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Konga Inks MoU With FG on Job Creation

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Konga, Nigeria’s leading composite e-commerce giant, has been hailed by the Minister of Youths and Sports Development, Hon. Sunday Dare as a digital platform with immense capacity to help re-write Nigeria’s unemployment narrative.

Minister of Youths and Sports, Hon. Sunday Dare and Chairman, Zinox Group, Leo Stan Ekeh display the newly-signed Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between the Ministry and Konga on Monday, September 13, 2021 in Abuja. Also pictured in attendance at the event is the Permanent Secretary in the Ministry, Mr. Nebeolisa Anako (left) and Konga Co-CEO, Nick Imudia (right).

He made this known during the signing of a landmark partnership between Konga and the Ministry aimed at generating creative employment for millions of Nigerian youths.

A Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to seal the partnership was signed on Monday, September 13, 2021 in Abuja, the Federal Capital Territory (FCT).

The initiative was unveiled under Konga Jobs(KJ), a youth empowerment and job creation scheme of the Konga Group.

Specifically, the partnership will see Konga deploy its world-class assets, huge resources and cutting-edge technology backbone, while also placing its growing list of thriving subsidiaries across multiple verticals at the disposal of Nigerian youths who are desirous of an opportunity to earn a meaningful living and create wealth.

Konga says the scheme is targeted at the employed, unemployed and under-employed Nigerian youths across board.

Present during the signing ceremony was the Minister, Hon. Sunday Dare; the Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Youths and Sports, Mr. Nebeolisa Anako; Chairman, Konga Group, Leo Stan Ekeh; Co-CEO, Konga Group, Nick Imudia; VP, KongaPay, Isa Aliyushata, as well as other Management staff of Konga and senior officials of the Ministry.

‘‘We at the Ministry of Youths and Sports are of the view that public-private partnerships remain the way forward when it comes to the onerous task of creating opportunities for our youths.

“This belief has come to the fore with the advent of the COVID-19 pandemic and has also been reinforced by a recent World Bank report.

‘‘We are delighted to have a technology-driven partner such as Konga partnering with us on this programme.

“Also, we are confident that through this MoU which we have signed today, we will be re-writing the narrative for millions of Nigerian youths who are the beneficiaries of this project.’’

While lauding the Ministry for its proactive zeal in closing the partnership, Mr. Ekeh noted that since its acquisition nearly three years ago, Konga, which pioneered the martketplace structure in Africa in addition to a long list of innovative strategies, has grown immensely beyond expectations of all e-commerce watchers, with the company becoming arguably Africa’s biggest Composite e-commerce platform and the first to hit profitability on the continent.

‘‘Konga is driven by youths. This shows our youths have the capacity to deliver world-class corporates, even with all structural challenges confronting us in the country.’’

Ekeh added that the time is right for Nigerian youths to use their intellectual capital and digital skills to defend the nation and become global citizens.

He encouraged Nigerian youths to alter their destinies, while also stressing that their passion in this century must pay their bills.

Also speaking at the event, Imudia, Co-CEO, Konga Group, affirmed that the partnership will afford Konga a chance to create millionaires across Nigeria within a short space of time.

‘‘Konga today provides employment directly and indirectly through partnerships for over 250,000 Nigerians.Through this partnership, we are looking to not only offer more hardworking and ambitious Nigerian youths a chance to earn good money and create wealth; we are also keen to create millionaires who will become their own bosses and employ others.

“In addition to opportunities which abound in joining our fast growing database of Konga affiliates and merchants, many more deserving and outstanding youths will also get job opportunities across the multiple entities within the Konga Group.

“We are currently conducting a pilot with the Ministry of Youths and Sports and have taken on board about 350 youths already, many of whom are doing very well. The plan is to have at least one Konga agent in every kindred in Nigeria.

“But it is pertinent to state that we are also extending our reach across Africa in line with our expansion plans as our target by 2025 is to create jobs for over 500,000 Nigerian youths and over 500,000 for other African youths.

‘‘This is the only way we can rate our success on the African Continent,’’ he disclosed.

The event, which was held within the Ministry’s conference room at the Moshood Abiola National Stadium, also witnessed a tour of the massive facilities within the premises.


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TikTok Deletes over 2m Videos in Nigeria for Policy Violations

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TikTok, social media giant, has reaffirmed its commitment to online safety by removing more than two million videos in Nigeria between July and September 2024 for violating its Community Guidelines.

