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MultiChoice and The rise of Nigeria’s Football Fan Culture

Europe is the dream destination for footballers and managers who aspire to perform at the highest level. Little wonder that European teams, particularly those in the English Premier League, Spanish La Liga and Italian Serie A, attract the best talents and boast the largest number of supporters from across the world including Nigeria.
Besides the thrill of exciting matches, many fans identify with these teams for various reasons. For some, support for a countryman plying his trade with a team translates to support for the whole team. Some others support a team out of love for a manager, while others generally develop fondness for a club from recurrent viewing of their matches.
While those who barely watch football wonder why grown men and women display loyalty to teams and players who barely recognize them, the football fans are usually unfaced by criticisms. For them, identifying with a football team brings a sense of belonging among football communities either online or offline, and in some instances, they identify to feel a sense of pride that comes with associating with a winning team.
The ever expanding football fandom in Nigeria would have been impossible without MultiChoice Nigeria. The company bridged the distance barrier that would have made access to European football an exclusive privilege of the wealthy by bringing these matches to the screens of many Nigerians at an affordable rate.
Since its entrance into the broadcasting space in Nigeria in 1993, the company has invested billions of naira to procure broadcasting rights for its flagship sports channel SuperSport, available on DStv and GOtv. It has also employed football experts, analysts, and veteran footballers to provide match analysis and predictions for major leagues and competitions.
As a result, a regular subscriber on GOtv Max can access all matches from top leagues such as La Liga, Serie A, and Europa League, while still being able to access a few matches from the Premier League and the Champions League for just N4, 125. As such, football lovers, regardless of their socio-economic class, can watch their favourite teams’ matches.
And this phenomenon has brought various dynamics of socio-economic benefits for the country. Just as recently, MultiChoice Nigeria hosted a football watch party for fans to share matchday moments together. Such avenues foster togetherness among Nigerians and boost trade activities among vendors.
Similarly, football fanship has contributed its fair share to employment opportunities. There’s hardly a Nigerian community, no matter how small, that doesn’t have a football viewing centre. These centres are run by youth and adults who make good living for themselves by showing premium football matches for fans, who either cannot afford the higher subscription packages, or enjoy the football banter that such centres provide.
As more people show interest in football, it has also birthed sports programmes on broadcast media, sports-focused newspapers, blogs, social media influencers, podcasts among others. Individuals make their source of livelihood from offering these services.
One cannot also ignore the rise of competitions and trivia to reward football fans. The Fantasy Premier League game created by the English Premier League is popular among young Nigerians who use the platform to test their football management skill. Some brands have tapped into this frenzy and created means to reward top performing players.
In the same vein, Nigeria has a teeming population of youngsters, both male and female. MultiChoice has enabled them to watch world-class footballers that can inspire them to aim for a glorious career. Also, as more Nigerians players ply their trade in Europe, these youngsters have homegrown talents to look up to.
Nigeria has untapped potential in sports. With the commitment of companies like MultiChoice, these potentials can be transformed into socio-economic advantage.
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Leadway Assurance Pledges Transformative Role to SMEs
Leadway Assurance said it has chosen to go beyond risk underwriting to play the role of transformative partner for Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) in the country.
The underwriting firm played this role by empowering SMEs with practical strategies on how to navigate risks inherent in Yuletide season.
Leadway recently organized a webinar session for SMEs titled, “Driving Increased Sales During the Festive Season.”
Speaking on the reason for the session, the underwriting firm said it realized that as momentum into the 2024 festive season continued, businesses, especially small and medium enterprises (SMEs), face paradoxical realities of increased sales opportunities and consequent cocktails of business risks.
It said recognising the fact that with consumer spending and holiday making increasing businesses for SMEs, there were the possibilities of risk from these spikes in commercial activities such as – theft, accidents, burglaries, fire outbreaks, frauds, and system failures.
Against this backdrop Leadway said it has reaffirmed its position as a transformative partner to SMEs by empowering businesses with practical strategies for navigating the complexities of the season.
“This aligns with the brand’s mission to deliver robust risk management and business solutions to bolster economic growth, Head of the Retail Division at Leadway, Umashime Oguzor-Doghro said.
As connected to insurance, Oguzor-Doghro said: “Insurance was often seen as a reactive tool, but at Leadway, we position it as a strategic asset. With our competitive risk management solutions—spanning property, transit, and employee coverage, we enable businesses to operate with confidence, knowing they are protected from the unforeseen.
What sets us apart is our free advisory service, which ensures businesses are fully equipped before they even take up our insurance products.” he added.
In addition to risk management, Oguzor- Doghro said the webinar championed collaboration as a catalyst for success, adding that Leadway’s partnerships with event managers and SME stakeholders aim to ensure seamless operations during the festive season, reinforcing the company’s role as more than just an insurer but a reliable business ally.
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Mastercard, MTN, and Arifu Launch Digital Skills Program for African Small Businesses
Mastercard Center for Inclusive Growth, MTN Group Fintech and Arifu have partnered to support about one million small businesses in Cote’ D’Ivoire and Uganda, to digitize their operations, increase the use of digital financial services and access digital marketplaces through the MoMo Coach chatbot.
This program, part of the Center’s global Mastercard Strive initiative, aims to enhance the resilience and growth of small businesses by providing essential digital skills. It is one of the ways Mastercard Strive has disseminated chatbot-ready business building content for small businesses in the region, which is currently also available in Kenya and Nigeria.
