Broadcasting
Google Arts & Culture Partners with CyArk and The Adunni Olorisha Trust to digitally preserve Osun Osogbo Sacred Grove
Google Arts & Culture on Thursday partnered with The Adunni Olorisha Trust and CyArk to announce the launch of the first and largest digital library of content showcasing the Osun Osogbo Sacred Grove.
Dr. Ijeoma adjusts the total station at Busanyin shrine
The launch, which marks the digital preservation of one of Nigeria’s last remaining sacred groves, is part of Google Arts and Culture’s wider Heritage on the Edge project. The project seeks to support site managers in digitally documenting heritage sites at risk due to climate change, using the imagery captured to further support community maintenance and conservation.
The Osun Osogbo Sacred Grove project can be explored via goo.gle/osun-osogbo. Highlights include a 75ha Street View of the Osun Osogbo Sacred Grove, including the Busanyin Shrine before it was affected by the flood and 3D models of four of the site’s dynamic shrines. The collection allows people to view 900 high-resolution photographs of the site, contemporary and historical artworks and sculptures, artists and spiritual leaders. It also tells 28 stories about art, community and spirituality at the Osun Osogbo Sacred Grove, and the effect of climate change at the site and includes three audio interviews, including one with popular artist Jimoh Buraimoh about Susanne Wenger.
Artist Adebisi Akanji c. Adunni Olorisha Trust _ Osun Foundation
The project also allows visitors to watch 27 video interviews and see aerial views and 3D views of the site while annotated 3D tours of the Busanyin and Iya Moopo shrines showcase the legacy of art and spirituality at the sacred grove.
“Google Arts & Culture’s mission is to preserve and promote the world’s art and culture online, allowing anyone, anywhere in the world to share in it. We are grateful that through partnerships we are now able to preserve one of the most recognised, culturally rich Yoruba heritage sites, known for active traditional worship and contemporary art movements,” says Chance Coughenour, Program Manager and Digital Archaeologist, Google Arts & Culture.
“Through the use of state-of-the-art technologies, site managers will be able to monitor and mitigate the effects of the changing climate and more broadly provide resources to support growing the capacity for the preservation of heritage sites” added Coughenour.
Located on the forested banks of the Osun river in the city of Osogbo, in Osun State of Nigeria, the Osun Osogbo Sacred Grove, a UNESCO World Heritage site is several centuries old and among the last sacred groves of their kind which joined the edges of most Yoruba cities before the mass shift from rural to urban areas.
In the site, Yoruba deities are embodied in shapely, sculpted shrines where creativity and spirituality come to life. Recently, the Grove has been in danger of destruction due to flooding, heavy rain and climate change. The Busanyin Shrine was damaged in floods shortly after being digitally captured.
“The Yoruba community is one of the largest in Nigeria and the Osun Osogbo Sacred Grove is truly a unique and special place that embodies the essence of the Yoruba culture and heritage. We are excited about the digital preservation of the site and the partnership with Google Arts & Culture. It offers a noteworthy body of work that portrays the admirable culture of the Yoruba people to the world,” says Olufemi A. Akinsanya Akinsanya, Chair, Save Our Art! Save Our Heritage! Campaign.
Flooding at Busanyin shrine
“CyArk’s work in Osogbo has been a true collaboration between Nigerian government officials, local NGOs, the community of Osogbo, and His Royal Highness Jimoh Oyetunji Olanipekun Larooye II, who are all working together to share the stories of Osogbo with a wider audience,” says Kacey Hadick, Director of Programs and Development, CyArk.
Alhaji Lai Mohammed, Honourable Minister of Information and Culture, Federal Republic of Nigeria, adds: “I am truly delighted that, for the first time ever, the Osun Osogbo Grove has been brought online, thanks to Google Arts and Culture, which has partnered with CyArk and the Adunni Olorisa Trust/Osun Foundation to digitise the shrine and its surroundings, thus protecting both for posterity.”
“I said during the visit to the Grove in 2019 that it was important to refocus national and global attention on this world heritage site, and I am glad we achieved our purpose, as can be attested to by this project digitising the shrine and its surroundings. I wish to most sincerely commend all the partners for this monumental work,” Alhaji Lai Mohammed says.
Through past projects like Taste of Nigeria and Eko for Show, Google Arts and Culture has helped people across the world experience Nigeria heritage and history. The launch of the Osun Osogbo Sacred Grove project allows new audiences locally and internationally an opportunity to experience its past, present and future, reinforcing Google’s commitment to preserving Nigeria’s cultural heritage.
Google Arts & Culture is available free to everyone on the web or via the Arts & Culture App on iOS and Android. Google Arts & Culture is a new way to experience art, history, culture, and world wonders from over 1000 organisations worldwide.
Metro Digital Limited, a licenced Indigenous broadcasting organisation, has accused Multichoice, pay television company, of refusing to obey judgements emanating from Courts in Nigeria.
It said the latest of such judgements is the one that was delivered by Justice Chinelo Odili of Rivers State High Court on May 4, 2026 in Suit No. PHC/3943/FHR/2025.
Dr. Paul Osuji, operations manager of Metro Digital, at a press conference in Port Harcourt, Rivers State,
said the suit was filed by the organisation and two others against Multichoice and the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).
