Broadcasting
Big Brother Returns with ‘Stargame’

Africa’s largest reality show, Big Brother Africa by M-Net, is in its seventh season. The seventh edition to be known as ‘Stargame’ starts on Sunday, May 6 when M-Net opens the doors of Big Brother House to selected housemates from the different parts of the continent. This year, BBA will be live on DStv exclusively for 91 days and it will be 24/7. That is actually no news to ardent followers who have kept faith with the series for six seasons beginning from 2003, the edition won by Zambian Cherise Makubale. “One of the main reasons for the success of Big Brother, in Africa and beyond the continent, is that it creates its own stars from the minute housemates step into the spotlight,” says M-Net Africa Managing Director, Biola Alabi. “The show is built on the idea that, given the chance, anyone can be a star, anyone can find themselves shot to stardom. So this year, we’re honouring this essential element of the show directly in the title, putting the concept of rising stars and dreams of stardom right at the front of what is a challenging, fun, dramatic game.” Three major surprises await BBA followers this season. The first: each contestant must enter with a partner – your best friend, boyfriend, girlfriend, mom, dad, brother, sister, boss, husband, wife, neighbour, hairdresser, anybody! Whao! That, according to M-Net, is called “Double Up”. Mrs Alabi said: “The really big news this season is that entrants must enter as pairs. In the past we’ve seen a natural and continuous cross-over between individuals and their families, their friends. So this year, we decided to include that as part of the game. It will definitely make a dramatic addition to the series so we urge people to enter and experience what will be a uniquely different Big Brother Africa!” The second surprise: an addition of two new participating countries, which are Liberia and Sierra-Leone. M-Net announced that two previous participating countries, Ethiopia and Mozambique will play new part in this year’s edition. Ethiopia, M-Net said, opted out of the show. The reason is not stated. But it can be inferred from the performances of the two housemates – Yacob and Hanni – who represented the country in the previous three editions that Ethiopia featured in. Many analysts of the show felt these two didn’t put up strong performances to clinch the ultimate prize. For Mozambique, M-Net said, there will be a new role. What role this is, M-Net didn’t state yet. Big Brother is full of twists and turns, so viewers can only keep guessing at what awaits them. The third and the biggest surprise: M-Net has increased the prize money from $200,000 to $300,000. In Nigeria, if converted to Naira, this literally equals N50 million. And it is a winner-takes-all! M-Net auditions for BBA7 housemates have kicked off across the continent. Nigeria’s audition held in Lagos on Monday March 5, Tuesday March 6 and Wednesday March 7 at the Protea Leadway Hotel, Maryland. From across the federation, thousands of hopefuls gathered at the audition venue to try their luck. Then the drama this season portends started to play out. In the first instance, one would have concluded that the fact that Nigerian housemates, three times in a row, won the fourth, fifth and sixth editions, and therefore no contestant stands a chance in subsequent editions. But no; Nigerians, of course, older than 21 years, trooped to the venue in their thousands jostling for the slot to represent the country when the show starts in May. Beginning with Kevin Chuwang Pam in 2009; second-time lucky Uti Nwachukwu in 2010, and Karen Igho, a joint-winner in 2011, the show is gradually becoming a Nigeria affair. That was not the drama. The drama played out in the line-up of the people that showed up as partners to compete. Grandmothers came with their nephews, some ladies came with their mothers, boyfriends partnered girlfriends, and a popular act, Trybson (played Dagrin in Ghetto Dreams) came with his manager. There were cases of boyfriends or girlfriends who waited in vain for their partners to show up at the venue and while it was becoming clear their partners were not going to show up, hooked up with other jilted but available partners. One began to wonder how all these elements will play out when the show eventually starts. It was stated in M-Net’s advert for interested participants that entrants for this season, as with previous seasons, must be fun-loving, vocal, creative, original and articulate. In addition to those characteristics, entrants must demonstrate the social flexibility to live in close proximity with others and must be tolerant of views and lifestyle choices other than their own. The piece of information supplied above is vital in the view of previous episodes and encounters with housemates who showed strong objections to the views and behaviour of other housemates leading to altercations and violence, resulting in such housemates’ consequent disqualification; Ugandan Hannington and Tanzanian Lotus in Big Brother All Stars and Big Brother Amplified, respectively. BBA is one show that consciously puts to test housemates’ emotions, attitudes and actions. In playing the game as fairly as they could be, housemates set themselves up for series of intrigues, drama, controversies, conspiracy and the likes, having it at the back of their minds that it’s just a game. It is only when the show is taken seriously beyond the realm of a game that tension is created and clashes occur. In the new edition, viewers must look forward to how the different characters being assembled by M-Net across the continent will accept, tolerate, and cooperate with one another to create an exciting show to last the duration of 91 days. He claimed that skeletal services had “eventually led to the avoidable access of armed robbers to the banking premises through bank staff private entrance. “No bank in Ijebu land should render skeletal services to customers henceforth until the forum’s demands on security are fully met by the state government.” “Staff should move away from banks’ premises till further notice. No loading of ATM should be carried out by any bank. Any robbery attack arising as a result of culpability of any bank shall be viewed as connivance and collaboration with the robbers,” he warned. Olusoga warned that the forum would “not defend or issue any statement to absolve any bank official who out of his carelessness allows his bank to be robbed through skeletal services rendered.” On the assurances by the state government that five APCs would arrive the state by Friday, he said the bankers would call off the action once the armoured vehicles were physically on ground. Corroborating, Tunde Onadeko, chairman, Bankers’ Forum in Sagamu said all banks in the axis have also been directed to shut operations. “We are together in this agitation. Whatever you hear from the Ijebu Bankers’ Forum is our position,” Onadeko said. Meanwhile, Bola Onifade, state chairman of the forum said banks in Abeokuta would open for normal business and denied insinuations that the state government pressured him to back out of the action.
Broadcasting
Afia TV and Radio Stamps Footprints in Lagos

Afia TV & Radio has announced its official entry into the Lagos media market, in its commitment to expanding the broadcaster’s footprint, connecting businesses to audiences across Nigeria, and redefining regional media excellence.

