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Nigerian Idol Battle for Final 12 Begins

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A total of top thirty contestants have been selected to participate in the next phase of the on-going season five of the Nigerian Idol TV Music reality show.

The contestants got the nod ahead of 70 others after putting up impressive showing during a technically gruelling three-day theatre audition sessions conducted by the show’s celebrity judges, Dede Mabiaku, Yinka Davies and Darey ‘Art’ Alade at the OMG’s Dream Studios, Ojodu-Omole in Lagos.

Among those who made the top 30 acts include Ogunmoyero Modolowamu, Iwuchukwu Franca, Oyinkepreye Deborah Toun, Edema Paradise Weyinmi, Aisosa Edeh-Nosa, Janet Ebiwari Ayoka, Anya Precious Chukusoro,Tama Nisa, Maurice Nandom Dagwa, Godson Goodluck, Annabel Paul Blacledge, Ogunrombi Kunle, Esther Aritheshoma Monday, Adigwe Brenda Ada and Okukusie Precious Ajiri.

Others are Ekeoma Victor Chibuzor, Olowojoba Segun David, Clinton Oti, Paul Manuwa, Harry Etim , Efuetanu Tobore Ezekiel, Sopriye Opusunju, Orah Ojochenemi John, Kelvin Oluwaseyi  Audu, Osayomore Joseph Ighonogie, Okemiri Uloma Margaret, Iheanacho Ogechi Nancy, Omodele Diana Fatoki, Obasi Oluchi Ojukwu and Ese-Amadasun Imuetiyan

It was however a disappointing end to the aspirations of some of the contestants who failed to make the cut for the group stage. Among these are Emmanuel Bassey from the Ibadan auditions centre and golden ticket winners, 19 years –old Moneke Chisom Scholarstica and Ame Igiri, the 24 years-old medical student who was rewarded with a flight ticket by the three celebrity judges at the Abuja zonal auditions.

“I have learnt my lessons though in a hard way,” began a relaxed Ame. “This is my first time on this, so I did not quite understand what it would take to get to the next phase. I will go work on the things that went wrong.”

The theatre auditions offer the platform for the emergence of 30 most impressive contestants who subsequently progress to the group stage of the multi-million naira reality show.

The 30 contestants will perform before live audiences in three batches of ten from which three most outstanding performers will emerge per batch through a public voting process.

The nine best performers pooled from the three batches through the voting process will be joined by three others through the judges’ wild cards to add up to the final 12.

Meanwhile, the broadcast of the Nigerian Idol season 5 on both terrestrial and satellite stations continues weekend of March 28 and 29 across the country. It promises to offer real time fun and quality entertainment to the millions of viewers and fans of the family-oriented talent-hunt show

Nigerian Idol season 5 are aired on Saturdays and Sundays on the following terrestrial and satellite TV Stations: NTA National (3.30–4.30 pm on Saturdays and 4.30-5.30 pm on Sundays), STV (both DSTV and Terrestrial, 9-10pm), Superscreen (9pm)and Smash Tv (8pm on CONSAT). Others stations on Startimes are WAP Tv (9pm), AMC (7pm), Rave Tv (7pm), Cool Tv (9pm), Wazobia Tv (8.30pm), Real Star Tv (8pm), Oodua Tv (7pm) and V. Channels Tv (8pm).

Nigerian Idol is in its fifth season after a successful debut in 2010 won by Yeka Onka. In the following years which saw the emergence of Mercy Chinwo, Moses Adigwe and Zebili Evelyn (Evelle), it has grown in popularity and followership on the basis of the unique platforms it offers to young Nigerians with exceptional music talent. It is the only music TV reality show in Nigeria with a global appeal that currently cuts across 46 countries.

Nigerian Idol focuses on discovering Nigerian youths with talent in music and giving them a unique platform to take shots at stardom.

The eventual winner goes home with N7.5 million cash reward, a brand new car, a recording deal worth N7.5 million with Universal Records and some high-end devices.


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DStv Offers Instant Package Upgrade for Customers from January to February

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DStv has launched a new campaign tagged “We Got You”, aimed at giving customers more entertainment value at the start of the year without additional cost.

