Broadcasting
Big Brother Returns with ‘Stargame’
Africa’s largest reality show, Big Brother Africa by M-Net, is in its seventh season. The seventh edition to be known as ‘Stargame’ starts on Sunday, May 6 when M-Net opens the doors of Big Brother House to selected housemates from the different parts of the continent. This year, BBA will be live on DStv exclusively for 91 days and it will be 24/7. That is actually no news to ardent followers who have kept faith with the series for six seasons beginning from 2003, the edition won by Zambian Cherise Makubale. “One of the main reasons for the success of Big Brother, in Africa and beyond the continent, is that it creates its own stars from the minute housemates step into the spotlight,” says M-Net Africa Managing Director, Biola Alabi. “The show is built on the idea that, given the chance, anyone can be a star, anyone can find themselves shot to stardom. So this year, we’re honouring this essential element of the show directly in the title, putting the concept of rising stars and dreams of stardom right at the front of what is a challenging, fun, dramatic game.” Three major surprises await BBA followers this season. The first: each contestant must enter with a partner – your best friend, boyfriend, girlfriend, mom, dad, brother, sister, boss, husband, wife, neighbour, hairdresser, anybody! Whao! That, according to M-Net, is called “Double Up”. Mrs Alabi said: “The really big news this season is that entrants must enter as pairs. In the past we’ve seen a natural and continuous cross-over between individuals and their families, their friends. So this year, we decided to include that as part of the game. It will definitely make a dramatic addition to the series so we urge people to enter and experience what will be a uniquely different Big Brother Africa!” The second surprise: an addition of two new participating countries, which are Liberia and Sierra-Leone. M-Net announced that two previous participating countries, Ethiopia and Mozambique will play new part in this year’s edition. Ethiopia, M-Net said, opted out of the show. The reason is not stated. But it can be inferred from the performances of the two housemates – Yacob and Hanni – who represented the country in the previous three editions that Ethiopia featured in. Many analysts of the show felt these two didn’t put up strong performances to clinch the ultimate prize. For Mozambique, M-Net said, there will be a new role. What role this is, M-Net didn’t state yet. Big Brother is full of twists and turns, so viewers can only keep guessing at what awaits them. The third and the biggest surprise: M-Net has increased the prize money from $200,000 to $300,000. In Nigeria, if converted to Naira, this literally equals N50 million. And it is a winner-takes-all! M-Net auditions for BBA7 housemates have kicked off across the continent. Nigeria’s audition held in Lagos on Monday March 5, Tuesday March 6 and Wednesday March 7 at the Protea Leadway Hotel, Maryland. From across the federation, thousands of hopefuls gathered at the audition venue to try their luck. Then the drama this season portends started to play out. In the first instance, one would have concluded that the fact that Nigerian housemates, three times in a row, won the fourth, fifth and sixth editions, and therefore no contestant stands a chance in subsequent editions. But no; Nigerians, of course, older than 21 years, trooped to the venue in their thousands jostling for the slot to represent the country when the show starts in May. Beginning with Kevin Chuwang Pam in 2009; second-time lucky Uti Nwachukwu in 2010, and Karen Igho, a joint-winner in 2011, the show is gradually becoming a Nigeria affair. That was not the drama. The drama played out in the line-up of the people that showed up as partners to compete. Grandmothers came with their nephews, some ladies came with their mothers, boyfriends partnered girlfriends, and a popular act, Trybson (played Dagrin in Ghetto Dreams) came with his manager. There were cases of boyfriends or girlfriends who waited in vain for their partners to show up at the venue and while it was becoming clear their partners were not going to show up, hooked up with other jilted but available partners. One began to wonder how all these elements will play out when the show eventually starts. It was stated in M-Net’s advert for interested participants that entrants for this season, as with previous seasons, must be fun-loving, vocal, creative, original and articulate. In addition to those characteristics, entrants must demonstrate the social flexibility to live in close proximity with others and must be tolerant of views and lifestyle choices other than their own. The piece of information supplied above is vital in the view of previous episodes and encounters with housemates who showed strong objections to the views and behaviour of other housemates leading to altercations and violence, resulting in such housemates’ consequent disqualification; Ugandan Hannington and Tanzanian Lotus in Big Brother All Stars and Big Brother Amplified, respectively. BBA is one show that consciously puts to test housemates’ emotions, attitudes and actions. In playing