TikTok Deletes over 2m Videos in Nigeria for Policy Violations

According to its Q3 Community Guidelines Enforcement Report, 99.1 percent of these videos were taken down within 24 hours of being posted.

With millions of videos uploaded daily by its over one billion users worldwide, TikTok has continued to improve its content moderation efforts through advanced technology.

The platform’s proactive detection rate has now reached 98.2 percent globally, allowing it to identify and remove harmful content before it reaches viewers.

 

Between July and September 2024, TikTok removed over 147 million videos worldwide, with 118 million taken down through automation.

In Nigeria, 92.1 percent of all removed videos were taken down before any user reported them, reflecting the platform’s proactive moderation strategy.

The report highlights the most common policy violations that led to content removal in Nigeria.

These include sensitive and mature themes, where 99.4 percent of flagged videos were removed before any user report.

Content related to regulated goods and commercial activities, including scams and the illegal sale of items such as firearms or explosives, accounted for 99.1 percent of removals before user reports.

Additionally, content categorized under mental and behavioral health, which could negatively impact users, particularly younger audiences, saw a 99.9 percent removal rate before any user reports.

TikTok maintains that its mission to inspire creativity and bring joy is built on a foundation of user safety and content integrity.

The platform continues to invest in Trust and Safety professionals who work alongside advanced technology to enforce its Community Guidelines, Terms of Service, and Advertising Policies.

By prioritising a positive and secure digital space, TikTok aims to ensure that users can create, connect, and be entertained without exposure to harmful content.

 


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Nigeria’s Brightest Young Minds to Compete in Spelling Bee Finals

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The highly anticipated finals of the Spellingbee in Nigeria (SpIN) will take place on Saturday, February 15, 2025, at the U.S. Consulate’s Residence in Lagos.

This milestone event will see 64 outstanding finalists from Abuja, Lagos, Osun, and Taraba States competing for the championship title, marking a historic moment as Nigeria makes its debut in the prestigious Scripps National Spelling Bee, USA.

The winner of SpIN ’25 National Finals receives an all-expense-paid trip to represent Nigeria at the 100th edition of the Scripps National Spelling Bee in the United States, a centennial celebration of academic excellence that has shaped young minds for generations.

Beyond crowning a champion, the National Finals underscores SpIN’s core mission: cultivating academic excellence, linguistic mastery, and a commitment to fostering educational and leadership opportunities for young learners.

Speaking on the upcoming event, Eugenia Tachie-Menson, Convener of Spelling Bee in Nigeria, an affiliate of the Scripps National Spelling Bee, USA, emphasized the competition’s transformative impact on young learners.

“This competition is more than just spelling—it builds confidence, public speaking skills, and critical thinking, preparing students for global opportunities.

“We are thrilled by the enthusiasm it has received and the doors it will open for Nigeria’s brightest young minds.”

The event, which is set to attract members of the diplomatic corps, C-Suite executives, high net worth parents and educational leaders, is made possible through the support of key partners: Indomie Noodles (Title Sponsor), Checkers Custard (Co-Sponsor), and partnerships with Lucid Education Initiative, the U.S. Consul-General Lagos, the American Business Council of Nigeria, the Rotary Club of VI East, and AT3 Resources – The Muvmnt Agency (PR Partner).

Spellingbee in Nigeria is a prestigious competition affiliated with the globally renowned Scripps National Spelling Bee, USA. It is dedicated to promoting literacy, vocabulary development, and critical thinking among Nigerian students, equipping them with skills to compete on a global stage.


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Canal+ to Carve, Spin out MultiChoice’s LicenceCo in Aggressive Takeover Bid  

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Canal+ S.A., a French media and telecommunications conglomerate based in Paris, will restructure MultiChoice Group and carve out its broadcasting licence and South African DStv subscribers into “Licence Co” as a new separate entity while the remainder contains its video assets as the MultiChoice Group.

Canal+ to Carve, Spin out MultiChoice's LicenceCo in Aggressive Takeover Bid  

This is in its push for aggressive takeover of MultiChoice through successfully and circumvent the country’s regulations preventing a majority-owned share in local media.

According https://teeveetee.blogspot.com, Canal+ is progressing with its aggressive buyout of R32 billion for MultiChoice although various regulatory hurdles are supposed to prevent foreign ownership of a large South African media company like MultiChoice.

