Telecom
MTN & MUSON Cap off A Fine Year in Arts with Donors Concert
MTN Foundation and the Music Society of Nigeria (MUSON) hosted the society’s donors to an appreciation concert in recognition of their continued support in the year.
The star-studded event, which held on December 10th, 2018 at the Agip Recital Hall of the MUSON Centre in Onikan, Lagos, saw MUSON board members, prominent donors, friends of the Society and MTN Foundation officials reflect on a successful year in the country’s cultural and creative space, and pledge their support for its continued renaissance.
It was a night filled with serenading performances from students of the School of Music.
Speaking at the event, Dennis Okoro, Director MTN Foundation, said, “We commend our scholars for the beautiful performance tonight.
“We are proud of the MUSON School of Music and have been since 2005.
“It is because of the great work that the MUSON continues to churn out that makes us immensely proud and committed to extending our support to Nigerian arts and culture fully.”
As a country with a rich and diverse history, supporting Nigerian arts and culture has been at the core of the MTN Foundation’s mandate.
Part of the Foundation’s support is the scholarship programme for students at the MUSON.
The programme has produced graduates who have also become notable music directors for internationally acclaimed musicals like Kakadu, Fela and the Kalakuta Queens and Legends.
In November, the Foundation sponsored a masterclass for students of the MUSON School of Music as part of its longstanding partnership with the School that dates to 2006.
The masterclass was held with the Canadian duo: Daniel Taylor, a countertenor, Head of Early Music and Professor of Voice at the University of Toronto and Ellen McAteer, a Canadian Soprano and two-time recipient of the prestigious Richard Bradshaw Graduate Fellowship in Opera
As part of its continued support for the arts and culture in Nigeria, MTN Foundation is currently sponsoring six critically acclaimed art productions, a slate of programs lasting till the end of the year that have already produced well-loved and celebrated shows as Fela and the Kalakuta Queens, the Life in My City Art Festival, Our Son the Minister, and Legends.
Mazen Mroue, a non-executive director at MTN Nigeria Communications Plc, has resigned effective February 27, 2026, to prioritise other responsibilities within the MTN Group, the company announced in a Nigerian Exchange Limited (NGX) filing.
MTN Nigeria
The notice, signed by company secretary Uto Ukpanah, stated: “This is to enable Mr. Mroue to focus on other priorities within MTN Group Limited. The Board wishes to express its appreciation to Mr. Mroue for his immense service to MTN Nigeria and wishes him success in his future endeavours.”
Mroue joined MTN Nigeria’s board on June 1, 2022, bringing over 28 years of telecom experience. A veteran MTN executive, he previously served as CEO of MTN Uganda and MTN Liberia, non-executive director at MTN Cyprus, and held leadership roles at MTN Ghana.
Since February 2022, he has been MTN Group’s Chief Technology and Information Officer, overseeing technology strategy and governance. Earlier, as MTN Nigeria’s COO from August 2018 to January 2022, he also sat on the MTN Nigeria Foundation board.
The exit follows MTN Nigeria’s stellar 2025 results, posting a ₦1.70 trillion profit before tax—reversing a ₦550.3 billion loss in 2024 driven by forex woes—marking one of the telco’s strongest rebounds.
Google has rolled out support for Yorùbá and Hausa languages in its AI-powered Search features—AI Overviews and AI Mode—enabling millions of Nigerians to get quick answers, summaries, and conversational web exploration in their mother tongues.
The update forms part of Google’s push to cover 13 African languages, including Afrikaans, Akan, Amharic, Kinyarwanda, Afaan Oromoo, Somali, Sesotho, Kiswahili, Setswana, Wolof, and isiZulu, selected based on high search activity across the continent.
Now, a Kano student can ask complex questions in Hausa, while an Ibadan trader seeks business tips in Yorùbá—both receiving culturally nuanced AI responses via text or voice on Android, iOS, or web.
Taiwo Kola-Ogunlade, Google’s West Africa Communications Manager, said: “Building truly global Search requires nuanced local understanding. With Gemini-powered AI, we’ve made advanced capabilities relevant in Yorùbá and Hausa, so Nigerians converse naturally with Search in their mother tongues.”
To use: Open the Google app, tap AI Mode, and query in Hausa or Yorùbá for personalised guidance—breaking language barriers and making technology reflect Nigeria’s diverse identity.
MultiChoice is closing its continental streaming platform Showmax after 11 years, notifying subscribers Thursday of the board’s decision to discontinue the service in the near future to refocus on sustainable digital offerings.
MultiChoice
The email assured no immediate disruption: “You can continue streaming as usual, and no action is required from you at this time.” Showmax, launched in South Africa in 2015 and expanded across Africa, offered movies, series, documentaries, and sports to rival Netflix and others amid rising online entertainment demand.
The shutdown follows Canal+’s approved takeover of MultiChoice last year, with the French giant offering ZAR 125 per share for remaining stakes.
The deal mandates HDP ownership boosts, local content investment, and splitting MultiChoice’s SA broadcasting arm into an independent entity to meet regulations.
MultiChoice prioritised subscribers during the transition, promising advance notice on timelines.
Showmax’s exit signals consolidation pressures in Africa’s cut-throat streaming market, where global players dominate despite local content strengths.
MultiChoice to Discontinue Showmax Streaming Platform
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