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Hi-life Fest Set to Shut down Enugu as Talents Compete for 2 Million Naira Star Prize

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Stellar performances, amazing stagecraft and the ever lively raucous audience have become the hallmarks of the HiLife Fest, and that much will be witnessed by the audience and other residents of Enugu when the grand finale hits the beautiful coal city of Enugu on Saturday June 2, 2018.

 

 

Despite its name meaning “hill top” in igbo language, Enugu lies at the foot of an escarpment and not a hill.

 

Enugu is located in the Cross river basin and the benue trough and has the best developed coal in the eastern city.

 

As a Northern Igbo city, Enugu shares cultural traits with its neighbouring towns.

 

Two important Igbo traditional festivals take place In Enugu Annually – the Mmanwu festival and New Yam festival.

 

This festivals are annual and are held to promote the Igbo culture.

 

Asides the above mentioned festivals, Enugu has taken further steps to create more festivals which are managed by Enugu council of Arts and Culture.

 

HiLife Fest is an initiative of Life Continental Lager Beer that has come to stay in contributing to the promotion and sustainability of highlife music culture amongst the young generations.

 

The Indigenous highlife music competition took the talent hunt to Onitsha this past weekend where the remaining contestants slugged it out for a place in the finals.

 

These included 5 groups in the traditional dance category and 10 singers in the highlife music category which has made the competition a staple among highlife fanatics.

 

Now with the dust settled on the semis, it’s time for all finalists to brace up and prepare for the finals.

 

The talent hunt which is aimed at celebrating the heritage of Igbo people through music has featured a plethora of talented acts from seven state auditions.

 

The fight for the star prize of 2 Million Naira has reached its peak after several mentorship sessions.

 

The Onitsha semifinalists put up amazing performances in a bid to convince the judges of their talents.

 

The fans were also treated to thrilling performances by Chidinma, Obiligbo Brothers, Tipsy Kelvano, Chijioke Mbanefo and Chibest David, the reigning King of Hilife 2017, in Onitsha, and Enugu will be no less an experience as the show becomes a wrap on Saturday, June 2nd.

 

 

Competing for the grand prize in the Hi-life music category are Dons Ifeanyi Frank (Anambra), Kalapi Ojuka (Port-Harcout), Emmanuel Agbom (Delta), Uwazie Chuks Arthur (Imo), Chinedu Obiajulu Ada-Chi (Enugu) While the traditional dance category will feature Kanaowo Dance group (Port-Harcourt), Noel Cultural Entertainment (Ebonyi), Asinodricks Africa (Imo) and Umuchiziri Egwu Cultural Dance (Enugu).

 

 

One of the finalist Ada-Chi said – “I am so glad to be the only woman to make it to the grand finale in the singing category considering the fact that it is a male dominated activity, I am still here and I hope to clinch the grand prize.”

 

 

Enugu will be hoping for one of their own to win the grand prize for them and make the Coal City proud.

 

The locals will be looking to make up for last year’s surprise when Chibest David from Imo (Owerri) made headlines with his victory at the maiden edition of the the Fest.

 

Speaking ahead of the event, Bright Chimezie Said – “All the cities we have been to for the festival has featured very talented artistes.

 

“It will be interesting to see  who eventually emerges the winner at the grand finale.

 

“However, I want to emphasize even more on the unity that this competition represents for the Igbo people and the country at large.

 

“Beyond whoever wins, the ultimate goal is to celebrate Igbo culture through highlife music.”

 

Also speaking ahead of the finals. Mr. Emmanuel Agu, Portfolio Manager – Mainstream Lager and Stout Brands, Nigerian Breweries, said, “Hilife fest is a show of the commitment of Life Continental Lager beer, the Igbo man’s partner in progress, to continue promoting and propagating the beautiful heritage of the Igbo people through highlife music.

 

“We understand how much these classic tunes mean to the consumers and are delighted to bring this music fest to them.

 

“Seeing all the honed talents, and the beautiful performances at the quarter and semi final concerts, has been a joy to behold and we look forward to working with the winners in managing their talent and preserving the beautiful highlife culture.” He added.

 

The Enugu finals of the Hi Life fest will feature performances from Onyeka Owenu, Phyno, Bright Chimezie, Obiligbo Brothers, Tipsy Kelvano and Chibest David.

 

 


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Ugo Onwuaso is an ICT enthusiast. He believes technology should be used for general good. He holds a Master of Public Administration (MPA) degree from the Lagos state University. Dear Reader, Your support matters. But we believe that technology makes life more exciting and helps improve the lives of people around Nigeria and indeed the world. That is why, we have devoted our energy to independent reportage of technology and finance and how they affect lives. Our incisive and analytical view of how technology news affects the daily life help individuals and organizations make up their minds. Quality journalism costs money. Today, we're asking that you support us to do more. Kindly support our effort to deliver technology and finance journalism to everyone in the world. Donate as little as N1,000. Bank transfers can be made to: UBA Plc 1017156876 Communication Week Media Ltd

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Tech Alliance Aims to Transform Africa’s Mapping System

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Space42, the UAE-based global AI-powered space-tech company, part of technology group G42, this week announced the signing of a memorandum of understanding with Microsoft and Esri to deliver high-resolution, scalable base maps across all 54 African countries, serving over 1.4 billion people.

Known as the “Map Africa Initiative,” the project will create a comprehensive base map of the continent to date, addressing challenges in infrastructure, investment, and institutional gaps, according to Space24.

The company said the updated mapping system will catalyse economic development through increased access to intelligent solutions that support governments, businesses, and communities.

The five-year collaboration aims to strengthen geospatial capabilities across Africa and the UAE, and provide precise and accessible data to national and regional stakeholders.

