Broadcasting
Preparing for Digital Disruptions During Africa’s Year of Elections
By ‘Gbenga Sesan
This year, 23 African countries will hold elections – ranging from local to parliamentary and presidential. Considering that election seasons are known to come with many digital rights violations, including internet shutdowns, digital platform clampdowns, privacy breaches and other digital restrictions, it is essential to pay attention, anticipate likely infringements and work to ensure the respect of citizen rights in the digital sphere, alongside others.
Over the last two years, the internet has been shut down by the governments of the Republic of the Congo, Niger, Uganda and Zambia during election periods. Of the five African countries that shut down the internet in 2022, one of them (Somalia) held elections the same year, while three (Sierra Leone, Sudan and Zimbabwe) have elections planned for 2023. Burkina Faso’s shutdown may not be directly linked to elections, but it is connected to the country’s January 2022 coup d’état.
In 2023, presidential elections will hold in Gabon, Liberia, Libya, Madagascar, Nigeria, Sierra Leone, South Sudan, Sudan and Zimbabwe. All of them, except Madagascar, have shut down the internet or restricted the use of digital platforms. Apart from Libya, all the other countries that have elections in 2023 and have disrupted access to the internet or digital platforms before did so within the last three years. Will they do so again, under the guise of preventing the spread of misinformation, countering dangerous speech, possible violence or any other excuse used in the past, as they approach elections in 2023?
Gabon has had the same president since October 2009. After Omar Bongo – who had been the country’s president for 42 years – died in June 2009, his son, Ali Bongo Ondimba, Minister of Defense at the time, won the elections conducted four months later. The January 2019 internet shutdown in Gabon happened during a military coup attempt, and the government refused to respond to civil society enquiry on the reason for the shutdown.
Liberia cut off access to its most popular social media platform during protests in June 2019. Libya’s disputed elections have been postponed three times in the past four years. Still, the country is no stranger to digital rights violations during public interest events, beginning with its February 2011 shutdown of internet and international phone services in response to protests.
In June 2021, Nigeria announced a nationwide shutdown of access to a social media platform considered one of the country’s last-standing civic spaces. Even though an Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) Court of Justice ruling declared the government’s decision to suspend Twitter “unlawful and inconsistent with the country’s international obligations” and “ ordered Nigeria to ensure the unlawful suspension would not reoccur and to take necessary steps to amend its laws to be in conformity with the rights and freedoms enshrined in the ACHPR and ICCPR”, the government has refused to confirm that such violations will not reoccur.
In August 2022, Paradigm Initiative (PIN), a Pan African organization that advocates for digital rights and inclusion, and other digital rights stakeholders condemned an internet shutdown that followed during citizen protests in Sierra Leone. Even for a country where only 6.5% of the population has access to the Internet, South Sudan shut down the internet ahead of planned protests in August 2021. Even though a Sudan court ordered the end of the internet shutdown that followed protests against a military coup in October 2021, it did not stop the country from repeating the violation again in June 2022, ahead of planned protests. Speaking on the June 2022 shutdown, the Sudanese Engineers Syndicate said, “…cutting off internet and communication services in Sudan has become a pattern and led to many violations.
In January 2019, Zimbabwe shut down the internet in response to citizens’ protests. At the end of the three-day closure ordered by the government, it asked telecommunications companies to implement shutdowns a second time in the same week. A judge ruled that the shutdown was illegal but that did not stop another shutdown at the end of July 2020.
For countries that have developed the habit of disrupting digital access during significant democratic events, it appears that judicial pronouncements, civil society condemnation or citizen dissent are never enough to prevent future violations. However, it is important to prepare for the likelihood of such violations of digital rights and challenge them to prevent impunity.
As all twenty-three African countries go to the polls, the task of protecting citizen rights – including preventing, condemning and/or seeking redress – does not rest on civil society organisations and activists alone. We must all work to ensure that a continent that lost $261 million to internet shutdowns in 2022 and desperately needs to maximise digital opportunities for its citizens stays off the path of digital clampdowns that do not serve anyone’s interest.
We must support the work of digital rights actors who continue to document evidence of digital rights infractions, provide information on how to stay safe and help citizens seek redress when violations happen. Through the annual Londa report, PIN has documented digital rights violations and significant policy updates across African countries since 2016. Each year since 2019, Londa, which included 22 independent country reports in 2021, forms the basis of short films produced by PIN to condense the message into less than thirty minutes of infotainment.
The short film based on the 2021 report, Finding Diana , is available on PIN’s YouTube page, as well as the 2020 film, Focus, and 2019 film, Training Day. Building on information from the reports and short films that expose violations and deliberate bad practices, PIN developed a digital rights toolkit, Ayeta, to educate digital rights actors and other citizens on how to protect themselves in digital spaces. If violations happen despite citizen action to protect themselves, the Ripoti platform provides an opportunity to report incidents and seek legal redress.