Small businesses in sub-Saharan Africa, especially those impacted by the pandemic, have faced significant barriers in adopting digital tools. As of December 2022, only 27.65% of businesses in sub-Saharan Africa had adopted digital tools to enhance their efficiency, showing a slight improvement from 19.44% in August 2020. A lack of relevant skills continues to limit their growth and access to essential financial services. MoMo Coach addresses these gaps by providing free, accessible upskilling content via popular messaging platforms.
Supported by the Mastercard Center for Inclusive Growth and delivered by Caribou Digital, this program equips small businesses with digital skills, enabling them to adopt digital tools, access capital, and engage more effectively in digital marketplaces. The program aligns with Mastercard Strive’s broader goal of reaching 18 million small businesses around the world to go digital, get capital, and access networks and know-how.
“Small businesses are vital to Africa’s growth and create opportunities for a more resilient and inclusive regional economy. We are delighted to catalyze a partnership between MTN Group Fintech and Arifu to equip almost one million small business owners with the digital skills and knowledge essential for thriving in an increasingly digital economy, setting them up for success.” said Subhashini Chandran, Senior Vice President of Social Impact for Asia Pacific, Europe, Middle East and Africa
The MoMo Coach solution, powered by Arifu’s Grasp Platform, uses mobile messaging to deliver micro-learning experiences. It is accessible across multiple channels, including WhatsApp, Telegram, Facebook Messenger, SMS and MoMo. This gives small business owners and entrepreneurs flexibility in accessing practical, actionable tips to unlock growth opportunities in the digital economy.
Serigne Dioum, CEO of MTN Group Fintech, further adds: “Empowering small businesses with digital skills is key to driving inclusive growth in Africa. Through MoMo Coach, we are unlocking opportunities for entrepreneurs to thrive in the digital economy, strengthening communities, and shaping the future of business across the continent.”
The program has been rolled out in Côte d’Ivoire and Uganda, reaching over 930,000 MTN customers, merchants, and agents, with more than 75,000 small business owners accessing free digital courses and over 45,000 actively engaging with MoMo Coach. Courses offered include “How to Start Your Business,” “Money Management,” and “Grow and Secure Your Business.” These courses are based on insights derived from MoMo merchants and agents, and they address key challenges like affordability and access to relevant business knowledge—enabling small business owners to navigate the digital landscape.
Aminata, a 31-year-old business owner from Gôh-Djiboua, Côte d’Ivoire, is one of the many beneficiaries of MoMo Coach. Selling shoes and clothing since 2022, she says: “There’s a lot of competition, but MoMo Coach helps me sell better. Before, I used all my profits to buy new stock, which left me using my capital for expenses. Now, I split my profits: one part for business growth, another for expenses, and some savings for other projects.” She has also started using WhatsApp to increase her sales, noting: “My income has increased. When I post my goods, I sell more.”
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Stellantis and Zeta Energy Announce Joint Development of Lithium-Sulfur Batteries
Stellantis N.V. and Zeta Energy Corp. announced a joint development agreement aimed at advancing battery cell technology for electric vehicle applications.
The partnership aims to develop lithium-sulfur EV batteries with game-changing gravimetric energy density while achieving a volumetric energy density comparable to today’s lithium-ion technology.
For customers, this means potentially a significantly lighter battery pack with the same usable energy as contemporary lithium-ion batteries, enabling greater range, improved handling and enhanced performance.
Additionally, the technology has the potential to improve fast-charging speed by up to 50%, making EV ownership even more convenient.
Lithium-sulfur batteries are expected to cost less than half the price per kWh of current lithium-ion batteries.
“Our collaboration with Zeta Energy is another step in helping advance our electrification strategy as we work to deliver clean, safe and affordable vehicles,” said Ned Curic, Stellantis Chief Engineering and Technology Officer.
“Groundbreaking battery technologies like lithium-sulfur can support Stellantis’ commitment to carbon neutrality by 2038 while ensuring our customers enjoy optimal range, performance and affordability.”
“We are very excited to be working with Stellantis on this project,” said Tom Pilette, CEO of Zeta Energy.
“The combination of Zeta Energy’s lithium-sulfur battery technology with Stellantis’ unrivaled expertise in innovation, global manufacturing and distribution can dramatically improve the performance and cost profile of electric vehicles while increasing the supply chain resiliency for batteries and EVs.”
The batteries will be produced using waste materials and methane, with significantly lower CO2 emissions than any existing battery technology.
Zeta Energy battery technology is intended to be manufacturable within existing gigafactory technology and would leverage a short, entirely domestic supply chain in Europe or North America.
The collaboration includes both pre-production development and planning for future production. Upon completion of the project, the batteries are targeted to power Stellantis electric vehicles by 2030.
Lithium-sulfur battery technology delivers higher performance at a lower cost compared to traditional lithium-ion batteries. Sulfur, being widely available and cost-effective, reduces both production expenses and supply-chain risk.
Zeta Energy’s lithium-sulfur batteries utilize waste materials, methane and unrefined sulfur, a byproduct from various industries, and do not require cobalt, graphite, manganese or nickel.
Developing high-performing and affordable EVs is a key pillar of Stellantis’ Dare Forward 2030 strategic plan, which includes offering more than 75 battery electric vehicle models.
Stellantis is employing a dual-chemistry approach to serve all customers and exploring innovative battery cell and pack technologies.
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