Broadcasting
Spotify Unveils Global Afrobeats Playlist, Celebrates Genre’s Worldwide Rise

To amplify Afrobeats’ status as a global powerhouse, Spotify today announced the launch of its new Global Afrobeats Playlist. The new Global Afrobeats Playlist is a celebration of a sound that has moved from the club to the charts and beyond, influencing global fashion, dance, and culture. In direct response to the genre’s global growth, this playlist is driven by the passion and influence of listeners worldwide.

Beyond Africa, Afrobeats is seeing a massive increase in Asia, with Indonesia, India, the Philippines, and Thailand becoming major hotspots. In 2020, these markets experienced significant growth: Indonesia at a 4,530% increase, India at 1,650%, the Philippines at 1,492%, and Thailand at 1,370%. The genre’s popularity in the Latin America region has also seen a remarkable 183% year-on-year growth in 2025, underscoring its broad and international appeal.
Interestingly, Spotify data reveals a 135% growth in the number of user-generated playlists that use “Afrobeats” between 2020 and 2025. This is a movement of fans acting as tastemakers, building the genre’s global footprint one playlist at a time. Listeners are not just consuming the sound; they are curating, sharing, and exporting it worldwide.
This digital takeover is the work of a new generation. Gen Z, with an appetite for new sounds, has made playlists their go-to for discovery. They have turned playlists like Hot Hits Naija, African Heat, and Gbedu into global gateways. These playlists are the top three playlists for young Afrobeats listeners globally, reflecting the genre’s diverse energy, from club anthems to smooth crossovers. Hot Hits Naija alone has pulled in over 20 million global plays.
The top three playlists shaping Gen Z listening in the genre’s birthplace, Hot Hits Naija, Gbedu, and Street Energy capture the raw, street-driven pulse of Nigerian youth culture. The Afro Adura playlist, for instance, saw its average monthly plays jump by 51%, a clear sign that the genre’s appeal is both broad and deep.
“The launch of our Global Afrobeats Playlist isn’t about Spotify leading the charge, it’s about us following the fans,” says Benewaah Boateng, Spotify’s Senior Music Editor, Sub-Saharan Africa. “The data shows a wave of listener-driven curation, and this playlist is our way of celebrating that momentum. We are simply giving due recognition to the voices of a new generation who have made Afrobeats a global force, and we are thrilled to provide a definitive home for this vibrant and ever-evolving genre.”
The new Afrobeats Global playlist is a nod to the fans who built this movement from the ground up, and a green light for Afrobeats to keep climbing.
Broadcasting
MTN Launches One TV with Free-to-View, Pay-as-You-Go

MTN Group has begun rolling out MTN One TV, a new entertainment proposition designed to make digital video content more accessible, relevant, and flexible for customers across African markets.

Introduced in line with MTN’s Ambition 2030 strategy, MTN One TV brings together local storytelling, live channels, international programming, and market-specific viewing options tailored to how customers across the continent access and pay for digital entertainment.
The proposition is designed to give customers greater choice in how they watch content, with viewing models that may vary by market and can include free-to-view content, advertising-funded experiences, pay-as-you-watch access, and subscription offerings.
Depending on local availability, customers may also be able to pay through airtime, Mobile Money, and other locally supported payment methods, helping to reduce common barriers to streaming access.
Beyond enhancing customer experiences, MTN One TV creates new opportunities for African creators, broadcasters, advertisers, and ecosystem partners by helping connect content to wider audiences through MTN’s scale across connectivity, payments, and digital services.
By bringing together a broad mix of content experiences under a single proposition, MTN aims to support greater content discovery, broader audience reach, and sustainable growth across Africa’s digital entertainment ecosystem.
Anchored in MTN’s strategic platforms of Connectivity, Fintech, and Digital Infrastructure, MTN One TV forms part of the Group’s broader ambition to build digital experiences that create value for customers while enabling participation and growth across Africa’s digital economy.
“Entertainment is increasingly becoming an important gateway to digital participation,” said Selorm Adadevoh, MTN group chief commercial, strategy and transformation officer.
“Through MTN One TV, we are leveraging the scale of our connectivity, fintech, and digital capabilities to make relevant content more accessible while creating new opportunities for Africa’s creative and digital economies. This is aligned with our ambition to deliver digital solutions for Africa’s progress.”
MTN One TV is being introduced progressively across MTN markets through a phased rollout approach that reflects local market needs, existing services, and partnership opportunities.
Over time, MTN will bring together a combination of video capabilities, content partnerships, and customer experiences under the MTN One TV brand to create a more consistent and scalable entertainment proposition across its footprint.
Through MTN One TV, MTN continues to extend its role beyond connectivity by combining entertainment, payments, and digital services to deliver experiences tailored to the needs of African consumers.
The rollout supports MTN’s Ambition 2030 vision of leading digital solutions for Africa’s progress while expanding access to digital entertainment across the continent.
Broadcasting
IATA Drops Bombshell: Nigeria Among World’s Most Expensive Countries to Run an Airline