the game as fairly as they could be, housemates set themselves up for series of intrigues, drama, controversies, conspiracy and the likes, having it at the back of their minds that it’s just a game. It is only when the show is taken seriously beyond the realm of a game that tension is created and clashes occur. In the new edition, viewers must look forward to how the different characters being assembled by M-Net across the continent will accept, tolerate, and cooperate with one another to create an exciting show to last the duration of 91 days. He claimed that skeletal services had “eventually led to the avoidable access of armed robbers to the banking premises through bank staff private entrance. “No bank in Ijebu land should render skeletal services to customers henceforth until the forum’s demands on security are fully met by the state government.” “Staff should move away from banks’ premises till further notice. No loading of ATM should be carried out by any bank. Any robbery attack arising as a result of culpability of any bank shall be viewed as connivance and collaboration with the robbers,” he warned. Olusoga warned that the forum would “not defend or issue any statement to absolve any bank official who out of his carelessness allows his bank to be robbed through skeletal services rendered.” On the assurances by the state government that five APCs would arrive the state by Friday, he said the bankers would call off the action once the armoured vehicles were physically on ground. Corroborating, Tunde Onadeko, chairman, Bankers’ Forum in Sagamu said all banks in the axis have also been directed to shut operations. “We are together in this agitation. Whatever you hear from the Ijebu Bankers’ Forum is our position,” Onadeko said. Meanwhile, Bola Onifade, state chairman of the forum said banks in Abeokuta would open for normal business and denied insinuations that the state government pressured him to back out of the action.
A new study, conducted by pan-African organisation, Paradigm Initiative (PIN), warns of an alarming surge in the prevalence of Technology-Facilitated Gender-Based violence, with 67 percent of respondents being victims of at least one or multiple forms of digital violence.
Online
Released on International Human Rights Day, the research exposes deep systemic failures, weak accountability, and unsafe online spaces driving a rapidly escalating epidemic across Cameroon, Kenya, Nigeria, Senegal, Zambia, and Zimbabwe.
PIN recognises that this gap limits both the understanding of TFGBV and the development of effective solutions. In response, this study adopts a survivor-centred approach that reframes how TFGBV is researched, discussed, and addressed. By prioritising survivors’ perspectives, the research uncovers the emotional, social, and systemic dimensions of digital violence that formal reports and statistics often obscure. It also interrogates how survivors navigate reporting systems, access justice, and play an informed role in digital spaces that are frequently hostile or unsafe.
A key finding of the study is that young people are disproportionately affected, with those aged 18–34 constituting the vast majority of survivors. Most incidents of TFGBV occurred on Facebook, WhatsApp, and X (formerly Twitter), underscoring how mainstream social media platforms continue to function as structurally unsafe spaces for many users—particularly women, activists, and advocates.
“Victims’ experiences range from sexual harassment, threats, and misogynistic attacks to severe violations such as stalking, non-consensual image sharing, hacking, sextortion, and identity-based harassment,” the report notes. “Personal testimonies reveal profound emotional, psychological, and reputational harm.”
The study also highlights that formal systems such as the police, employers, and public institutions, remain underutilised, largely due to fear, mistrust, or an expectation of inaction. While the findings expose wide-ranging gaps across platforms, institutions, and legal frameworks, they also highlight survivors’ resilience and their continued efforts to seek safer digital environments.
In light of these findings, PIN calls for urgent action to make online spaces safer for everyone, in line with this year’s Human Rights Day theme, “Human Rights, our everyday essentials.” Addressing these systemic gaps is critical to advancing democratic engagement, promoting media pluralism, fostering digital inclusion, and achieving gender equality across Africa.
Nigerian singer, songwriter, and producer CKay has officially surpassed one billion streams on Spotify with his breakout hit Love Nwantiti, making him one of the few African artists to reach this milestone and the first Nigerian solo act to do so.
Ckay
The rise of the emotional Afrobeats anthem
Originally an early hit when it dropped in 2019, “Love Nwantiti” (released on CKay’s EP – CKay the First) began as a slow-burn masterpiece that captured a global audience. The song broke out by blending the grooving rhythm of Afrobeats with an emotional feeling and an entrancing melody, a sound CKay himself pioneered and coined as “Emo-Afrobeats,” fusing African rhythms with raw, heartfelt emotion.