Osuji stated that Justice Odili has in the judgement described the arrest of a staff member of the company and the carting away of it’s properties and disruption of it’s broadcasting business by the EFCC over a civil dispute of copyrighy as unlawful and violations of the applicants’ rights.
The manager recalled that in October 2025, Multichoice instigated the EFCC to read their office in Port Harcourt, arrested a staff of the company and staff of another company, while the suit was still pending.
“On October 16, 2025, the premises of Metro Digital Limited, a licenced indigenous broadcasting organisation was raided by the Nigerian anti-graft agency, EFCC, instigated by Multichoice Nigeria, purportedly acting on a preservation order made by the Federal High Court sitting in Port Harcourt over the sub licensing of broadcasting content right.
“The preservation order came from a civil dispute already adjudicated by the Court of Appeal No. CA/CS/188/2021 – Multichoice Vs Metro Digital Limited and 20 others, which is a subject of a pending appeal -No. SC/CV/1248/2022 -Multichoice and 20 others before the Supreme Court.
“Instructively, while suit No. PHC/ 3943/ FHR/2025 was still pending, Metro Digital Limited filed an application to set aside the said preservation orders of the Federal High Court sitting in Port Harcourt and presided over by Hon. Justice A.T Mohammed.
“In his ruling delivered on December 10, 2025, set aside the preservation orders and it’s legal execution on Metro Digital Limited. The court also ordered EFCC to return unconditionally all the properties and records of Metro Digital Limited, illegally and unlawfully carted away during the raid but the agency has till today not obeyed those orders of the Court,” he said.
Metro Digital Limited is known for operating SLTV, a direct-to-home satellite television service launched to provide affordable, locally-owned alternatives to international pay TV
A Federal High Court in Lagos has restrained the National Broadcasting Commission (NBC) from sanctioning or punishing broadcast stations and presenters over the expression of personal opinions, alleged bullying of guests, or failure to maintain neutrality on air.
NBC
Justice Daniel Osiagor granted the interim injunction following an ex parte application filed by the Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP) and the Nigerian Guild of Editors (NGE).
The court specifically restrained the NBC, its officers, agents and affiliated persons from enforcing its recently issued “Formal Notice” or imposing sanctions, fines or penalties on broadcasters based on provisions of the 6th Edition of the Nigeria Broadcasting Code, pending the hearing and determination of the substantive suit.
SERAP and NGE had approached the court to challenge what they described as an arbitrary and unlawful move by the commission to punish broadcasters for allegedly expressing personal opinions as facts, bullying or intimidating guests, or failing to maintain neutrality during programmes.
The groups also asked the court to determine whether the provisions of the Nigeria Broadcasting Code relied upon by NBC were inconsistent with the 1999 Constitution, as amended, and Nigeria’s international human rights obligations.
The suit followed an April statement by the NBC in which it raised concerns over what it described as increasing violations of the broadcasting code across news, current affairs and political programmes.
The commission had warned that presenters who expressed personal opinions as facts or bullied guests during live broadcasts would be sanctioned.
However, Justice Osiagor, in his ruling, held that pending the hearing of the substantive matter, the commission must refrain from using the formal notice to threaten, sanction or punish broadcast organisations and on-air personalities under the contested code provisions.
The matter was adjourned until June 1, 2026, for hearing of the motion on notice.
Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has arraigned Metro Digital Limited before a Federal High Court in Port Harcourt over alleged cybercrime and unlawful interception and rebroadcast of content belonging to Multichoice Nigeria.
Metro Digital
The company was arraigned before Justice A.T. Mohammed on an amended four-count charge bordering on cybercrime-related offences and alleged illegal rebroadcast of protected broadcast content.
According to a statement issued on Wednesday by EFCC’s Head of Media and Publicity, Dele Oyewale, the prosecution counsel, Steve E. Odiase, informed the court that the matter was scheduled for arraignment.
However, defence counsel, S.A. Somairi (SAN), reportedly attempted to halt the proceedings by drawing the court’s attention to a pending preliminary objection.
The judge, however, declined the request and ordered that the plea be taken in line with Section 478 of the Administration of Criminal Justice Act (ACJA), 2015, which allows a corporation to enter a plea in writing through its representative.
One of the charges alleged that Metro Digital Limited, alongside its Managing Director, Ifeanyi John Nwafor, and a staff member, Ikenna Kanu, both said to be at large, conspired between 2015 and 2019 to unlawfully intercept and rebroadcast protected broadcast signals in Port Harcourt, Rivers.
Another charge alleged that the defendants intentionally and without authorisation intercepted and rebroadcast broadcast signals and devices, including tiger boxes and dongles, over which Multichoice Nigeria holds exclusive rights in Sub-Saharan Africa.
The anti-graft agency said investigations into the matter began in 2019 after Multichoice petitioned the commission, alleging that the illegal rebroadcast of its content caused significant financial losses.
Metro Digital Limited, through its representative, pleaded not guilty to all four charges.
Following the plea, prosecution counsel prayed the court to fix a date for trial.
Justice Mohammed subsequently adjourned the case until June 29 and June 30, 2026, for continuation of trial.
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