During elections, PIN provides country-specific information on how to stay online if digital clampdowns happen. The first edition of the Digital Rights and Elections in Africa Meetings (DREAM) was held in Abuja on February 7, 2023, ahead of Nigeria’s February 25 and March 11 general elections. Similar editions are planned to hold ahead of elections in other countries. We know that election seasons are fraught with violations and so we must prepare for digital disruptions.
However, as it happened in 2020 in Ghana and 2022 in Kenya, it is possible that no digital disruptions will be reported in most countries. Civil society organisations working in both countries will tell you that it requires a lot of work to avoid disruptions. Eternal vigilance is the price of liberty, in this case, because there are many competing interests during elections, and even in countries with no record of digital rights violations, some of those interests are served by clampdowns on the opposition and dissenting voices.
The best time to prepare for likely violations is before they happen, and it is your duty and mine to make that preparation happen across the African countries that will hold elections in 2023.
The writer is the Executive Director of Paradigm Initiative and a member of the United Nations Secretary General’s Internet Governance Forum (IGF) Leadership Panel.
Broadcasting
Youth Talent Takes Center Stage as T2 Ignites High-Octane Rap Battles @ Carnival Calabar
The energy at the Carnival Calabar Music Concert reached a new high as T2 introduced a first-ever rap battle platform, giving young Nigerians an electrifying stage to showcase their talent, creativity, and self-expression while competing for exciting prizes.
Held at the U.J. Esuene Stadium, the activation blended pulsating music, vibrant culture, and youthful energy into a dynamic celebration that kept thousands of carnival-goers fully engaged from start to finish.
Eight fearless contestants stepped into the spotlight, going bar for bar in an intense lyrical showdown. Rappers fused local languages, pidgin, and sharp punchlines, creatively weaving the T2 brand into their verses.
Anchored by the energetic hosting duo MC Double I and MC Princess, the rap battles thrilled over 16,000 attendees, including the Governor of Cross River State, Senator Bassey Otu, delivering an unforgettable showcase of youth talent and cultural expression.
With prizes including fridges, gas cookers, sound systems, and airtime top-ups, the competition remained fierce throughout the night. After two high-energy rounds narrowed the field to a five-man final duel, Emmanuel Eye emerged as the overall winner, taking home the grand prize — a fridge.
“I never expected this at all,” Emmanuel said. “I came to the concert like anyone else, and hearing about the T2 rap battle was a surprise. When I got the chance to perform, I just went for it. Being named the overall winner is amazing, and I’m grateful to T2 for creating this platform to showcase our talent.”
Beyond the stage performances, T2’s presence added a digital layer to the carnival experience. As part of its role as Digital Technology Partner of Carnival Calabar, the brand introduced the MyT2 App as a lifestyle companion, while also enabling line reactivations, airtime top-ups, and instant rewards for hundreds of attendees, blending technology seamlessly into the live celebration.
Commenting on the activation, Chinelo Manefo, Specialist, Events and Sponsorship at T2, said:
“The energy from both the rappers and the crowd was incredible. This platform reflects exactly what T2 aims to create — a celebration of youth, creativity, and culture, enhanced by technology that connects people and experiences. Seeing the audience so immersed shows how music and performance can empower the next generation.”
The Carnival Calabar Music Concert, headlined by Tiwa Savage, Timaya, and top local performers, was further energized by T2’s interactive rap battle platform. By blending music, culture, youth expression, and digital innovation, T2 reinforced its commitment to championing Nigeria’s next generation, giving young creatives a stage to shine while enriching how they experience the festival.
Broadcasting
Aig-Imoukhuede Foundation Wrapped Up 2025 with Real Change in Governance, Health, Media Across Africa
Aig-Imoukhuede Foundation has announced its 2025 achievements, marking a year of accelerated impact, systemic reforms and innovation in public leadership and service delivery across Africa.
Aig-Imoukhuede Foundation
A statement issued on Wednesday in Lagos said the foundation strengthened governance, improved primary healthcare, drove digital transformation and elevated media’s role in promoting public sector accountability.
It said the AIG Public Leaders Programme (PLP) trained 72 public sector leaders from Nigeria, Egypt, Tanzania, Cameroon, Zambia, Malawi and Kenya—its fastest growth to date—bringing the alumni network to 309.
These alumni are driving 237 reform projects to enhance public institutions, from faster decision-making to greater transparency, with nine promoted to higher roles for their contributions.
On civil service modernisation, the foundation accelerated digitalisation at the Office of the Head of the Civil Service of the Federation (OHCSF), streamlining 19 processes and achieving a 75 per cent increase in work speed through automated workflows.
