General News
Nigeria, Strategic Market for Kwese TV in Africa- Hundah
Joseph Hundah, president and CEO at Econet Media. A seasoned media and finance executive with over 20 years experience, both on the continent and the globe, Hundah is currently leading the African born but international entertainment group. His previous roles include Executive Vice President: Africa for Modern Times Group as well as Managing Director of Multichoice, Nigeria; Operations Director for M-Net, Sub-Saharan Africa, and Chief Financial officer for M-Net and Super Sport International Holdings Limited and General Manager Finance at the South African Broadcasting Corporation. Through his leadership and experience, the organizations that he has worked with have experienced unprecedented levels of growth and expansion including entrance into new markets. In an Interview with journalists at the launch of Kwese TV in Lagos recently, he spoke on how strategic Nigeria is to the growth of the Station. Ugo Onwuaso was there for Nigeria CommunicationsWeek. Excerpts.
Hundah’s View of African’s, in Terms of like for Pay TV
Well, pay TV in Africa versus the rest of the world ,actually is very much beneficial ,for example if you look at what we call TV household, that is, a household that has a TV in it, the penetration is less than 20%,which is much lower than the rest of the world, so there is very much an opportunity to continue to grow pay TV, but what is also important to understand is that the consumer habits of watching Television are changing, more people are watching content on mobile phones, on laptops, on iPads etc, and we really try to build a business that is suitable also for watching contents even on the mobile phone, so our thrust is really not only to have presence in traditional media platforms but also to look at the new digital media platforms as well for our content.
Based On This, What Can You Say Motivated The Kwese TV To Launch At This Time?
First of all, we saw a gap in the market, we’ve seen that pay TV industry is still growing but more than that, we really pride ourselves on being on innovation and doing things that has not been done before on the continent, for example, that is why we introduced flexible billing on our platforms, the ability to pay three, seven days, its completely innovative, it’s only been tried by one platform in India, no one else has tried it in the world, so we thought why not try this in Africa, it makes sense, after all we sale rice in cups, we sale water in small packs, this is the way economy in Africa is been built over a period of time, so why not do the same in entertainment, let’s give entertainments in small batches but over and above that we’re really trying to build a strong business around mobile, because you know, there are more than 300 million smart phones in Africa, its higher than the US and they expect that those numbers are going to triple over the next 5 years, by 2022 it should be almost 900 million smart phones, the smart phones are getting cheaper, they are getting better quality and most of the population in Africa are actually very young, you know the average population in Nigeria is properly under 20, so you can imagine these young kids are not watching content on television any more, they are watching content on phones, they are on social media. So we have to build a business that is geared towards that.
Having Launched In Nigeria, How Many Countries Are You In Africa And What Is Your Expansion Plan?
Well, on pay TV side, we’ve launched in 14 countries, we started at the beginning of August, we actually launched yesterday also in Uganda and we have plans to launch in Tanzania as well, in Ethiopia, in Namibia, in south Sudan and Swaziland those are countries that are left for us but on our free to air platform, we are in 25 countries , in English and French speaking countries, you know, for the first time consumers are getting premium sports for free, which is really what we want to build, we want to build sports, not just soccer but full sports in general because we have such a young continents, these kids needs to keep themselves occupied, we need them to be involved in sports and stay healthy, the kids are becoming fat.
In These 25 Countries, How Important Is Nigeria?
It’s critical, absolutely critical. It’s a critical market for us, not only because of the population size but the economy is strong and it properly takes like 2 or 3 east African countries to make a population of Nigeria, so Nigeria is really really important market for us.
What Are You Putting In For Nigerian Consumers?
Nigerian consumers are special in the sense that you got a very thriving media business here, remember that your movie industry is the second biggest in the world, so for us it’s important to have as much local content as possible in our platform and we are going to continue to build this specifically for this market because in Nigeria alone you can really create sufficient content to satisfy the Nigerian market alone, but nice thing about Nigeria as well, is even when you create content for Nigeria , it normally travels very well. So the Nigerian movies and contents are very popular elsewhere in Africa, even in DRC, South Africa, in Kenya, in music, in movies. So it’s quite a nice market for creating contents.
What’s Kwese Doing As Regards Developing Young Entrepreneurs?
We have 600 dealers and retailers around Nigeria, most of these people are young, most of our installers are young people, all they do is that they get our installation app and they go and do installations and keep themselves busy, you know it takes about 2 to 3 hours to do one installation, so we are really trying to build that network and this is just the beginning and that network is going to grow, so we really really trying to encourage more and more installer to come on board but we are also encouraging people that are in the production industry, in terms of creating content for our platform, for all our different markets, not just in Nigeria but across Africa.
When You Said Growth, Are You Talking About Growth In Million, That Is, The Entrepreneurs You Are Trying To Grow?
It will be hard to build millions of entrepreneurs but certainly thousands of entrepreneurs, the more installers we have in the market, it will be easier for our customers to get access to the products, so it’s important that in every part of Nigeria, right from the corner of Maiduguri to Sokoto, that we have installers that are available to install our products.
