Broadcasting
ITU Standards to Enhance TV Viewing Experience
To mark World Television Day yesterday, ITU has said that the impact and influence of television on world public opinion and decision-making cannot be denied and today Television represents a symbol for communication and globalization in the contemporary world.
IU also said that Television is recognized as a major tool in informing, channelling and affecting public opinion.
The United Nations General Assembly proclaimed 21 November as World Television Day in 1996 in recognition of the increasing impact television has on decision-making by bringing world attention to threats to peace and security and its potential role in sharpening the focus on other key areas, including economic, environmental and social issues.
“ITU is currently working on developing new standards that will dramatically enhance the television viewer’s experience, in terms of both visual and audio quality,” said Hamadoun I. Touré, ITU secretary-general.
“ITU is developing industry-leading standards for the next generation of television that will be available in very high definition as well as high performance dynamic video streaming.”
The first commercial services of Ultra High Definition Television have already begun. In coming years, ITU systems will allow television with four times the detail of the first UHDTV services.
The work of ITU today includes the study of techniques to produce a super wide range of contrast to the television image, bringing it closer to the real world.
The second edition of High Efficiency Video Coding (HEVC), Recommendation ITU-T H.265 | ISO/IEC International Standard 23008-2 approved in October 2014, includes enhanced format range extensions to improve video quality, general multi-layer support, scalability to cope with IP network congestion, and native 3D (multi-view) video encoding.
The new codec will considerably ease the burden on global networks where, by some estimates, video accounts for more than half of bandwidth use.
HEVC will unleash a new phase of innovation in video production spanning the whole ICT spectrum, from mobile devices through to Ultra-High Definition TV.
ITU standards also continue to examine ways to make television more accessible to those with disabilities and special needs, such as providing subtitles and audio channels describing the action in the image, as well as future options such as the capacity of the viewer to separate foreground and background sound, allowing the audio to be more intelligible to those with hearing disabilities.
Audio-visual media pervades nearly every aspect of modern life and ITU’s work to improve the accessibility of TV to persons with special needs is crucial in building an inclusive Information Society.
“ITU is striving for good and efficient future use of the radio-frequency spectrum to carry television broadcasting,” said Christoph Dosch, chairman of ITU-R Study Group 6, which deals with broadcasting issues.
“In order to continue to develop new and high-performance television standards, it is critical that we retain the currently used television spectrum which provides great value to the information society.”
ITU Membership will consider the spectrum requirements for television at the next World Radiocommunication Conference in November 2015
American Tower Corporation (ATC) Nigeria and the ProFuturo Foundation have announced a strategic partnership aimed at transforming the educational sector through digital innovation and technology.
The programme, which is being implemented in conjunction with the Kukah Centre, is expected to benefit over 5,600 school children and 34 teachers across 11 schools in Kano, Kebbi and Taraba states.
The initiative is part of a broader global collaboration between American Tower and ProFuturo Foundation, targeting education gaps in seven African and Latin American countries.
Speaking at the signing ceremony, ATC Nigeria Chief Executive Officer, Mr Pieter Van Der Westhuizen, said the partnership was aligned with the company’s Digital Communities programme, which facilitates technology-driven learning, financial literacy for adults and access to healthcare services in underserved areas.
“At ATC Nigeria, we are proud to support this impactful collaboration, which brings digital tools directly into classrooms. This partnership is not just about equipment—it’s about giving children the future they deserve,” he said.
General Manager of ProFuturo Foundation, Ms Magdalena Brier, described the partnership as a crucial step towards bridging the digital divide and empowering vulnerable communities.
“This alliance reinforces our mission to transform lives by improving access to education and digital tools. Every child and teacher reached through this programme is a testament to what we can achieve together,” she said.
Each school will be equipped with a digital learning kit, which includes computers, tablets, routers, projectors and other essential components tailored to foster interactive learning—even in areas with limited connectivity.
The initiative seeks to strengthen innovative teaching practices and promote inclusive education through digital transformation, with active support from local authorities who were present at the official launch.
About ₦2 billion changes hands in bets every day (KPMG Gaming Outlook 2025), driven by a 60-million-strong punter base that treats wagering as both entertainment and side-hustle. Industry revenue is on pace to hit US $3.63 billion in gross gaming revenue (GGR) by December 2025 – roughly the size of Nigeria’s entire recorded-music market.
Smartphones rule this universe: more than 90 percent of slips now start and finish on a handset, which is why the market leaders obsess over data-lite apps and USSD deposits almost as much as odds feeds.
