Broadcasting
HiTV Faults ACON’s Claims, Stresses Position
Hi Media, owners of HiTV have said in a press statement released by Justin Akpovi-Esade, the company’s public relations manager, that there was no time members of the Association of Cable TV Owners of Nigeria (ACON) were willing to pay for it’s content with the intention of rebroadcasting it.
This position is contrary to the claims recently in the media that members of the association were willing to pay HiTV to redistribute its content especially the Barclays Premier League.
The association recently sued HiTV for alleged monopoly of English premiership league righst, a suit Charles Ebuebu, the company’s head of Legal and Content Acquisition, described as not only “frivolous, but reeks of malicious intent.”
Ebuebu stated: “The association brought a frivolous case against HiTV further to a petition (by HiTV) on piracy written to the NCC and NBC against some of its members such as CTL and Metrodigital. Solicitors to HiTV have filed a preliminary objection stating that the court does not have jurisdiction and there is no course of action raised in the matter.”
According to Ebuebu, Hi Media considers it offensive for anybody to allege that it was maintaining a monopoly on the English Premier League right. ACON had asked the courts to declare that satellite television companies should license programmes, especially the English premiership matches to other cable TV companies if they were ready to pay the fees.
“It is entirely false that HiTV is maintaining a monopoly and/or tyranny. From inception, we offered the re-broadcast rights to all broadcasters in the country, but they refused to accept the terms of engagement, which terms were equally passed to us from the head licensor. Also, they preferred to continue with the piracy of content that they have been engaged in all the while due to its negligible cost. It was only Multimesh who paid for a year but also engaged in piracy, which caused the relationship to be severed. We are always ready to offer the rights to other broadcasters but they are not ready to comply with the necessary conditions.”
“HiTV, when it got the rights has remained the only company willing to do business with others, a certain company had this same right for over a decade and never wanted to do business with anybody, yet none of these people went to court. If CTL and others are sincere, they should bring the letters of proposal written to them, offering them the rights on simple condition of bringing a letter of bank guarantee and a proper business model which HiTV had before the rights were given to it. So, where did we go wrong here? Instead, they chose to pirate our content flagrantly and the case is still with the Nigerian Copyright Commission.”
“Ironically, the case is being spearheaded by a leading member of the association, CTL, which seeks to, according to the members, reposition the operations of cable television industry in Nigeria. CTL is one of the biggest Pay TV broadcasters in the country, yet engage in the piracy of the HiTV sporting content as well as other channels meant for transmission only in the Middle East and North Africa. HiTV has written a petition to the NBC and NCC on the illegal activities of CTL and has further to that, filed a civil suit at the Federal High Court on the matter.”
“As stated previously, Multimesh Communications have been granted the rights previously and have been provided a draft agreement for the current season. The terms of the carriage of the HiTV soccer rights have being made to CTL as well as all members of ASCON, with the monetary obligations reviewed downwards at a subsequent meeting, but all of them have remained adamant in the infringement of these rights. We are ready to provide documentary evidence of the fact that these rights were previously granted to CTL and ASCON members,” Ebuebu stated.
“It is false to say some broadcasters went under due to lack of sporting programmes, but rather due to their business model which was defective. Nearly all of them especially CTL operates a business plan based on piracy and would always resort to frivolous claims to blind the general public as to its true intentions,” he added.
Broadcasting
MTN Launches One TV with Free-to-View, Pay-as-You-Go

MTN Group has begun rolling out MTN One TV, a new entertainment proposition designed to make digital video content more accessible, relevant, and flexible for customers across African markets.

Introduced in line with MTN’s Ambition 2030 strategy, MTN One TV brings together local storytelling, live channels, international programming, and market-specific viewing options tailored to how customers across the continent access and pay for digital entertainment.
The proposition is designed to give customers greater choice in how they watch content, with viewing models that may vary by market and can include free-to-view content, advertising-funded experiences, pay-as-you-watch access, and subscription offerings.
Depending on local availability, customers may also be able to pay through airtime, Mobile Money, and other locally supported payment methods, helping to reduce common barriers to streaming access.
Beyond enhancing customer experiences, MTN One TV creates new opportunities for African creators, broadcasters, advertisers, and ecosystem partners by helping connect content to wider audiences through MTN’s scale across connectivity, payments, and digital services.
By bringing together a broad mix of content experiences under a single proposition, MTN aims to support greater content discovery, broader audience reach, and sustainable growth across Africa’s digital entertainment ecosystem.
Anchored in MTN’s strategic platforms of Connectivity, Fintech, and Digital Infrastructure, MTN One TV forms part of the Group’s broader ambition to build digital experiences that create value for customers while enabling participation and growth across Africa’s digital economy.
“Entertainment is increasingly becoming an important gateway to digital participation,” said Selorm Adadevoh, MTN group chief commercial, strategy and transformation officer.
“Through MTN One TV, we are leveraging the scale of our connectivity, fintech, and digital capabilities to make relevant content more accessible while creating new opportunities for Africa’s creative and digital economies. This is aligned with our ambition to deliver digital solutions for Africa’s progress.”
MTN One TV is being introduced progressively across MTN markets through a phased rollout approach that reflects local market needs, existing services, and partnership opportunities.
Over time, MTN will bring together a combination of video capabilities, content partnerships, and customer experiences under the MTN One TV brand to create a more consistent and scalable entertainment proposition across its footprint.
Through MTN One TV, MTN continues to extend its role beyond connectivity by combining entertainment, payments, and digital services to deliver experiences tailored to the needs of African consumers.
The rollout supports MTN’s Ambition 2030 vision of leading digital solutions for Africa’s progress while expanding access to digital entertainment across the continent.
Broadcasting
IATA Drops Bombshell: Nigeria Among World’s Most Expensive Countries to Run an Airline