DStv Offers Instant Package Upgrade for Customers from January to February

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The campaign, which runs from January 1 to February 28, 2026, allows subscribers who pay for their current package in full to enjoy an automatic upgrade to the next DStv package.

The initiative is designed to ease the pressure that often comes with January, a period marked by school resumption, tighter budgets and increased household demands.

Through the offer, DStv is rewarding customer loyalty by unlocking more channels, stories, sports, children’s content, local productions and international programmes at no extra charge.

Speaking on the campaign, Tope Oshunkeye, Executive Head of Marketing, West Africa, MultiChoice, said, “We want our customers to step into the year feeling valued.

“When you buy your package, we upgrade you because you deserve more. This is our way of bringing extra excitement, choice and convenience into your home.”

According to DStv, the offer is open to existing subscribers who remain active during the promotion period, customers who reconnect their decoders, and new subscribers who join between January 1 and February 28.

Under the offer, subscribers who pay for DStv Yanga will be upgraded to DStv Confam, Confam customers will receive DStv Compact, Compact subscribers will be upgraded to Compact Plus, while Compact Plus customers will enjoy access to DStv Premium.

The upgrade applies only to decoder viewing, and subscribers will revert to their original packages at the end of the promotion period.


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FIRS Transforms into NRS as Nigeria Ushers in New Tax Era

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Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS) has officially given way to the Nigeria Revenue Service (NRS), signalling a pivotal shift in the country’s revenue administration framework as the Nigeria Revenue Service Establishment Act 2025 takes full effect from January 1, 2026.

FIRS Transforms into NRS as Nigeria Ushers in New Tax Era

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President Bola Ahmed Tinubu signed the landmark legislation in June 2025, alongside a comprehensive package of tax reforms designed to streamline compliance, expand the tax net and bolster federal revenue for critical infrastructure and social services.

At a colourful ceremony in Abuja on December 30, 2025, NRS Executive Chairman, Dr Zacch Adedeji, unveiled the agency’s new logo and corporate identity, describing it as a beacon of modernisation and efficiency.

Adedeji, who doubles as the pioneer helmsman, stated that the fresh branding embodies “a renewed commitment to a unified, service-driven revenue system” in line with global standards and Nigeria’s economic aspirations.

“The new identity underscores continuity in mandate, enhanced capacity and proactive taxpayer support, fostering trust and shared prosperity,” he added, according to a statement by his Special Adviser on Media, Mr Dare Adekanmbi.

The NRS emergence caps decades of advocacy for tax overhaul, repealing the FIRS (Establishment) Act 2007 and vesting the new body with broader powers for revenue assessment, collection and accountability.

Judicial hurdles were cleared when an FCT High Court dismissed suits seeking to stall implementation, paving the way for the four key Acts — Nigeria Revenue Service, Tax Administration, Nigeria Tax and Joint Revenue Board — to roll out seamlessly.

Despite pockets of controversy, including claims of bill alterations, the Budget Office affirmed the laws’ authenticity, prioritising fiscal stability and investor confidence.

For ordinary Nigerians and enterprises, the NRS promises simplified processes, digital innovations and reduced red tape to ease compliance burdens while curbing evasion.

Technical Assistant on Broadcast Media to the Chairman, Mrs Aderonke Atoyebi, reassured that core values of integrity, fairness and professionalism persist, with staff nationwide driving the transition.

Industry watchers anticipate a surge in non-oil revenue, crucial as Nigeria navigates global headwinds, with the NRS positioned to elevate the tax-to-GDP ratio through transparent engagement.


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How to Use the Correlation of Gold with Other Trading Assets in the Forex Market

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Gold remains one of the most powerful commodities in the global financial architecture. It is widely recognized that, for traders in Nigeria, specifically, currency pressures, inflation expectations, and shifts in global liquidity make up the macro environment more often than not; hence, understanding the correlation of gold with key Forex assets is more of an economic insight than a trading tactic.

The correlation between gold and currencies, equities, bonds, and even energy markets provides a broader framework for interpreting global risk sentiment. A growing number of Nigerian investors use this correlation to hedge against inflation, read capital-flow trends, and adjust trading strategies across major currency pairs.