Chief Emeka Mba,
Nnamdi Obanya, general manager of Afia TV & Radio, said there is only one digital satellite and one digital station in the southeastern region of Nigeria, which is Afia.
Obanya, stated that: “We are specialists in developing products. A programme on our channel, ‘How Market’, is where we talk to the people in the market to tell their stories and advertise their products on AFIA.”
According to him, “the market world has changed a lot, as the physical market has become a ware house while people are buying digitally.”
Chief Emeka Mba, founder and CEO, stated: “The parley brought together top media buyers, advertising agencies, and communication professionals for engaging conversations around emerging trends, innovation, and future-forward strategies in media planning and buying. The event also served as a platform for Afia TV and radio to unveil its offerings, platforms, and unique value proposition to Lagos-based stakeholders.”
While noting that they are thrilled to bring Afia’s fresh, original, and regional perspective to Lagos, Mba said, “this parley signals our readiness to collaborate, innovate, and deliver impactful results for our partners through data-driven content and targeted reach especially for brands looking to penetrate the southern Nigerian market.”
Equipped with modern broadcast studios, digital-first production capabilities, and a highly experienced team, Afia TV & Radio is poised to make a bold impression on the Lagos media landscape.
The media brand delivers high-quality programming ranging from news and documentaries to lifestyle, business, culture, and entertainment only in south-east but in Lagos, African and beyond, we want to be chief marketing platform of the eastern region, we are the only 24/7 radio station now in Enugu.
Broadcasting
NCC Warns DJs: Playing Music Without License Could Lead to 5-Year Jail Term

Nigerian Copyright Commission (NCC) has warned disc jockeys (DJs) against publicly playing music without proper authorization or a valid license.
NAN reports that John Asein, NCC director-general, gave the warning in an advisory issued in Abuja.
He said the commission’s attention had been drawn to the growing practice of DJs playing music in public spaces without obtaining copyright licences from their approved collective management organisations (CMOs).
Asein said under sections 9 and 12 of the Copyright Act, 2022, only the owner of copyright in a musical work or sound recording has the exclusive right to reproduce, perform, or communicate it to the public.
The NCC threatened to prosecute defaulters in a case that could lead to a N1 million fine or a 5-year jail term upon conviction.
“Engaging in any of these acts without the owner’s authorisation constitutes an infringement under the Act,” he said.
“Such infringement may constitute a civil wrong or a criminal offence under section 44 (7), punishable upon conviction by a fine of not less than N1 million or imprisonment for a term of not less than five years or to both.”
Asein advised DJs to obtain the necessary licences and pay royalties to the approved CMO before performing music publicly.
The NCC director-general added that the commission will arrest and prosecute anyone found violating the law.
“For the avoidance of doubt, the approved CMO for musical works and sound recordings in Nigeria is the Musical Copyright Society, Nigeria (MCSN),” he said.
“The Commission is aware that the Disc Jockey’s Association of Nigeria (DJAN), as the umbrella body representing DJs in Nigeria, has entered into a Memorandum of Understanding with MCSN.
“Under the arrangement, DJAN is authorised to work with MCSN to facilitate the payment of royalties by DJs nationwide, based on the tariff that DJAN had negotiated with MCSN.”
Broadcasting
Netflix Hikes Subscription Fees Again in Nigeria over “Market Conditions”

Netflix has increased its subscription fees in Nigeria for the third time since 2024, with the Premium Plan rising by 21.43%, from ₦7,000 to ₦8,500 per month.
This marks the streaming platform’s first price adjustment in 2025.
Other subscription tiers have also been affected.
The Standard Plan now costs ₦6,500, up from ₦5,500—a hike of 18.18%.
The Basic Plan has increased from ₦3,500 to ₦4,000, while the Mobile Plan moved from ₦2,200 to ₦2,500, reflecting increases of 14.29% and 13.64% respectively.
The latest adjustment aligns with Netflix’s broader global pricing strategy, which the company has linked to its ongoing investment in content and platform development. In a previous communication to investors, Netflix stated, “As we invest in and improve Netflix, we’ll occasionally ask our members to pay a little extra to reflect those improvements. Which in turn helps drive the positive flywheel of additional investment to further improve and grow our service.”
While the company did not explicitly cite inflation in its most recent update, its website indicates that local economic factors influence its pricing structure.
“Price changes are made to respond to local market changes, such as changes to local taxes or inflation,” the statement read.
The move mirrors similar pricing shifts among other major digital and entertainment services in Nigeria.
Companies including Google, DSTV, GOtv, and Microsoft have also raised subscription rates, attributing their decisions to continued inflationary pressures and a weakening naira.
- E-Financial3 days ago
Cyber Crime: Hackers to Hold Secret Conference 3.0 July 25
- General News3 days ago
Wema Bank Workers, Others Arraigned over Alleged N8.9Bn Cybercrime
- Telecom3 days ago
Gaps on Phone Number Recycling Fuel Identity Theft, Data Breaches- ICIR
- E-Business3 days ago
FG Enrolls 59,786 Inmates on NIN Platform
- General News3 days ago
Music Stars, Comedians Light Up “Evening with Glo” in Ijebu Ode
- E-Financial3 days ago
SEC Flags ‘Punisher Coin’ As High-Risk Scheme
- Telecom2 days ago
Telcos Hit by Major Outages across Lagos, Enugu, Others
- E-Business2 days ago
Human Hacking: When Cyber Criminals Target You