Telecom
Airtel’s New Campaign Rings Friendship
Airtel Nigeria has taken a significant step to unify Nigerians with a new thematic campaign that focuses on friendship and the importance of building a large network of true friends, in an effort to actualize its vision of being the most loved brand in the daily lives of Nigerians, Leading telecommunications operator,
Dubbed Padi Na Good Thing O, the campaign reinforces friendship as a key influencer and enabler of success especially among youth.
It also highlights Airtel’s special appeal as the nation’s foremost telecoms operator with the tradition of connecting friends and strengthening bonds of friendship on life’s success journey.
Rajan Swaroop, managing director/chief executive officer, Airtel said the campaign is a celebration of friendship, as it depicts how we can, as a people, collectively achieve success with the help of our network of friends by relying on their talents, hard work and dedication.
He further disclosed that Airtel is proud that Nigerians display an outlook of determination, responsiveness and self-belief in the pursuit of life goals. ”These attributes, Swaroop noted “are in consonance with the universal knowledge that knowing the right people and staying connected with them helps people get ahead. This is an attribute that we share with our customers, hence the theme of the campaign.”
In his remarks, Deepak Srivastava, chief operating officer/executive director, promised that the company will continue to innovate and come up with more exciting and pocket-friendly offerings that would further deepen relationships and also help customers to achieve success in all areas of endeavours.
He stressed that Airtel’s leading role as the ‘pro-people network’ is reflected in its bespoke range of products, services and offerings including the 500 percent bonus offer, which is currently the rave of the moment, 2Good packages, Wazobia, Club 10, Quick Talk and Club Business, to mention but a few.
Revealing the classy television ad of the campaign to the media, it throws up the narrative of a Nigerian Character, Half Dollar – a Nigerian youngster who dreams big and possesses an awesome singing talent but yet to find his big break.
His friends are his biggest fans and when called upon, they use their collective strength and efforts to get him a lucrative recording deal that led to his much needed big break.
It will be recalled that in just about two years of delivering quality telecoms services to over 20 million customers, Airtel’s innovativeness have proven to be a big bargain, building relationships across socio-cultural, political, religious and professional borders.
Mazen Mroue, a non-executive director at MTN Nigeria Communications Plc, has resigned effective February 27, 2026, to prioritise other responsibilities within the MTN Group, the company announced in a Nigerian Exchange Limited (NGX) filing.
MTN Nigeria
The notice, signed by company secretary Uto Ukpanah, stated: “This is to enable Mr. Mroue to focus on other priorities within MTN Group Limited. The Board wishes to express its appreciation to Mr. Mroue for his immense service to MTN Nigeria and wishes him success in his future endeavours.”
Mroue joined MTN Nigeria’s board on June 1, 2022, bringing over 28 years of telecom experience. A veteran MTN executive, he previously served as CEO of MTN Uganda and MTN Liberia, non-executive director at MTN Cyprus, and held leadership roles at MTN Ghana.
Since February 2022, he has been MTN Group’s Chief Technology and Information Officer, overseeing technology strategy and governance. Earlier, as MTN Nigeria’s COO from August 2018 to January 2022, he also sat on the MTN Nigeria Foundation board.
The exit follows MTN Nigeria’s stellar 2025 results, posting a ₦1.70 trillion profit before tax—reversing a ₦550.3 billion loss in 2024 driven by forex woes—marking one of the telco’s strongest rebounds.
Google has rolled out support for Yorùbá and Hausa languages in its AI-powered Search features—AI Overviews and AI Mode—enabling millions of Nigerians to get quick answers, summaries, and conversational web exploration in their mother tongues.
The update forms part of Google’s push to cover 13 African languages, including Afrikaans, Akan, Amharic, Kinyarwanda, Afaan Oromoo, Somali, Sesotho, Kiswahili, Setswana, Wolof, and isiZulu, selected based on high search activity across the continent.
Now, a Kano student can ask complex questions in Hausa, while an Ibadan trader seeks business tips in Yorùbá—both receiving culturally nuanced AI responses via text or voice on Android, iOS, or web.
Taiwo Kola-Ogunlade, Google’s West Africa Communications Manager, said: “Building truly global Search requires nuanced local understanding. With Gemini-powered AI, we’ve made advanced capabilities relevant in Yorùbá and Hausa, so Nigerians converse naturally with Search in their mother tongues.”
To use: Open the Google app, tap AI Mode, and query in Hausa or Yorùbá for personalised guidance—breaking language barriers and making technology reflect Nigeria’s diverse identity.
MultiChoice is closing its continental streaming platform Showmax after 11 years, notifying subscribers Thursday of the board’s decision to discontinue the service in the near future to refocus on sustainable digital offerings.
MultiChoice
The email assured no immediate disruption: “You can continue streaming as usual, and no action is required from you at this time.” Showmax, launched in South Africa in 2015 and expanded across Africa, offered movies, series, documentaries, and sports to rival Netflix and others amid rising online entertainment demand.
The shutdown follows Canal+’s approved takeover of MultiChoice last year, with the French giant offering ZAR 125 per share for remaining stakes.
The deal mandates HDP ownership boosts, local content investment, and splitting MultiChoice’s SA broadcasting arm into an independent entity to meet regulations.
MultiChoice prioritised subscribers during the transition, promising advance notice on timelines.
Showmax’s exit signals consolidation pressures in Africa’s cut-throat streaming market, where global players dominate despite local content strengths.
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