On The Satellite Connectivity Are You Running On KU Band or C Band?
No, we’re running on KU and C band in different part of the continent and we are in rotors satellite, so the reception should be very good, we have taken precaution to try and reduce rain fade but it’s impossible to get rain fade over unfortunately but what you can do is minimize it and we’ve taken steps to minimize it, it’s a strong satellite signals and right equipments to receive those signals.
How Do You Intend To Manage Competition?
Look, Competition is good in the industry because at the end of the day the consumers benefits from competition, price is come down, more variety, so we are really encouraged by competition, what is important for us though is to focus on our own business, what is our own strategy, what is our own plans, how do we intend to rollout the business across Africa, you know, if you manage your own business and if you are sure of your own strategy, you don’t just worry about competition, you know, competition takes care of itself, so we are very happy with the content line that we put out, we’ve worked really hard to get premium contents on our platform, as you saw so many channel that are on our platform are new to Africa completely, so there is scope out there to do business, it’s about creating differentiations , about customer service and about delivery to your customers.
Kwese TV, Five Years From Now
Our ambition is to be number one media business in Africa, across the board. And I think we are on our way to do that, we are already the biggest free to air TV station within two and half years, so it’s just a question of giving us time and we will be number one.
When Will Kwese Tv Go Into Original Production?
We already have some original productions created around some of the sports rights, for example, Sound Sultan will be doing our basketball show in the mornings, so there is a lot more of that going on.
Stand Out Content In Store
We have, like some of the channels that we have in our platform are new to the market, for example Dream works, Toonami which is Carton Super heroes and we’ve got so many news channels that has never been seen in Africa before, so we have quite nice array of contents that is completely exclusive on our platform
Kwese Sports’ Leverage
Sports is really really important on our platform and so far the first biggest investment we made was in sports because when sports rights became available we were able to get them and the nice thing about sports is that, most big sports tournaments are well known, it just gives you good brand recognition and good expansion of your brand but ultimately we know that your offering must be well rounded, you got to take care of kids, you got to take care of women and household as well, it can’t just be all about sports.
Positioning For EPL Right
Right now we have a relationship with them already because we bought their free-to-air right which we are showcasing on Kwese free to air sports, so the issue is that when the right come up, when opportunity is given to everybody to bid for the right, we will bid for it. There is never a guarantee that you will win the bids you know, like we saw a couple of years ago HiTV came in they won the rights and then DStv won the rights back again, you can never know, it’s always up to who pays the most unfortunately with it, it’s completely a very transparent process and all we need is a fair chance to be able to put in our bid as well.
Women and Children Centered Quality Premium Content
Absolutely, in our children’s offering alone we have two exclusive channels Dream world and Toonami and over and above that we have other channels, we have pop, we have boomerang, we have carton network and we have Kwese kids a channel dedicated towards kids, for women we have the E channels coming up soon, we have fox channels that are coming up, we have telenovelas in, Zee bollynova, we have passion, so we have a lot of contents built for women and we have our own branded channels like Kwese prime are targeting women specifically in movies.
Kuwait’s Criminal Security Sector has dismantled an international cybercrime ring composed of Nigerians responsible for coordinated attacks on telecommunications towers and banks, the Ministry of Interior announced on Sunday.
According to Arabic-language daily Al Qabas, the case was initiated after the Communication and Information Technology Regulatory Authority reported cyber intrusions targeting local telecom networks.
Specialised security teams quickly launched an investigation, discovering that the suspects used advanced electronic devices to breach networks and distribute mass phishing messages impersonating banks, aiming to steal account information and siphon funds.
Signal-tracking technology led investigators to a vehicle in the Salmiya area.
When authorities attempted to stop the vehicle, the driver tried to flee, colliding with several cars before being apprehended following a fierce struggle.
A search of the vehicle uncovered sophisticated electronic equipment and various technical tools.
Upon investigation, the suspect confessed to collaborating with an accomplice to hack telecom networks and send fraudulent messages posing as banks and telecommunications companies.
Police subsequently located and arrested the second suspect, and a search of their residence uncovered additional devices used to analyse the stolen data.
Both suspects, along with the seized equipment, have been handed over to the relevant authorities for prosecution.
The Ministry of Interior reaffirmed its commitment to protecting the nation’s cybersecurity and intensifying efforts to combat electronic fraud targeting both citizens and residents.
Space in Africa, the Lagos-based firm Oniosun founded, is expecting its Egusi melon seeds to splash down in the Pacific Ocean Saturday—fresh from a trip to the International Space Station.
Once Earthside, experiments will begin on what is being hailed as the first food native to West Africa to be sent to space.
As Oniosun told AFP on Friday, it could herald an era where space exploration reflects the planet’s diversity.
“When we talk about humans colonizing other planets, this is not just an American mission or a European mission—this is a global mission,” he told AFP.
And future African space explorers might enjoy a taste of home.
Experiments on extraterrestrial food, which is to say tested in space, have been going on for years.