It also trained over 400 officials from the Federal Ministry of Justice, Federal Civil Service Commission and Federal Ministry of Innovation, Trade and Investment in digital skills to support the FCCSIP 25 initiative and ongoing digital rollouts.
In healthcare, the Adopt-A-Healthcare-Facility Programme renovated four primary healthcare centres in Edo State, boosting antenatal visits by 73 per cent, immunisation coverage over 100-fold and fully vaccinating 554 children, while supporting 6,788 patients.
The foundation recognised 18 outstanding public servants with ₦500,000 each via the Emily Aig-Imoukhuede Endowment Awards and received a partnership award from the OHCSF for civil service reform efforts.
To empower media, it trained 50 journalists from top Nigerian media houses in impact storytelling, data analysis, visual and ethical reporting to better inform citizens on public sector changes.
Over five years (2021–2025), the foundation invested £2.6 million in PLP, saved ₦2.38 billion for the public sector through capacity building, trained 1,500+ civil servants, upskilled 660 digitally, trained 40 permanent secretaries and awarded 33 scholarships driving seven policy changes.
Other milestones include digitising 5,000 files, automating 333 processes, a 61 per cent efficiency gain, 60 per cent digital file creation at OHCSF, 128 excellence awards, 116 process reforms, 23 advocacy projects, 25 capacity initiatives, 18 podcasts, four healthcare articles, three policy papers, 23 adopted PHCs (four renovated) and 878+ fully immunised children aged 0–9 months.
Executive Vice Chair, Mr Aigboje Aig-Imoukhuede, said: “2025 was a year of real, measurable impact. From training hundreds of public servants to improving healthcare, helping ministries go digital, and equipping journalists to tell stories that matter, our work is making governments work better for citizens and communities across Africa.”
Showmax, Africa’s leading streaming service, has expanded its payment options in Nigeria through a partnership with Baxi by Onafriq, giving customers an easier and more convenient way to subscribe and stay connected to world-class streaming entertainment.
Started Monday, 22 December 2025, existing Showmax customers can log into the Baxi by Onafriq app, select and pay for any of Showmax plans including: Showmax Entertainment Mobile, Showmax Entertainment (All Devices), Showmax Premier League Mobile, Showmax Entertainment (All Devices) + Premier League Mobile, Showmax Entertainment Mobile + Premier League Mobile.
This update allows customers to complete their entire subscription process within the Baxi app, delivering a more efficient payment experience.
Alternatively, existing customers with verified mobile numbers can top up their Baxi by Onafriq app or through its Baxi POS agent device to load funds directly into their Showmax account. These funds can then be used to pay for a Showmax plan.
For new customers, subscribing is also seamless. After creating a Showmax account on their mobile device, they will receive an OTP via SMS or WhatsApp, which allows them to verify their mobile number and immediately return to the app to top up and activate their subscription.
Speaking on the announcement, Tope Oshunkeye, Executive Head of Marketing, West Africa, MultiChoice, said: “With these new payment options from Baxi by Onafriq, we are making streaming on Showmax more accessible, allowing our customers to pay quickly and securely through a trusted financial service provider. This is a significant step forward in our mission to deliver world-class streaming experiences for our customers”.
“This launch is about making entertainment access seamless,” said Mxolisi Msutwana, Managing Director, Anglophone West Africa, Onafriq. “By automating the renewal process, we are not only providing greater convenience for customers but also helping to drive the adoption of digital payments across Nigeria.”
With more people turning to digital services, Showmax is doubling down on its commitment to make it affordable and effortless for customers to access and stream the stories they love. By partnering with Baxi by Onafriq, a popular agent and digital payment network, Showmax is meeting subscribers where they already are.
Showmax, launched in 2015 and available in more than 40 markets across the continent, is a leading African streaming service. It offers a unique combination of original African content, first and exclusive international series, popular movies, premium documentaries and the best kids’ shows, plus a mobile-only product to watch the Premier League.
Onafriq is an omnichannel network of networks, making borders matter less by providing our partners with a single pathway to unlock the full power of cross-border and cross-platform payment solutions. With a network spanning 43 African markets, Onafriq connects over 1 billion mobile money wallets, 500 million bank accounts, and over 400,000 agents in Nigeria, enabling domestic and cross-border disbursements and collections, card issuing and processing, agency banking, and treasury services.
In Nigeria, Onafriq operates as a B2B payments enabler with an extensive agency banking network through its flagship product, Baxi. Baxi connects over 400,000 agents nationwide, offering essential financial services such as bill payments, airtime and data purchases, funds transfers, cash-in and cash-out transactions, and more, driving financial inclusion and providing seamless access to digital financial services for millions.
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