Our Litmus Test for “Best”
To separate hype from heft we graded each book on the nine variables that still matter after the banner ads fade:
- Odds edge & market depth – average margin on EPL, NPFL and niche sports
- Live tech stack – cash-out latency, in-play uptime, streaming rights
- Payout speed & reliability
- Responsible-gaming tools (RG) – time-outs, self-exclusion, deposit caps
- Licensing strength & dispute history
- Promotions that actually pay
- Product breadth – virtuals, jackpots, prediction games, casino
- Financial resilience – operating cash flow, retail footprint, VC war chest
- Cultural traction – agent networks, grassroots sponsorships, meme power
The Heavyweights – and Why Each Owns a Piece of The Best
| Operator | What They Nail | Ticking Time-Bombs | Verdict |
| SportyBet | Biggest traffic (≈ 57 M visits / month), sub-5-second cash-outs, crazy-low EPL margin (~4.5%). | Still no retail city hubs; crash loops on older Tecno devices. | Mobile kingpin |
| Bet9ja | Heritage trust, retail agents in 20 states, jackpots like Super9ja; circa ₦10 billion monthly handle. | Dated UX; odds less sharp since 2024 revamp. | Legacy war-horse |
| BetKing | Data-driven odds, Genius Sports in-play feed, renewed deal with Gamble Alert for RG training. | Slower KYC queues at peak traffic. | RG poster-child |
| Surebet247 | NLRC Permit 0001081; cash-first agent model with mobile slip tracking; boosted welcome bonus to ₦150k; full cash-out on domestic basketball. | Android app, iOS app; livestream rights still pending. | Mobile dark horse |
| 1xBet & Betway | Global market buffet, esports, crypto options. | Offshore-licence optics; occasional geoblock glitches. | International muscle |
| NairaBet, AccessBET, Msport, Premier Bet, BetPawa | NairaBet = pioneer cachet; Msport & BetPawa blitz TikTok; Premier Bet just signed Francis Ngannou. | Each misses at least one core pillar (RG tooling, market depth or fast payouts). | Specialist niches |
Two Deep-Cut Insights the Billboards Won’t Show You
- Women are quietly reshaping the market. According to University of Abuja (“according to data from the University of Abuja”), 30 percent of urban Lagos women now gamble regularly, and a 2025 field survey found daily spend often tops ₦50,000 despite lower median income.
- Mobile-money betting dents student wallets. According to Lagos State University, mobile-money deposits explain 26.7 percent of the variance in student financial well-being – a stat that should make every platform’s RG desk sweat.
So, Who Actually Wins?
- Premier-League diehards who live for lightning-fast in-play cash-out: SportyBet wears the crown.
- Corner-shop loyalists who still like to chat with a clerk: Surebet247 Betshop nails the cash-plus-mobile sweet spot.
- Jackpot chasers who want EPL on Saturday, Ugandan Super League on Tuesday, and darts on Thursday: Bet9ja is still the Swiss-Army knife.
Punters who value self-exclusion toggles and deposit caps (you should): BetKing edges ahead.
In reality, “best” is contextual. Odds hawks, live-stream junkies, crypto degenerates and agent-network stalwarts will all point to different logos. What you don’t want is a bookie that melts down at 89′ when Villarreal finally scores.
On that front, the four names above – plus a rapidly innovating Surebet247 mobile bet shop – look built to survive Nigeria’s next data-price hike and the NLRC’s tightening audit screws.
The rest? Keep one eye on their uptime dashboards – and the other on your bankroll.
By Lukman Otunuga, Senior Market Analyst at FXTM.
A flurry of high-risk events may pump global financial markets with fresh volatility this week.
Top-tier data, including US Inflation, the unofficial start of earnings season, and US Congress “Crypto Week,” among other themes, could spell fresh opportunities.
Amidst this, uncertainty over global trade will add to the mix after President Donald Trump threatened 35% tariffs on the EU and Mexico over the weekend.
Regarding US inflation, this may impact bets around Fed cuts in the second half of this year. Markets are forecasting CPI to rise 2.6% from 2.4% in the prior month, with core CPI rising to 2.9% from 2.8%. Signs of rising prices may shave bets around the Fed cutting interest rates – boosting the dollar as a result.
Closer to home, Nigeria’s June CPI data due July 15 is expected to show signs of cooling inflationary pressures. This could offer some relief to the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) which aggressively hiked interest rates throughout 2024. Inflation is expected to have eased to 21.4% year-on-year from 23% in May – marking the 4th consecutive month of decline. However, the slowdown is largely a technical adjustment aided by the recent gains in the Naira amid higher non-oil exports and a weaker dollar.
The CBN is scheduled to meet later this month and will most likely keep rates unchanged at 27.5%.
One key challenge for the country will be how to re-tweak its budget for lower oil prices. Indeed, the budget was based around oil production at 2 million barrels and oil prices of $75. Brent is trading around $70 with the nation producing 1.544m b/d of crude in May according to OPEC. Nigeria is hoping to raise production to 1.9m b/d by the end of 2025. But its impact on the economy may be muted if oversupply and tepid demand keep oil prices subdued. Brent is up 4% this month but still down over 6% since the start of 2025.
MTN @ Swish Fusion Summit, Showcases 5G Rollout Strategy
Zenith Banks Leads as 8 Banks Suffer N156Bn Impairment Charges
SEC Flags FF Tiffany as Ponzi Scheme
Olatunji, NDPC Boss Calls for Integrated Strategy on Data Privacy, Cyber-Security
AccionMonie App to Empower Low-Income Households
Broadcasting3 days agoNigeria Week Ahead: Inflation, Oil and Naira in focus
News3 days agoEFCC: Accusations Against Our Chairman Are Baseless and Misleading
Telecom2 days agoNCC Introduces N10m Licence Fee for Bulk SMS Service
Telecom2 days agoMTN Nigeria Targets $1Bn Cloud Market with Largest Modular Data Centre
General News2 days agoWoodhall Capital and Partners Launch ₦1.5Bn Fund
E-Business2 days agoFirm Highlights Top Risks of Quantum Computing
General News2 days agoBurna Boy Distances Himself from Meme Coin, Labels Crypto as Fraud
Telecom2 days agoPAT Taps Osi as CEO