The song, which translates to “sweet gentle love” in the Igbo language, communicates an intense desire for a love interest. Its journey from a homegrown Nigerian track to a cultural sensation fueled by countless dance challenges, social virality, and international remixes is proof of the widespread power of its sound. The song remains a fixture on playlists globally, with over 3.9 million playlist adds and sustained streaming momentum across continents.
A solo milestone, a global legacy
Love Nwantiti’s sustained global appeal is undeniable: in the last 28 days alone, listeners from the United States , India,, Indonesia, Brazil , and the United Kingdom continue to press play, proof of the track’s staying power well beyond its viral peak.
This achievement places CKay in an elite group of African artists with billion-stream records on Spotify, which includes hits driven by collaborations with Nigerian artists, such as Drake’s One Dance (featuring Wizkid and Kyla), Future’s Wait For U (featuring Drake and Tems), and Rema’s Calm Down (featuring Selena Gomez), and solo song Water, by Tyla.
CKay achieved this historic mark with a solo, non-collaborative lead release by a Nigerian artist. This distinction highlights his unique vision and singular impact as both a writer and performer, making him a true torchbearer for the new generation of African music talent.
“Love Nwantiti” is more than a viral hit; it is a cultural reset. Demonstrating the rich storytelling and emotional depth of his sound, CKay didn’t just break borders, he built a powerful bridge for the global crossover of authentic African music, proving its resonance on the global stage.
CKay’s success is a signal for the future of African music on the global stage. Let us know if you’d like more on CKay’s journey or the song’s global streaming story.
Broadcasting
Global South Alliance Launches $72,000 Datafication and Democracy Fund to Support 2026 Research Projects
The Global South Alliance, a coalition of 26 digital rights organizations, launched today the second edition of the “Datafication and Democracy Fund” on December 9.
Global South Alliance
The Fund will provide more US$ 72,000 to support research and advocacy projects focused on datafication and democracy to be implemented in 2026.
The Datafication and Democracy Fund was launched during the fourth edition of the Data Privacy Global Conference, organized in São Paulo, Brazil. The Global South Alliance is jointly managed by Data Privacy Brasil, Aapti Institute, and Paradigm Initiative.
The members are Asociación por los Derechos Civiles, Bolo Bhi, Center for Communication and Governance, CIPESA, Derechos Digitales, Digital Rights Foundation, Dukingire Isi Yacu, Internet Bolivia, Pollicy, Research ICT Africa, Fundación Multitudes, InternetLab, Thraets, Jokkolabs Banjul, Aláfia Lab, Centre for Policy Alternatives, KICTANET, Tech Global Institute, Freedom Forum, TEDIC, Digital Access, Center for AI and Tech Innovation for Democracy and Masaar.
The call for proposals is open to non-profit, non-governmental organizations based in the Global South working on digital rights and related public policy issues. Previously supported organizations have addressed topics such as online child protection, data governance in electoral processes, biometric technologies in stadiums and large events, mandatory biometric data collection of migrants, and discriminatory surveillance and datafication practices.
According to the launch announcement, the Datafication and Democracy Fund “aims to finance research and public policy analysis projects that address critical questions arising from the impact of datafication on democracy.” The Alliance emphasizes that “datafication is a deep and complex process of social transformation: it shapes the provision of public services mediated by information technologies, the emergence of digital public infrastructures, the data-driven nature of elections, the reconfiguration of markets and platforms, and many aspects of civic life. Beyond deliberative processes and elections, datafication exacerbates democratic challenges such as transparency, due process, and respect for citizens’ autonomy.”
Selected applicants will receive grants of up to US$ 8,000 to support their research projects. Depending on the proposals submitted, between 8 and 12 projects will be funded. All funded projects must be carried out during 2026.
Applicants are required to submit:
A one-page cover letter outlining the organization’s background, experience, and motivation for participating in the research program;
A proposal of up to five pages detailing the topic, scope, methodology, expected results, and relevance of the project to digital rights and democracy in the Global South;
A detailed budget, not exceeding US$ 8,000, specifying how resources will be allocated across the proposed project’s components.
Applications must be submitted in English by January 30th 2026, through the designated online form.
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