria’s sponsorship of the museum’s efforts to digitize Nigeria’s cultural heritage and launch Nigeria’s first digital museum of antiquities at www.museum.ng.
Mohamad Darwish, CEO, IHS Nigeria, commented, “Having seen the rich historical and cultural heritage housed in this national museum complex, we believed it was important to go a step further after supporting the development of the digital museum, to also improve the aesthetics, security and structural integrity of the main physical complex. This aligns with our broader commitment to sustainable infrastructure development and the preservation of Nigeria’s history.
“I am proud of these renovations and that visitors, including tourists, researchers and art enthusiasts, can visit the museum to be immersed in Nigeria’s rich history in an environment that is safe, beautiful and welcoming.
“The artifacts can also now be better preserved, protected and presented in a way that celebrates the history they represent. I thank the National Commission for Museums and Monuments for this ongoing partnership which continues to exemplify the power of a collaborative effort in driving innovation, fostering national pride, and enhancing the creative economy.”
Olugbile Holloway, Director General, National Commission for Museums and Monuments, commented, “On behalf of the National Commission for Museums and Monuments, I wish to express our deepest gratitude to IHS Nigeria for their generous support of the restoration of the National Museum, Lagos. This landmark gesture goes far beyond bricks and mortar — it is a profound commitment to preserving the soul of our nation.
“The National Museum Lagos is home to some of Nigeria’s most treasured antiquities, from the ancient terracotta of the Nok civilization to the magnificent bronzes of the Benin Kingdom and the classical works of Ife.
“To restore this institution is to restore our collective memory. We thank IHS Nigeria for choosing to renew not just infrastructure, but the heritage, identity, and the hope of our people. Their support ensures that generations of Nigerians yet unborn will walk through these halls and encounter the full greatness of who we are and where we come from.”
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