Canal+’s plan for a “post-transaction structure” for MultiChoice is to carve out MultiChoice’s broadcasting licence in South Africa, overseen by the Independent Communications Authority of South Africa (Icasa) and MultiChoice South Africa’s DStv subscribers in South Africa into a new company called Licence Co.

Canal+’s Licence Co will be a new entity, while the remainder of MultiChoice’s video entertainment assets will then remain part of the MultiChoice Group.

The MultiChoice broadcast licence carve out is part of Canal+ plan to circumvent and get around South Africa’s broadcast and ownership regulations.

The dilemma Canal+ and MultiChoice have is that they can’t legally get around a foreign entity owning a South African broadcast licence, in this case for traditional pay-TV.

The plan is now for this “problem-part” preventing Canal+’s MultiChoice takeover from going through – MultiChoice South Africa and its South African broadcasting licence and South African set of DStv subscribers – to be siloed as Licence Co.

Licence Co. in South Africa will literally hold the pay-TV licence and manage the DStv subscribers, while MultiChoice Group will legally-technically no longer be a broadcaster but a video content supplier.

Like a family trust, Licence Co, although an “independent” company, will exist with the express aim to benefit the MultiChoice Group.

Also to note: MultiChoice Group, belonging to French owners and as the so-called “video content hub”, will now mean that Canal+ and MultiChoice’s French owners will now be paying to keep the South African public broadcaster’s SABC News, eMedia’s eNCA and Newzroom Africa’s as South African TV news channels on the air on DStv.

This is, in effect, a French private company paying for and in control of South African TV news, as well as news elsewhere in sub-Saharan Africa.

Canal+ and MultiChoice has to secure approvals for the mega-takeover deal from Icasa, the Takeover Regulation Panel, South Africa’s Competition Tribunal, shareholders, the Financial Surveillance Department and adhere to other requirements like black-economic empowerment (BEE) and with Canal+ not have voting rights of more than 20% as mandated by the Electronic Communications Act.

On paper Licence Co will be a new “independent company” but in real effect work in tandem with MultiChoice Group – as it exists currently containing MultiChoice’s operational structure, technology, staff and content assets.

Licence Co will become/remain the entity dealing with South African DStv subscribers.

Canal+ and MultiChoice plan to spin out Licence Co’s ownership as majority-owned by the current Phuthuma Nathi scheme (27%), as well as two black-owned companies – Identity Partners Itai Consortium with Sonja de Bruyn and Afrifund Investments from the former Telkom CEO Sipho Maseko – as well as a Workers’ Trust (ESOP).

With smart accounting and legal wrangling, Canal+ and MultiChoice are crafting it so that the MultiChoice’s Group’s shareholding in the new Licenco Co will be 49% and 20% on the dot in terms of voting rights – right what the regulators require.

“MultiChoice Group will retain its existing 75% direct interest in MultiChoice South Africa, which will exclude Licence Co. Phuthuma Nathi will similarly retain its existing 25% interest in MultiChoice South Africa,” Canal+ and MultiChoice announced in a takeover update statement on Tuesday.

“The transaction will not lead to any disruption for LicenceCo’’s South African viewers, who will continue to access its services as normal. Licence Co will enter into various commercial agreements with MultiChoice Group subsidiaries in relation to the services currently provided to Licence Co by other MultiChoice Group entities,” they stated.

“These relate to, among other things, the provision of content, technology, subscriber management and support and other functions.”

“Canal+ and MultiChoice are confident that the envisaged structure meets the requirements of all applicable laws, including the restrictions on foreign ownership and control of broadcasting licences contained in the Electronic Communications Act.”

Webber Wentzel and DLA Piper are the joint legal advisors to MultiChoice, while Herbert Smith Freehills and Werksmans are the advisors to MultiChoice on competition and broadcasting matters.

Citigroup Global Markets Limited and Morgan Stanley & Co International plc and the joint financial advisors to MultiChoice, while FTI Consulting are the so-called “strategic communications” advisors to MultiChoice.

Bowmans is the South African legal advisors to Canal+, with Bryan Cave Leighton Paisner LLP repping as the international legal advisors to Canal+, and BofA Securities and J.P. Morgan as Canal+’s joint legal advisors.

The Brunswick Group is the “strategic communications” advisors for Canal+.

In the joint statement, Maxime Saada, Canal+ CEO – and notably having his prepared quote placed first at the top – says “This transaction is an opportunity to create a unique global media company, with a strong presence across Africa, with the scale, expertise and creativity to compete and partner with the largest players within the media sector and beyond”.

 


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