Customize Consent Preferences

We use cookies to help you navigate efficiently and perform certain functions. You will find detailed information about all cookies under each consent category below.

The cookies that are categorized as "Necessary" are stored on your browser as they are essential for enabling the basic functionalities of the site. ... 

Always Active

Necessary cookies are required to enable the basic features of this site, such as providing secure log-in or adjusting your consent preferences. These cookies do not store any personally identifiable data.

No cookies to display.

Functional cookies help perform certain functionalities like sharing the content of the website on social media platforms, collecting feedback, and other third-party features.

No cookies to display.

Analytical cookies are used to understand how visitors interact with the website. These cookies help provide information on metrics such as the number of visitors, bounce rate, traffic source, etc.

No cookies to display.

Performance cookies are used to understand and analyze the key performance indexes of the website which helps in delivering a better user experience for the visitors.

No cookies to display.

Advertisement cookies are used to provide visitors with customized advertisements based on the pages you visited previously and to analyze the effectiveness of the ad campaigns.

No cookies to display.

Connect with us

Broadcasting

NCC Tasks AVRS on Licensing, Distribution of Royalties

Published

on

Kindly share this post

Mr. John Asein, Director General of the Nigerian Copyright Commission,NCC, has urged the leadership of the Audiovisual Rights Society of Nigeria, AVRS, to evolve strategies to manage the impact of the growth in digital technologies that has ushered in a new wave of services that has seen content consumption rise exponentially.

NCC boss made the call at the maiden edition of Stakeholders-Users Forum organized by the AVRS, which held at Eko Hotel and Suites, Victoria Island, Lagos, last week.

While calling on content users to cooperate with AVRS in ensuring that licensing is conducted in the most business-friendly manner, the NCC DG canvassed a situation where the AVRS must be seen to discharge its function in a manner that justifies its existence as a collective management organization.

His words, “I encourage users to cooperate with the AVRS in ensuring that licensing is conducted in the most business-friendly manner.

As long as it is acknowledged that creative contents are vital inputs to the operations of certain businesses, licensing of such content is no longer debatable, but rather a case of ascertaining what the appropriate licensing rates and tariffs should be.”

Asein, however, expressed NCC’s willingness to assist parties who may have difficulties in coming to an amicable conclusion of such licensing deals through alterative dispute resolution.

Speaking in the same vein, Chairman of the forum and former DG of the National Broadcasting Commission, NBC, Emeka Mba, canvassed the need to deconstruct and reconstruct the Nollwood value chain in a way as to maximally secure any real measure of value to the industry practitioners.

Mba was unequivocal in his submission that the industry guild and associations have largely failed to design an engagement strategy with agreed deliverables that the NCC and other agencies can be measured by.

He therefore charged AVRS to rise to the occasion and act in the overall industry interest. According to Mba, “The AVRS should be the last man standing; the industry insurance vehicle to ensure that a measurable portion of the value created by Nollywood comes back to Nollywood for the benefit of industry practitioners.’’

But to effectively play the role of the last man standing, AVRS according to Mba must conduct an audit of what is collectible based on the applicability of the law establishing it and this must be broken down sector by sector.

Earlier in his welcome address, Chairman of the AVRS, Mahmood Ali-Balogun noted that while the AVRS may have recorded some progress in the areas of enlightenment, membership data analysis, capacity building for staff and management and strategic partnership building processes, the collecting society is still lagging behind, given the fact that the CMO was licensed about five years ago and till date, it has not commenced the licensing and distribution of royalties, which as he stressed ‘are the two fundamental purposes for which AVRS was established and approved as a CMO’.

Commending the understanding and spirit of cooperation by users of audiovisual content who have shown commitment to voluntary compliance with copyright regulations by obtaining AVRS license,

Ali-Balogun urged users who are still trying to evade payment for AVRS license to obtain the license as the Nigerian Copyright Act is very clear on the obligation and liabilities of right users.

The event which was hosted by veteran actor, Richard Mofe Damijo, had in attendance big names in the Nigerian motion picture industry, industry regulators like he Nigerian Copyright Commission,NCC, officials of banks and other financial institutions, entertainment lawyers, captains of industry among others.