Growing food in space is seen as a crucial part of long-distance space flight and long-term missions, where frequent resupply won’t be feasible.
Scientists at the University of Florida in the United States, and the International Institute of Tropical Agriculture, in the southwestern Nigerian city of Ibadan, will examine the seeds “to see the effects of exposure to space” and zero gravity, including on the seeds’ DNA.
Once planted, researchers will monitor their post-space performance and germination.
The seeds went up to the ISS on a SpaceX flight last week, as part of NASA’s partnership with private firms.
Oniosun said the inclusion of Egusi seeds marked an important step forward, both for those on Earth as well as future astronauts.
High in protein, they are typically used to prepare soups and stews across West and Central Africa.
Africa’s most populous country has a small space industry, but the launch of the seeds seemed to generate more excitement on social media and in newspapers than previous launches of Nigerian satellites, he said.
“The moment that we’re sending food that they love, a food that holds significant cultural contexts to Nigeria… everybody starts getting interested in the subject,” Oniosun told AFP.
“The launch of Egusi melon seeds into space is more than a symbolic gesture,” he added.
“The future of humanity among the stars must reflect the diversity and richness of life on Earth.”
Whether pounded yam—the key dish served alongside Egusi soup—will make its way to the final frontier remains to be seen.
In a powerful demonstration of its commitment to the Renewed Hope Agenda of the present administration of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu GCFR, the National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA) has launched the second cohort of the IgniteHer Bootcamp for Women Entrepreneurs, a strategic initiative aimed at accelerating gender inclusion and economic empowerment through digital innovation.
The bootcamp, themed “Empowering Women Entrepreneurs for Growth and Innovation”, was launched in partnership with the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) and brought together selected women entrepreneurs from across Nigeria, both physically and virtually, for rigorous training in digital skills, innovation management, business development, and investor readiness.
The NITDA Director General, Kashifu Inuwa CCIE, who declared the bootcamp open, reaffirmed the Agency’s role in aligning Nigeria’s digital development with the national priorities of reforming the economy for sustained inclusive growth and accelerating economic diversification through industrialisation and digitisation.
“Through IgniteHer, we are actualising President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda by expanding women’s access to technology and economic opportunity,” he stated.
The DG, who was represented by the agency’s Acting Director of the Digital Literacy and Capacity Building department, Dr. Ahmed Tambuwal, noted that inclusive innovation is a cornerstone of NITDA’s Strategic Roadmap and Action Plan (SRAP 2.0: 2024–2027), which supports national aspirations for inclusive growth, poverty eradication, and youth empowerment.
“We are not merely imparting skills; we are creating self-reliant entrepreneurs, change-makers, and leaders,” he added.
Inuwa disclosed that the IgniteHer Bootcamp is also a key component of the National Gender Digital Inclusion Strategy (NGDIS), through which NITDA is working to empower 12.7 million Nigerian women with digital literacy skills by 2027. He averred that the programme complements broader government efforts to bridge gender gaps, enhance productivity, and reduce unemployment, especially among young women.
Citing a report by the World Wide Web Foundation, the DG emphasised that closing the digital gender gap in Nigeria could unlock an estimated $13 billion in GDP growth over the next decade.
“This training is a step towards harnessing this economic potential and ensuring that women play an integral role in shaping the digital landscape of Nigeria,” he noted.
He therefore called on participants selected from over 12,000 applicants to seize the moment and shape the future of Nigerian entrepreneurship.
While highlighting NITDA’s leadership in strategic partnerships, the DG commended JICA and the Government of Japan for their ongoing collaboration in supporting digital empowerment through programmes like IgniteHer and the iHatch Incubation Programme, which provides startup support, mentorship, and innovation development to early-stage entrepreneurs.
“At NITDA, we believe that inclusive innovation is not just an ideal but a critical strategy that ensures the growth of a stronger economy, the development of smarter solutions, and the existence of more resilient communities. Through IgniteHer, we are dismantling barriers and replacing them with pathways to opportunity,” he concluded.
In his remarks, the Japanese Ambassador to Nigeria, Matsunaga Kazuyoshi, reaffirmed Japan’s long-standing commitment to innovation and gender inclusion in Nigeria. He announced that Japan, through JICA, is currently supporting two grant projects worth $30.9 million, focused on improving Nigeria’s startup ecosystem, strengthening the investment climate, and building an inclusive innovation hub.
The Ambassador also referenced the upcoming Tokyo International Conference on African Development (TICAD 9), themed “Co-create Innovative Solutions with Africa”, as further testament to Japan’s dedication to deepening Africa-Japan cooperation on digital transformation and entrepreneurship.
Lead Facilitator of IgniteHer, Hajiya Hafsat Salabi-Dange, described the programme as a catalyst for social and economic transformation. While praising NITDA’s visionary approach to development, she stated that the programme is a movement that is bridging the digital gender divide and fostering economic independence.
Encouraging the participants to remain curious, intentional, and bold, she said, “What you will gain here goes beyond business; it is a tool for community upliftment, national growth, and generational impact.”
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