International Air Transport Association (IATA) has identified Nigeria as one of the most expensive countries in the world for airline operations, citing high taxes, charges and operational costs that continue to weigh heavily on local carriers.

IATA’s Regional Vice President for Africa and the Middle East, Kamil Al-Awadhi, disclosed this during the association’s Annual General Meeting held in Rio de Janeiro.
Al-Awadhi said that although Nigeria’s Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Festus Keyamo, had been pursuing reforms aimed at improving the aviation sector, airlines operating in the country still faced enormous cost pressures.
According to him, the high-cost operating environment has continued to affect the profitability and competitiveness of Nigerian airlines, making it difficult for the industry to realise its full potential.
He noted that excessive taxes, regulatory charges and other operating expenses remained major obstacles to airline growth across the region, with Nigeria ranking among the most challenging markets from a cost perspective.
Al-Awadhi urged member states of the Economic Community of West African States to adopt a proposed 25 per cent reduction in aviation taxes and charges to ease the burden on airlines and passengers.
According to him, lowering taxes and charges would reduce airfares, stimulate passenger traffic and strengthen the competitiveness of carriers operating within West Africa.
He stressed that a more supportive policy environment was critical to unlocking the economic benefits of aviation, including increased trade, tourism and regional integration.
Industry stakeholders have consistently advocated lower taxes and regulatory fees, arguing that the current cost structure makes air travel less affordable and limits the growth of the sector.
IATA’s latest remarks add to calls for governments in West Africa to implement policies that will promote a more sustainable and competitive aviation industry across the region.
Broadcasting
NASENI Trains 50 Women in Kano on Renewable Energy Technologies Under She-Powers Initiative

The National Agency for Science and Engineering Infrastructure (NASENI), under the leadership of its Executive Vice Chairman/CEO, Khalil Suleiman Halilu, has trained 50 women in Kano State on inverter and battery technologies through its She-Powers Energy Initiative.

The three-day programme, held at the Technology Incubation Centre, Farm Centre, Kano which ended yesterday, was designed to equip participants with practical renewable energy skills, promote women-led enterprises, and enhance sustainable livelihoods.
The initiative forms part of NASENI’s broader commitment to empowering women, creating economic opportunities, and expanding participation in Nigeria’s growing clean energy sector. It also aligns with the Renewed Hope Agenda of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu by supporting job creation, entrepreneurship, and inclusive economic development.
Through targeted interventions such as the She-Powers Energy Initiative, NASENI continues to demonstrate its commitment to leveraging technology and innovation to improve lives and drive sustainable development across the country.
Photos: Participants at the She-Powers Energy Initiative training organised by the National Agency for Science and Engineering Infrastructure (NASENI) held at the the Technology Incubation Centre, Farm Centre, Kano yesterday.
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