General News
Growing Content Among Mobile Phone Users
As mobile phone use has grown since the mid 1990s, the significance of the devices in everyday life has grown accordingly.
Owners of mobile phones can now use their devices to make calendar appointments, send and receive text messages (SMS), listen to music, watch videos, shoot videos, redeem coupons for purchases, view Microsoft Word documents, and so forth.
The use of mobile content has grown accordingly. Modern mobile phones can take photographs with a few million pixels. The Nokia N93 can create videos of comparable resolution to a DVD, storing up to 90 minutes on the phone memory.
Mobile content can also refer to text or multimedia hosted on websites, which may either be standard internet pages, or else specific mobile pages.
Mobile content via SMS is still the main technology for communication used to send mobile consumers messages, especially simple content such as ringtones and wallpapers.
Because SMS is the main messaging technology used by young people, it is still the most effective way of reaching this target market.
SMS is also ubiquitous, reaching a wider audience than any other technology available in the mobile space (MMS, bluetooth, mobile e-mail or WAP).
Although many say that SMS is an old technology that sooner or later will be replaced by fancier technology like MMS or WAP, the fact is that SMS reinvents itself continuously.
One example is the introduction of applications where mobile tickets are sent to consumers via SMS, which contains a WAP-Push that contains a link where a barcode is placed.
This clearly substitutes MMS, which has a limited reach and still suffers from interoperability problems.
It is important to keep enhancing the consumers’ confidence in using SMS for mobile content applications.
This means, if a consumer has ordered a new wallpaper or ringtone, this has to work properly, in a speedy and reliable way.
Therefore it is important to choose the right SMS gateway provider in order to ensure quality-of-service along the whole path of the content SMS until reaching the consumer’s mobile.
In Nigeria the use of mobile contents is also growing as the telecommunications industry matures, a recent study conducted by MobileMoney-Africa, Africa’s leading resource for mobile financial inclusion shared with Nigeria CommunicationsWeek shows that 65 percent of the semi urban and rural population that were interviewed completely choose to have mobile phones as the primary channel for financial services rather than visit a bank.
Another 95 per cent choose not to go back home to pick their cheque book/ savings books but will go back to pick their phones if left at home.
Emmanuel Okoegwale, lead researcher said that the study is direct attestation of the growing influence of mobile money which is a mobile content.
Nigeria CommunicationsWeek gathered that though mobile phone banking is yet to take root in Nigeria, the initiative is however expanding across the African continent from South Africa to Kenya and is putting the poor directly in control of their own finances like never before.
Current trends suggest that mobile phone content will play an increasing role in the lives of millions across the globe in the years ahead, as users will depend on their mobile phones to keep in touch not only with their friends but with world news, sports scores, the latest movies and music, and more.
An increasing number of people are also beginning to use applications like Qik to upload and share their videos from their cell phone to the internet. Mobile phone software like Qik allows user to share their videos with their friends through emails, SMS and even social networking sites like Twitter and Facebook
The mobile content industry has for too long been just about ringtones and wallpapers.
The market reality now is that the building blocks for a great user experience of mobile content are in place high resolutions screens, mobile broadband network speeds, devices such as Apple’s iPhone and users are embracing their new found freedom to go off-portal in search of innovative mobile content.
Growth is stifled in the mobile content market in Nigeria because mobile operators are playing safe and concentrating only on mass services for which content is readily available and chances of failure less.
Entertainment content despite the fact that its practical value is minimal, is popular because of its mass appeal especially to the youth segment and it is promoted over Mobile commerce and infotainment which has the capacity to create real value for subscribers.
None availability of network supporting some mobile content posses a challenge, because of commercial value, network operators concentrate the deployment of 3G network which support advanced mobile content such as video, Multimedia service among others in major cities such as Lagos, Abuja, Port Harcourt and few other cites thereby locking out people living in other cities where the technology is no available.
Prevalence of low end mobile handsets is a major factor in the uptake and penetration of advance mobile technologies.
