Broadcasting
CADEF Celebrates International Women’s Day 2025: Empowering Women and Girls with Digital Skills for a Brighter Future
As the world marks International Women’s Day 2025, Consumer Advocacy and Empowerment Foundation (CADEF) reaffirms its commitment to bridging the gender digital divide by empowering women and girls with essential digital skills and financial inclusion opportunities. Recognizing the transformative power of digital literacy, CADEF continues to champion initiatives that equip women with the tools they need to thrive in the digital economy.
In 2024, CADEF successfully trained over 100 women and girls in digital skills, enhancing their ability to participate in the rapidly evolving digital space. Women remain underrepresented in the digital economy, with recent data from the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) indicating that 37% of women worldwide still lack access to the internet, limiting their participation in digital finance and e-commerce opportunities.
In Nigeria, the gender gap in financial inclusion persists, with a 9% disparity between men and women in access to formal financial services, according to the Enhancing Financial Innovation & Access (EFInA) report.
By addressing these disparities, CADEF aims to build on its success in 2025, scaling its digital training programs to reach even more women and girls. With digital finance playing a critical role in economic empowerment, CADEF is also committed to equipping women and girls with the knowledge and tools to navigate digital financial services effectively.
“Our vision is to create a future where no woman is left behind in the digital revolution,” said Prof. Chiso Ndukwe-Okafor, Executive Director of CADEF.
“Through our digital skills and financial literacy programs, we are not only bridging the gender gap but also enabling women to take charge of their financial futures and unlock new economic opportunities.”
As part of its 2025 efforts, CADEF is expanding its reach to underserved communities, ensuring that more women gain the skills necessary to leverage digital platforms for entrepreneurship, career advancement, and financial independence. The organization’s initiatives are aligned with global efforts to promote gender equity in the digital space, reinforcing the theme of International Women’s Day 2025: Invest in Women: Accelerate Progress.
Emphasising the commitment of the organization to the empowerment of women and girls, Lovelyn Okafor, Director of Programmes at CADEF said “We remain committed to providing women and girls with the training and resources they need to excel in an increasingly digital world. With every program we implement, we move closer to a more inclusive and empowered society.”
CADEF invites stakeholders, partners, and advocates to join in this mission of empowering women through digital skills and financial inclusion. By working together, we can build a more equitable future where women and girls have equal access to opportunities in the digital economy.
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.
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
Paramount Africa is officially shutting down at the end of December 2025, drawing the curtain on more than two decades of operations in South Africa and Nigeria.
The company, which once reached over 100 million viewers across 52 African territories, confirmed it will close its doors as part of a massive global restructuring at its parent company, Paramount Global.
This is the same Paramount Africa behind channels like BET, MTV, MTV Base, Comedy Central, Nickelodeon, and more.
Its digital footprint has also been significant, with millions of monthly page views, social media engagements, and content partnerships across Africa.
But despite that scale, rising costs and a global strategic reset have caught up with the business.
Paramount’s retrenchment has been building for months.
Earlier this year, plans to launch a standalone Paramount+ app in South Africa were quietly shelved.
Then in August, the company said its content would remain available only via DStv and Showmax.
And last month, MultiChoice confirmed that BET Africa and MTV Base will disappear from DStv and GOtv on January 1, 2026, as Paramount Africa winds down entirely.
The shutdown is tied to aggressive cost-cutting after Paramount’s merger with Skydance. The company is targeting a 15% reduction in global staff and $3 billion in savings.
International divisions, including Africa, have taken the hardest hit as the business pivots away from linear TV and doubles down on a more streamlined streaming-first model.
At the same time, the global media landscape is being shaken by Warner Bros. Discovery’s chaotic auction. Netflix, Paramount, and Comcast have all submitted fresh bids for WBD, with some offers reportedly focusing on the studios-and-streaming division, home to HBO, HBO Max, DC, and Warner Bros. Pictures.
Analysts say the crown jewel bundle could go for as much as $70 billion, a deal that would reshape Hollywood and accelerate the decline of traditional TV.
DStv subscribers may lose access to 12 major Warner Bros. Discovery (WBD) channels, including CNN International, Discovery Channel, TLC, and Cartoon Network, from Jan. 1, 2026, if MultiChoice and WBD fail to conclude a new distribution agreement.
DStv
MultiChoice, now owned by Canal+, issued a notice to customers on Monday, warning that its current carriage deal with WBD will expire on Dec. 31, 2025, and negotiations to renew the contract remain inconclusive.
“While discussions between the parties continue, no agreement has been reached at this stage. If this remains unchanged, several Warner Bros. Discovery channels may no longer be available on DStv from Jan. 1, 2026,” the company said.
The channels at risk include Discovery Channel, CNN International, TLC, Discovery Family, Real Time, TNT Africa, Food Network, HGTV, Investigation Discovery, Cartoon Network, Cartoonito, and Travel Channel.
The development comes amid subscriber losses for MultiChoice, which has shed 2.8 million active linear subscribers over the last two financial years.
This includes 1.2 million customers lost in 2025 alone, representing an 8 per cent decline across South Africa and the rest of Africa.
In Nigeria, MultiChoice has lost 1.4 million subscribers in the past two years, largely due to repeated subscription price increases, according to Nairametrics.
The broadcaster is also set to lose additional content in the coming months. Paramount Africa will discontinue BET Africa and MTV Base from Jan. 1, 2026, while CBS Reality and CBS Justice will cease operations on Dec. 31, 2025.
Senate Considers Bill to Empower CBN to Regulate Fintech
It is Official, DStv Confirms Termination of 16 Major Channels
Paramount Africa Shuts Down after 20 Years
Afreximbank Taps Nigeria to Lead Africa’s Digital Trade Revolution
GenAI Adoption Among African workers Outpace Global Peers
Oluwaseun Dania Unearths How AI will Shape Africa’s Creative-AI Future @ World Bank Forum
Kaspersky Introduces Cyber Pathways to Support Career Development in Cybersecurity
Nigeria’s $618m Tech Incubator Debuts
NITDA DG Tasks Youths to Drive Africa’s Digital Transformation
Firm Urges Organizations to Check Protection of their Websites Amid Search Engine Optimisation Attack Schemes
E-Business3 days agoCyber Tsunami Hits Nigeria as Breaches Surge 1,047%, esentry Q3 Report Reveals
E-Business3 days agoReport says Human Error Fuels Breaches as Only Half of Professionals Receive Cybersecurity Training
E-Financial3 days agoFBNQuest Merchant Bank Confirms New Ownership Structure, Sets Stage for Future Growth
General News3 days agoNigeria’s GDP Rises to 3.98% in Q3 2025, Driven by Agriculture, ICT, and Finance
E-Business2 days agoJumia’s Data Shows Nigerians Turning to Digital Retail to Navigate Inflation Pressures
E-Financial3 days agoMoniepoint MFB Launches Moniebook to Transform MSMEs Operations
General News3 days agoIHS Nigeria Leads Gender Based Violence Awareness Walk, Reaffirms Zero Tolerance with Advocacy Seminar
Telecom3 days agoAfrica Data Centres Partners CSSi SA to Boost Data Sovereignty in South Africa