Broadcasting
NCC Celebrates Maiden Accessibility Day, Champions Inclusive Publishing
The Nigerian Copyright Commission (NCC) has called on publishers, state governments and other stakeholders in the book industry to ensure that books and educational materials produced or procured with taxpayers’ money are made available in accessible formats for the benefit of the blind, visually impaired and print disabled persons.
Dr. John O. Asein, the Director-General of NCC, made the call while delivering a goodwill message at a Workshop organized by the Commission, in collaboration with the Nigeria Association of the Blind (NAB) on 4th October 2023, to mark Nigeria’s ratification of the Marrakesh Treaty. The treaty, which was concluded in 2013 was ratified by Nigeria on 4th October 2017 and domesticated in the Copyright Act, 2022.
Speaking on the need to promote quality education through accessible publishing, the Director-General restated the Federal Government’s commitment to harnessing the country’s knowledge capital and abundant talents to grow the creative economy.
In his words, “it is important that we continually find ways to ensure that the copyright system helps all Nigerians, irrespective of disabilities, to realise their full potentials”.
Dr. Asein remarked that the domestication of the Marrakesh Treaty under the Copyright Act would promote access, push back the book famine in Nigeria and ensure quality education for a large section of the society who live with print disability.
He therefore called on agencies in the knowledge ecosystem to encourage inclusive publishing and ensure that more books are available, particularly for blind, visually impaired and print disabled children.
In his goodwill message, Mr. Christopher Patnoe, the Head of Google’s Accessibility and Disability Inclusion (EMEA, commended Nigeria for domesticating the Marrakesh Treaty and spoke on Google’s efforts to make the world’s information universally accessible and useful, using technology.
The workshop had Dr. Ifeolu Akintunde, CEO, IOA Consults Ltd. UK speak on “Making Education Accessible to the Blind: The Place of Braille and Modern Learning Tools”; while Mr. Richard Ormes, CEO of Daisy Consortium, U.S.A. spoke on “Enhancing Education, Work and Recreation for the Blind and Visually Impaired through Accessible Publishing: A Win-Win Model”.
They both commended the Commission for instituting the Accessibility Day and providing an opportunity to discuss the challenges faced by blind school children and other visually impaired persons in accessing learning materials. They called on Government to encourage braille education and equip school libraries with books in accessible formats.
Earlier in his opening remarks, the National President of the Nigeria Association of the Blind (NAB), Mr. Stanley Oyebuchi thanked the NCC for not only domesticating the Marrakesh Treaty but also for the practical steps it has taken to ensure that its dividends impact on the lives of blind and visually impaired persons. He also called on government to give more attention to braille literacy in schools.
The workshop was supported by the Nigerian Publishers Association (NPA); Babcock University Press; Evans Publishers; and Accessible Publishers (formerly Rasmed Publications).
Restating the commitment of the Commission to the full implementation of Nigeria’s obligations under the Marrakesh Treaty, Dr. Asein assured that the Nigeria Accessibility Day would henceforth be celebrated annually to promote inclusivity and accessibility for the benefit of visually impaired and print disabled persons. The well attended workshop was moderated by a former President of NAB, Mr. David Okon.
Nigerian Institute of Public Relations (NIPR) has announced the postponement of its maiden annual Public Relations, Reputation, Ideas, Concepts and Excellence (PRICE) Awards and Prizes to January 25, 2026.
NIPR
The event, earlier scheduled for December 7, 2025, was deferred to accommodate stakeholders whose observance of Christmas festivities had commenced earlier than expected.
Chairman of the Organising Committee, Mr. Israel Opayemi, urged stakeholders to note the new date and prepare to participate in the ceremony.
He said the awards would motivate professionals, practitioners and scholars, while enhancing Nigeria’s global competitiveness in the public relations ecosystem and strengthening brand equity for all stakeholders.
Opayemi reaffirmed the Committee’s commitment to delivering a best-in-class award administration and ceremony, describing the PRICE Awards as a credible and enduring platform to identify, celebrate and elevate outstanding individuals, campaigns and organisations shaping the public relations landscape across sectors.
The development of the PRICE Awards peaked in September 2025 when the NIPR President and Chairman, Council, Dr. Ike Neliaku, inaugurated a 12-man committee to organise the maiden edition. The inauguration followed the Council’s adoption of the report of a technical team tasked with establishing the awards.
Netflix has announced a landmark agreement to acquire Warner Bros. and HBO Max in a transaction valued at $82.7 billion, a move analysts say will reshape the global entertainment industry.
Netflix
The deal, which includes Warner Bros.’ film and television studios, HBO, HBO Max, and Warner Bros. Games, was unanimously approved by the boards of both companies. Under the terms, Warner Bros. Discovery (WBD) shareholders will receive $23.25 in cash and $4.50 in Netflix shares for each WBD share.
Netflix co-CEO Ted Sarandos described the acquisition as “a defining moment” for the streaming giant, noting that the company intends to maintain Warner Bros.’ current operations while expanding its production capacity.
“By combining Warner Bros.’ incredible library of shows and movies with Netflix’s culture-defining titles, we can give audiences more of what they love and help define the next century of storytelling,” Sarandos said.
The transaction is expected to close within 12 to 18 months, following the planned spin-off of WBD’s TV networks division, Discovery Global, in 2026. Netflix projects annual cost savings of $2–3 billion by the third year after completion and expects the deal to be accretive to earnings per share by year two.
Industry groups, including the Directors Guild of America and Cinema United, have raised concerns about the impact on movie theaters, while regulators are expected to scrutinize the deal over antitrust issues. Netflix has pledged to continue supporting theatrical releases, with Warner Bros.’ cinema commitments running through 2029.
Warner Bros. Discovery CEO David Zaslav hailed the agreement, saying it “combines two of the greatest storytelling companies in the world to bring to even more people the entertainment they love.”
Observers note that the acquisition comes 15 years after former Time Warner chief Jeff Bewkes dismissed Netflix as “the Albanian army,” underscoring the dramatic shift in the entertainment landscape.
A major shake‑up rocks viewers and subscribers of DSTV/GOTV as many channels are set to shut down and be removed on January 1, 2026.
The trigger for the upcoming shut‑down is a breakdown in negotiations between the owners of multiple global channels and the pay‑TV operator.
As of December 2025, the deal between Warner Bros. Discovery (WBD) and DStv/GOtv has expired and the two parties have not reached a renewal agreement.
Without a new carriage/distribution agreement, the channels belonging to WBD risk being pulled off the DStv/GOtv line‑up.
This is the most significant content cutback the service has seen in years.
The affected channels are:
Discovery Channel
TLC
Cartoonito
Cartoon Network
CNN International
Food Network
The Travel Channel
TNT
Investigation Discovery
Real Time
HGTV
Discovery Family
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