Operators worldwide are taking initiatives to collaborate with Mobile phone makers to make 3G services available to more people with less entry cost through handset development, logistics and marketing initiatives.
Notable among such collaborations is the 3G for All campaign spearheaded by the GSM Association that will reduce 30% off from the LG phone that has been chosen. The 3G for All campaign is the second programme designed by the GSMA to create economies of scale for handset makers and their component suppliers.
The GSMA’s Emerging Market Handset programme stimulated the development of a range of ultra-low cost mobile phones aimed at first-time buyers in developing countries.
In most developing economies level of education also accounts for the use of most mobile content as owners of advanced mobile content enabled phones find it difficult to access such service from their phones.
This writer witnessed a situation where a man whose mobile phone has map was asking his way, when he was asked if his phone does not have map, he said it has but that he does not know how to use it.
This case is one out of many of such cases in Nigeria and some other African country which pose hindrance to adoption and use of mobile content.
World Health Organisation (WHO), yesterday, said that Ebola outbreak is “very high” but added that the global risk remains “low”.
So far, 82 cases and seven deaths have been confirmed in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), but WHO, said, the real scale of the outbreak is likely far larger, with nearly 750 suspected cases and 177 suspected deaths reported
Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, chief, WHO, said the situation was “deeply worrisome”.
He said there were now nearly 750 suspected cases in the DR Congo and 177 suspected deaths, as health workers scramble to track down contacts of everyone thought to be infected with the virus.
“The Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo is spreading rapidly,” he told a press conference.
“So far, 82 cases have been confirmed in DRC, with seven confirmed deaths.
“But we know in people who travelled from DRC and one death.
Measures to address the epidemic in DRC are much larger.
There are now almost 750 suspected cases and 177 suspected deaths.”
He said the situation in Uganda was “stable”, with two cases confirmed in Uganda, including “intense contact tracing” and calling off the Martyrs’ Day commemorations, “appear to have been effective in preventing the further spread of the virus”, Tedros added.
While a US national who was working in the DRC has tested positive and been transferred to Germany for care, Tedros said another US national deemed to be a high-risk contact had been transferred to the Czech Republic.
Besides national staff already in the DRC, he said 22 international staff had been deployed to the field, “including some of our most experienced people”.
Tedros said that violence and insecurity were impeding the response to the outbreak in the DRC.
“We are now revising our risk assessment to very high at the national level, high at the regional level, and low at the global level.
“So far, 82 cases have been confirmed in DRC, with seven confirmed deaths.
“But we know the epidemic in DRC is much larger. There are now almost 750 suspected cases and 177 suspected deaths.
“The situation in Uganda is stable, with two cases confirmed in people who travelled from DRC, with one death.”
Tedros said that violence and insecurity were impeding the response to the outbreak.
Nigerian Army has acquired additional drones and other advanced force multipliers to strengthen surveillance operations, improve target acquisition, and enhance precision strike and casualty evacuation capabilities.
Lt.-Gen. Waidi Shaibu, chief of Army Staff (COAS), said that the new drones will boost surveillance, precision strikes.
Shaibu, who disclosed this in a statement shared via the Nigerian Army’s official X handle, noted that the conference provided a platform for critical assessment of ongoing operations and the development of forward-looking strategies to address Nigeria’s evolving security challenges.
He said deliberations at the Nigerian Army Conference Centre, Asokoro, focused on sharpening operational responses, strengthening training frameworks and adapting to the demands of modern security warfare.
According to him, the resolutions reached are aimed at building a more agile, combat-ready, technologically driven and mission-oriented force capable of responding effectively to emerging threats.
A key highlight of the reforms is the Army’s increasing investment in modern warfare technology, including the acquisition of additional tactical drones and the reconfiguration of Army aviation assets for combat roles.
Shaibu explained that these developments have significantly enhanced intelligence gathering, precision targeting, operational mobility and casualty evacuation across various theatres of operation.