Space 24 detailed how the initiative will enable economic opportunities and innovation, saying the program is expected to unlock long-term value across multiple industries including: ports and logistics; renewable energy; security and disaster response; smart cities and digital economies.

It added: “Accurate maps are foundational to urban planning, public services, and technology deployment. The data will be licensed to national governments, enabling ownership and long-term updating by National Mapping Agencies. Over time, the initiative will also support a new commercial ecosystem of African startups. The data will eventually be housed in G42 and Microsoft-managed data centers across the continent.”

Hasan Al Hosani, CEO of Smart Solutions at Space42, said: “Partnership is core to the UAE’s DNA, and is central to how Space42 operates. This collaboration with Microsoft and Esri is more than technical; it’s strategic. It advances Space42’s business priorities, strengthens our role as a trusted partner to governments, and delivers meaningful benefits to communities across Africa.

“Accurate, high-quality mapping and the intelligence solutions built on it are essential for growth, resilience, and inclusive innovation. With reliable data, communities and economies prosper.”

While, Jack Dangermond, president of Esri added: “We are proud to support the Map Africa Initiative in partnership with Space42. Transforming satellite imagery into detailed, accurate base maps at continental scale requires advanced geospatial technology and professional production workflows.

“These same capabilities have supported similar national and regional mapping efforts around the world. With Map Africa, we are helping to establish a foundational resource that will drive infrastructure planning, economic growth, and sustainable development across the continent.”


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Kenya Tops Global Rankings for ChatGPT Use

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Kenya has emerged as the global leader in the adoption of ChatGPT, with a higher percentage of its internet users utilizing the AI chatbot than any other country.

According to the July 2025 Global Digital Report from DataReportal and Meltwater, an astounding 42.1% of Kenyan internet users aged 16 and above used ChatGPT in the past month.

This remarkable statistic places Kenya at the forefront of a global shift towards integrating artificial intelligence into daily life, outranking traditionally tech-forward nations such as the United Arab Emirates (42%), Israel (41.4%), Malaysia (39.8%), and Brazil (39.7%). In contrast, major economies like Russia (10.8%), China (7.3%), and Japan (5.8%) showed significantly lower adoption rates.

The report, which provides a comprehensive snapshot of digital trends worldwide, also highlights Kenya’s significant contribution to the platform’s overall traffic. The country is ranked third globally in website traffic to ChatGPT, accounting for 4.81% of all global visits, trailing only the United States and India.

Analysts attribute Kenya’s rapid and widespread adoption of ChatGPT to two primary factors:

  1. A Young, Tech-Savvy Population: With a median age of just 20, Kenya has one of the youngest populations in the world. This demographic is highly digitally native and has been quick to explore and adopt AI tools for a wide range of purposes, including education, business operations, and content creation.
  2. High Mobile Internet Penetration: Over 48% of Kenya’s population uses the internet regularly, with the vast majority accessing it via mobile devices. The accessibility of AI tools like ChatGPT on smartphones has been a critical enabler of its adoption, even in semi-urban and rural areas.

The report’s findings come shortly after OpenAI, the creator of ChatGPT, revealed that the platform now handles over 2.5 billion prompts globally every day. While OpenAI did not provide a breakdown of these prompts by use case, the platform’s popularity for tasks ranging from writing and coding to research and brainstorming is undeniable.

Kenya’s top ranking is a powerful indicator of the country’s dynamic and fast-evolving digital landscape, showcasing an eagerness to embrace cutting-edge technologies and positioning the nation as a key player in the future of AI adoption in Africa.

 


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Yahoo Mail Halts Free Storage Service, Caps at 20GB

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Yahoo Mail has announced a major shift in its storage policy, slashing the free email storage cap to 20GB and rolling out a new subscription model starting at $1.99 per month for 100GB.

The change, which takes effect immediately, marks a significant downgrade for many long-time users who have grown accustomed to Yahoo’s previously generous storage offering.

In a notice sent to users on Tuesday, the company urged account holders to review their current storage usage and consider paid upgrade options to avoid disruptions.

“Once you reach the 20GB limit, you will no longer be able to send or receive emails unless you either delete existing messages or upgrade your account,” the notice warned.

While access to inboxes will remain intact for now, users will be forced to clean up their accounts or move to a paid tier to maintain full functionality.

Yahoo has unveiled two new storage plans which are 100GB for $1.99/month and 1TB for $9.99/month.

For those seeking a more premium experience, Yahoo is also offering Yahoo Mail Plus, which includes 200GB of storage, an ad-free interface, and additional features. However, users opting for the 100GB and 1TB tiers will still be served ads, a move likely to frustrate those paying for expanded capacity.

To ease the transition, Yahoo is rolling out new tools to help users manage their inboxes more efficiently. These include real-time storage tracking, a usage dashboard, sorting options for large emails, and an attachment manager to help clear out space-consuming files.

Despite the enhancements, the abrupt downgrade has sparked concerns among users, particularly those with email archives spanning more than a decade. Critics argue the change could pressure many into paying for what was previously free, without a proportionate upgrade in value, especially considering ads remain in place for all but the premium Plus tier.

Yahoo’s new model brings it closer to competitors like Gmail, which offers 15GB of free storage shared across Gmail, Google Drive, and Google Photos. Google’s paid plans also begin at $1.99/month for 100GB, but offer additional benefits such as photo backups and expanded cloud services. Gmail also provides a cleaner experience, with minimal ads even on its free plan.

Yahoo Mail’s new 20GB limit applies exclusively to email storage, a slight advantage for users who don’t rely heavily on broader cloud services. But the real test will be how users respond to the newly imposed constraints and whether the value proposition is strong enough to convert them into paying subscribers.

 


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