Participants emphasized the need for the leadership of AVRS to set the machinery for rights collection and administration in motion picture industry, especially against the backdrop of the massive transformation and continuous expansion that the audiovisual landscape has witnessed in the past two decades.


Kindly share this post

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

Broadcasting

Canal+ Buyout Of South Africa’s MultiChoice one Step Closer

Published

on

Kindly share this post

South Africa’s competition authority announced Wednesday it had approved the buyout of Africa’s largest pay TV enterprise MultiChoice by France’s Canal+, which wants to expand its footprint on the continent.

Canal+ Buyout Of South Africa’s MultiChoice one Step Closer

The merger, which has been in the works for nearly a year, needs the final go-ahead from the commission’s Competition Tribunal, it said in a statement.

Canal+ holds around 45 percent of MultiChoice’s shares and offered last year to acquire the remainder for 125 rand (6.16 euro) per share.

Canal+ is present in 25 African countries through 16 subsidiaries and has eight million subscribers, according to the French group.

MultiChoice operates in 50 countries across sub-Saharan Africa and has 19.3 million subscribers, it said.

It includes Africa’s premier sports broadcaster, SuperSport, and the DStv satellite television service.

“This is a major step forward in our ambition to create a global media and entertainment company with Africa at its heart,” Canal+ CEO Maxime Saada said in a statement.

The commission said its approval of the merger was subject to public-interest conditions worth about 26 billion rand over three years, including increasing the shareholding of people disadvantaged under South Africa’s white-minority apartheid regime.

It will also maintain the MultiChoice headquarters in South Africa.

A date for the Tribunal’s decision on the merger has not been announced but Canal+ said it was aiming for the deal to be completed by early October.

 

 


Kindly share this post
Continue Reading

Broadcasting

How Automated Payments Can Reshape Savings Beyond Local Cooperatives

Published

on

Kindly share this post

By Ope Adeoye

In the bustling market of Bodija in Ibadan, you’ll find Mama Fola sitting under her umbrella stall, a ledger open beside her cooler of peppered ponmo and egusi. She’s not just a food seller — she’s also a long-time member of the Ire Ayo Traders Cooperative, a savings group that has supported women in the market for nearly 15 years.

Ope Adeoye

But until recently, that support came with a cost — not just in naira, but in time, energy, and emotional stress.

“Every week, our collection officer would walk stall to stall to collect our contributions,” Mama Fola says. “Sometimes we’d forget. Sometimes there was no change. And sometimes, we’d say ‘come back tomorrow’ — and she’d have to come back again.”

Across Nigeria, cooperative societies have long served as community lifelines — helping everyday people save money, access loans, and weather economic storms. But for all the good they do, many cooperatives still face one silent struggle: getting members to pay consistently, and on time.

And at a time when Nigeria is grappling with record inflation, currency devaluation, and reduced access to formal credit, the stakes have never been higher. If cooperatives — which serve as the main financial entry point for nearly half of adult Nigerians — cannot function efficiently, millions could be locked out of essential economic support.

In markets from Lagos to Kaduna, collection officers make daily rounds, send endless reminders, and often spend more time chasing payments than managing finances. This friction doesn’t just cause stress — it limits the ability of cooperatives to grow, plan, and include more members.

The high cost of missed contributions

For Ire Ayo, late payments weren’t just an annoyance — they were a structural challenge. Delays meant they couldn’t disburse loans on time. New members were limited, because it was too hard to track everyone. And when members dropped out, they rarely came back.

“People think running a cooperative is just about collecting money,” says Titilayo Adebayo, the society’s administrator. “But it’s really about trust. If members don’t pay, the group suffers. And if you’re always chasing people for money, that trust breaks down.”

A 2023 study by Enhancing Financial Innovation & Access (EFInA) found that nearly 46% of adult Nigerians rely on informal financial groups like cooperatives. Yet many of these groups still operate with pen and paper, and struggle to scale or sustain their services.