He also highlighted ongoing improvements in recruitment, advanced training, professional military education and leadership development, stressing that discipline, competence and meritocracy remain central to building a stronger institution.
Reaffirming his “soldier-first” philosophy, the COAS said troop welfare remains a top priority, stressing that “troop welfare remains non-negotiable; well-motivated soldiers operating in conducive environments are critical to mission success.”
He urged senior officers to ensure that resolutions from the conference are fully implemented in field operations, stressing that the true value of the gathering lies in measurable impact on the battlefield.
Describing the ongoing reforms, Shaibu said: “We are not just reforming the Army; we are building a lethal, technology-driven fighting force where only discipline, merit, and mission success matter.”
The Army Chief expressed appreciation to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu for his support, as well as the Minister of Defence, Minister of State for Defence, Chief of Defence Staff, service chiefs and intelligence agencies for their continued collaboration.
The conference ended with the presentation of commendation plaques to senior officers recognized for outstanding contributions to operational effectiveness.
The UK Special Envoy for Freedom of Religion or Belief (FoRB), David Smith MP, concluded a three-day visit to Abuja this week, marking Nigeria as the first focus country he has visited under the UK’s FoRB strategy.
During the visit, David Smith MP held a wide range of meetings with senior Nigerian government officials, religious leaders, civil society organisations, and local communities – reflecting the UK’s commitment to sustained, practical engagement and partnership on freedom of religion or belief in Nigeria.
Meetings included discussions with the National Security Adviser, Mallam Nuhu Ribadu, the Honourable Minister of Information and National Orientation, Mohammed Idris, and the Governor of Plateau State, Caleb Mutfwang.
The Special Envoy also met with the co-chairs of the Nigeria Inter-Religious Council, Archbishop Daniel Okoh, President of the Christian Association of Nigeria, and HRH the Sultan of Sokoto, Muhammadu Sa’ad Abubakar III, President-General of the National Supreme Council for Islamic Affairs.
At the end of the visit, the UK Special Envoy for Freedom of Religion or Belief, David Smith MP, said: “Over the past few days, I have been honoured to meet a wide range of people — from senior government figures and civil society to faith leaders and local communities. I came to listen, learn, and see both how freedom of religion or belief is experienced in everyday life, and how it connects to – and is a core part of addressing – Nigeria’s wider challenges around security and cohesion.
“Some of the most powerful moments of this visit were at community level. Visiting Father Emmanuel Unamba’s parish and meeting Christian and Muslim neighbours living side by side was a real reminder that peaceful coexistence is something people build every day through leadership, dialogue, and shared responsibility.
“What I take away from this visit is the importance of further progress being Nigerian led, rooted in strong institutions and inclusive dialogue, with FoRB at its heart. The UK will continue to support practical efforts in ensuring greater peace, security and prosperity for all.”
The visit also included a roundtable with partners of the UK’s Strengthening Peace and Resilience in Nigeria (SPRiNG) programme, a £38 million UK government-funded conflict and resilience programme operating primarily in Kaduna, Katsina, Benue and Plateau states.
During the visit, Special Envoy David Smith MP held meetings with the Institute for Peace and Conflict Resolution, the Nigerian National Human Rights Commission, and civil society organisations working at the intersection of insecurity and religious freedom. He also visited the National Mosque and the National Ecumenical Centre in Abuja.
Speaking to the various stakeholders, Mr Smith called for greater tolerance across religion or belief in Nigeria and hoped that the cohesion he saw on a community level in the capital, could be achieved nation-wide with the same resolve. He hoped to continue these dialogues with interlocutors in the UK.
The visit builds on the momentum of President Tinubu’s State Visit to the United Kingdom in March 2026, which reinforced the UK-Nigeria Strategic Partnership and included interfaith events attended by President Tinubu and His Majesty The King, underlining both countries’ shared commitment to fostering constructive interfaith dialogue.
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