Why Gold Matters in Today’s Macro Environment

This can be explained by looking at the larger picture and how global factors either positively or negatively impact the price of gold: spiraling inflation, geopolitical tension, tightening by central banks, and the flight-to-safety dynamic that heightens in moments of market stress. African traders, especially those active with international brokers such as JustMarkets, are very sensitive to how gold performs not only as a commodity but also as a macro indicator.

Indeed, the strongest correlations of gold are more often found with the US dollar, major bond markets, equity indices, and energy instruments in periods of high geopolitical risk. Each one of these offers a different angle for Nigerian traders to approach macroeconomic changes.

Gold and US Dollar: The Most Watched Correlation

The inverse correlation between XAU and the USD remains one of the bedrock relationships in global finance. It usually weighs on gold because a stronger dollar raises the opportunity cost of holding the metal. Conversely, the opposite has occurred when the market has priced in rate cuts, rising inflation, or policy uncertainty.

This relationship provides Forex traders in Nigeria with a macro perspective:

  • USD strength; pressure on gold; bullish signals for USD-pairs like USD/JPY or USD/CHF

  • USD weakness; appreciation of gold; potential strengthening of the non-USD majors

This dynamic is often emphasized by platforms such as JustMarkets in their markets analytics, allowing traders to match the technical setup with real policy shifts from the Federal Reserve.

Gold and Bond Yields: A Window into Global Risk Appetite

Gold is highly sensitive to real interest rates. When US real yields fell, it sent gold higher because investors saw it as a hedge against inflation and thus a haven. Yet higher yields tend to dampen demand for precious metals.

To traders, this correlation is a reason for short-run volatility around announcements like:

  • US CPI

  • FOMC decisions

  • Results of Treasury auctions

In countries like Nigeria, when domestic inflation is high and Naira pressure amplifies sensitivity to global risk, the movement of gold often proves an early indicator of how capital might rotate between safe havens and risk assets worldwide.

Gold and Equity Markets: The Fear Gauge

While geopolitical tensions or recession fears tend to deflate equity markets, they strengthen gold. This negative relationship is considered helpful for traders looking to deduce spikes in volatility and risk-off flows. Examples include:

  • Sharp US30 or NAS100 declines coupled with XAU/USD rallies

  • Broad-based sell-offs driven by political uncertainty or commodity shocks

This dynamic helps explain to the Nigerian analysts focused on policy and political economy how global risk events transmit to the local market through capital-flow sentiment.

Gold and Energy: Transmission via the Inflation Channels

Although gold and oil are not directly correlated, both respond to inflation expectations. Surging oil prices can fuel inflation forecasts that support the price of gold.

This channel is particularly important in the case of Nigeria, a major oil exporter. When crude markets temporarily tighten due to supply disruptions or OPEC policy decisions, gold becomes a complement to hedge against global inflation risk.

Trading with the Use of Gold Correlations

A structured approach allows traders to put gold’s relationships into practice:

  1. Start with the macro driver.
    Identify whether inflation, geopolitics, or monetary policy is the primary force shaping markets.

  2. Translate the macro event into correlation expectations.
    Example: falling bond yields lead to a weaker USD, which in turn supports gold and could lead to upside in EUR/USD.

  3. Use correlation clusters instead of isolated signals.
    Gold + USD + bonds provide a more reliable picture than gold alone.

  4. Apply risk management aligned with volatility cycles.
    Gold’s volatility often spills over into major currency pairs.

Market platforms like JustMarkets emphasize these cross-asset links to help traders simplify complex macro interactions into actionable insights.

Why Nigerian Traders Pay Close Attention

The Nigerian economy is highly integrated into global commodity flows; inflation cycles, dollar liquidity, and geopolitical developments tend to reach the local market faster than the pace at which policy adjustments can be made.

Gold serves as a barometer of global risk, a hedge against currency depreciation, and a signal of moves in the key USD pairs that headline Nigeria’s trading activity.

In a region increasingly active in the Forex market, understanding the relationships involving gold is not just about trading but also a strategic tool for analyzing global economic behavior


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