A quiet shift: From reminders to reliability

In 2024, Titilayo introduced a small but significant change. After consulting with members and local tech partners, Ire Ayo moved to a direct debit system that allowed members to approve a one-time mandate for monthly contributions.

“I was skeptical at first,” she says. “Would members trust it? Would it work with all our banks?”

But within the first month, collection rates went up by 30%. Members started receiving debit alerts — without reminders, without awkward follow-ups. Contributions became predictable. And Titilayo? She finally had time to do more than chase money.

“Now, I help members plan how to use their savings. We’ve started financial literacy sessions. We’re even exploring group insurance.”

What automation unlocked

The benefits weren’t just operational. For members like Mama Fola, the system gave her dignity — and peace of mind.

“Sometimes I’d feel ashamed when I delayed payment,” she admits. “Now, the money goes quietly, and I feel proud that I’m still part of something.”

The cooperative also began welcoming younger traders, okada riders, and even diaspora members who wanted to support family members back home.

One of the tools the group used was PaywithAccount — a direct debit solution developed by Nigerian fintech company OnePipe, which allows businesses and organisations to securely pull payments from customer bank accounts with consent.

For cooperatives, this kind of tool isn’t about going digital for the sake of it. It’s about removing the friction that slows down their mission.

“We’re not trying to be a tech company,” Titilayo laughs. “We just want to help people save better, borrow responsibly, and build something together.”

Why this matters now

Cooperatives are the frontline institutions of Nigeria’s financial resilience — especially for people the formal banking sector still hasn’t reached.

In a country where small businesses account for over 80% of employment, and where trust in digital finance is still growing, making it easier for people to save and contribute consistently can have ripple effects. It can stabilise communities, fuel micro-enterprises, reduce reliance on predatory lending, and help millions move from survival to stability.

“When our people save better, they live better,” Titilayo reflects. “And when they live better, the economy can breathe.”

A new kind of progress

The shift may look like a technical adjustment — but in reality, it’s a quiet revolution. Not just in how people pay, but in how they build control, confidence, and collective progress.

It’s a reminder that financial inclusion doesn’t always mean big ideas or flashy innovations. Sometimes, it’s as simple — and powerful — as making it easier to pay what you already planned to.

And for cooperatives like Ire Ayo, that kind of ease is helping turn every contribution into something greater: a pathway to stability, dignity, and shared success.


Kindly share this post
Continue Reading

Broadcasting

Anambra State Government Launches SolutionLens to Drive Transparency and Citizen Engagement

Published

on

Anambra State
Kindly share this post

Anambra State Government has launched SolutionLens, a technology-driven platform aimed at enhancing transparency, accountability, and citizen engagement in governance.

Anambra State

The platform, developed through a collaborative effort by the Ministry of Budget and Economic Planning, the Ministry of Information, and the Anambra State ICT Agency, was unveiled on Thursday, May 15, 2025, at the Solution Innovation District (SID) Building in Awka.

Speaking at the launch, Mrs. Chiamaka Nnake, Honourable Commissioner for Budget and Economic Planning, described SolutionLens as a democratic tool that simplifies the Open Government Partnership (OGP) process.

She emphasized its role in planning, budgeting, and fostering investor confidence through community-based feedback mechanisms.

In her remarks, Mrs. Ogochukwu Orji, the State Coordinator of OGP, noted that SolutionLens is designed to shine a light on public projects, empowering citizens to ask questions, hold the government accountable, and ensure resources are used for the common good.

Key Features of SolutionLens
Centralized digital hub for government projects

Interactive maps with a user-friendly interface

Live chat feature to connect citizens directly with MDAs

A live demonstration of the platform was conducted, followed by the formal inauguration of MDA focal persons, who will ensure the platform remains updated and responsive.

Participants commended Governor Charles Chukwuma Soludo, CFR, for this forward-thinking initiative, describing SolutionLens as a game-changer in governance.

The government urged citizens to actively engage with the platform and spread awareness, emphasizing that this initiative will safeguard the integrity and prosperity of Anambra State for generations to come.


Kindly share this post
Continue Reading

Trending