International Air Transport Association (IATA) has identified Nigeria as one of the most expensive countries in the world for airline operations, citing high taxes, charges and operational costs that continue to weigh heavily on local carriers.

IATA’s Regional Vice President for Africa and the Middle East, Kamil Al-Awadhi, disclosed this during the association’s Annual General Meeting held in Rio de Janeiro.
Al-Awadhi said that although Nigeria’s Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Festus Keyamo, had been pursuing reforms aimed at improving the aviation sector, airlines operating in the country still faced enormous cost pressures.
According to him, the high-cost operating environment has continued to affect the profitability and competitiveness of Nigerian airlines, making it difficult for the industry to realise its full potential.
He noted that excessive taxes, regulatory charges and other operating expenses remained major obstacles to airline growth across the region, with Nigeria ranking among the most challenging markets from a cost perspective.
Al-Awadhi urged member states of the Economic Community of West African States to adopt a proposed 25 per cent reduction in aviation taxes and charges to ease the burden on airlines and passengers.
According to him, lowering taxes and charges would reduce airfares, stimulate passenger traffic and strengthen the competitiveness of carriers operating within West Africa.
He stressed that a more supportive policy environment was critical to unlocking the economic benefits of aviation, including increased trade, tourism and regional integration.
Industry stakeholders have consistently advocated lower taxes and regulatory fees, arguing that the current cost structure makes air travel less affordable and limits the growth of the sector.
IATA’s latest remarks add to calls for governments in West Africa to implement policies that will promote a more sustainable and competitive aviation industry across the region.
Broadcasting
NASENI Trains 50 Women in Kano on Renewable Energy Technologies Under She-Powers Initiative

The National Agency for Science and Engineering Infrastructure (NASENI), under the leadership of its Executive Vice Chairman/CEO, Khalil Suleiman Halilu, has trained 50 women in Kano State on inverter and battery technologies through its She-Powers Energy Initiative.

The three-day programme, held at the Technology Incubation Centre, Farm Centre, Kano which ended yesterday, was designed to equip participants with practical renewable energy skills, promote women-led enterprises, and enhance sustainable livelihoods.
The initiative forms part of NASENI’s broader commitment to empowering women, creating economic opportunities, and expanding participation in Nigeria’s growing clean energy sector. It also aligns with the Renewed Hope Agenda of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu by supporting job creation, entrepreneurship, and inclusive economic development.
Through targeted interventions such as the She-Powers Energy Initiative, NASENI continues to demonstrate its commitment to leveraging technology and innovation to improve lives and drive sustainable development across the country.
Photos: Participants at the She-Powers Energy Initiative training organised by the National Agency for Science and Engineering Infrastructure (NASENI) held at the the Technology Incubation Centre, Farm Centre, Kano yesterday.
General News1 day ago₦5m up for Grabs as 10 Startups Clash at the Gathering on 100 Pitchathon Aba
E-Business1 day agoCSOs Raise Alarm over Nigeria’s Data Protection Crisis
E-Financial1 day agoCBN to Expand eNaira for Salaries, Pensions and Welfare Payments
General News1 day agoCBN Moves to Stop Banks From Using Customers’ Money for Fintech Subsidiaries
E-Financial1 day agoCBN to Bar HoldCos from Influencing Banks’ Lending Decisions
Telecom1 day agoNITDA Reveals Why AI Could Be Nigeria’s Biggest Wealth Creator, Not Oil
E-Business22 hours agoAI-Powered Cyber Threats Put Nigerian Banks on Alert
Telecom1 day agoNASENI Unveils Ambitious Plan to Produce 600 Million Diagnostic Kits Annually













