Broadcasting
Spotify Appoints Sio as Ambassador for Equal Africa Programme
Global streaming giant Spotify is proud to announce that Sio has been selected to join the EQUAL Africa programme aimed at spotlighting female artists across the continent.
Through EQUAL, a cross-section of female artists in Africa are given the tools needed to advance their careers and close the gender gap in the music industry. Artists featured in Spotify’s EQUAL Africa programme are exposed to a global listenership, and are also provided with off-platform support and tools to bolster their careers.
“Sio is a breath of fresh air and a welcome addition to the EQUAL programme,” says Spotify’s head of music for sub-Saharan Africa, Phiona Okumu.
“Sio’s effortless contribution to several genres has put her in a class of great contemporary African artists actively creating on the continent today. It is our hope that other young women creators see this as proof that their talents can and will be recognised and supported,” she adds.
31-year-old Siobhan King, better known by her stage name “Sio,” was born in Johannesburg, South Africa. She is a storyteller through music, poems, performance space, design, and interpretation. Her adaptable voice and distinct ability to switch between musical styles such as Dance, Deep House, and Electro distinguish her as a spectacular artist in a new era of music.
The genre-fluid and award-winning multihyphenate tells deep, dark, difficult and sweet stories through many mediums. Sio grew up listening to artists like Sade, Boyz II Men, Kenny G, The Bee Gees, and South Africa’s own Brenda Fassie. Her music is inspired by these artists, and is influenced by her life experiences, literature and the world around her.
“As a female artist, it’s difficult to carve your own path in a world where that path has already been dictated to you. To be nonconforming and true to yourself is an act of rebellion. I’ve learned that that is the only way to navigate the male-dominated world, especially the music world – to be a woman as defined by me,”explains Sio, reflecting on her career and the difficulties she’s faced as a female singer breaking the mould.
Sio has made hits with a slew of acclaimed producers including Charles Webster, Ralf Gum, Jullian Gomes, Fka Mash and Dwson, to name a few. Affectionately dubbed the ‘career builder’ by fellow long-time collaborator, Kid Fonque, her collaborations have catapulted many musical names. Her voice and words are highly sought after in House, Electronic, Alternative and Soul music circles.
“I’ve taken it upon myself to challenge the ways women are marginalised in the music industry. That’s why I am honoured to be an Ambassador of EQUAL. I am excited about the spotlight it gives me and my music, as well as the many doors and opportunities it will afford me,” she concludes.
To tune into Sio’s unique Electro sound, listeners can stream her tracks featured on the EQUAL Africa and EQUAL Global playlists.
Netflix has expanded its language options for television viewers, allowing users to select from the full list of available subtitles and dubbing languages for any title.
This update aims to make Netflix’s global catalogue more accessible, especially as nearly a third of its viewership comes from non-English language shows.
Previously, TV users could only choose from a limited selection of languages based on their location and settings.
Now, they can access the complete range of available languages for any title, similar to the flexibility already offered on mobile devices and web browsers.
For instance, a user can watch an English title like “Bridgerton” with Spanish dubbing and Korean subtitles, or opt for Japanese dubbing with Portuguese subtitles.
Netflix offers subtitles in 33 languages and audio dubbing in 36 languages across its catalogue, though the exact number of available languages may vary by title. This change responds to numerous user requests for more language options on TV platforms.
This move reflects Netflix’s commitment to enhancing accessibility and catering to its diverse global audience by providing more inclusive viewing experiences.
Broadcasting
AMCON Gets Boost as Arik Air Records 2.2M Passengers, 10,699 Flights in 2024 – NCAA Report
Arik Air in 2024, airlifted 2,239,176 passengers between January 1, 2024, to December 31, 2024, a report sourced from the Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) has confirmed.
The airline, which has been under the receivership of Asset Management Corporation of Nigeria (AMCON) since 2017, despite its challenges, also operated 10,699 flights within the year under review, making it the second most active airline in terms of passenger traffic and flight operations in Nigeria, after Air Peace.
According to the report, the total number of air travellers in the domestic scene in 2024 was 11, 549,443 with inbound at 5,727,700 and outbound passengers at 5,821,743. This figure shows that Arik Air captured 19.3 per cent of the total passenger traffic for 2024, while it had 15.1 per cent of the total 70,543 flights operated by the 15 domestic airlines in the year under review.
The Executive Summary on International and Domestic Flight Operations 2024, as captured by the NCAA, indicated that Arik Air had 1,112,358 and 1,126,818 as inbound and outbound passengers for 2024, respectively, making it a total of 2,239,176 passengers ferried in 2024.
Monthly breakdown of the passenger traffic indicated that Arik Air had 37,772 inbound passengers and another 38,987 as outbound passengers in January 2024, totalling 76,759 passengers. For February the airline recorded 38,217 as inbound and 39,209 as outbound, totalling 77,426; March, 37,183 as inbound and 37,642 as outbound, making it a total of 74,825; April, 31,326 as inbound and 31,971 as outbound, making 63,297.
The airline in May 2024, also recorded 39,006 as inbound and 39,765 as outbound passengers, totalling 78,771 for the month, while the month of June had 37,710 as inbound and 38,617 as outbound, totalling 76,327; July, 156,146 as inbound and 159,044 as outbound, totalling 315,190; August, the airline recorded 153,080 as inbound and 144,259 as outbound, making it a total figure of 297,339 within the period.
For the month of September, Arik Air recorded 143,396 as inbound and 145,096 as outbound, making it a total figure of 288,492; October 129,506 as inbound and 133,330 as outbound, totalling 262,836; November, 252,448 as inbound and 255,578 as outbound, making it a total of 508,026, while December had 56,568 as inbound and 63,322 as outbound, making it a total of 119,890 passengers ferried within the period.
Also, a month-by-month breakdown of flights operated by Arik Air in 2024 showed that the airline had a total number of 380 flights in January, 2024; 419 flights in February and 468 flights in March 2024.
Further breakdown showed that for the month of April, the airline operated a total number of 340 flights; May, 374; June, 350, while it peaked in July, going as high as 1,403 flights in just one month.
Besides, in August, the airline operated 1,320 flights; in September, 1,352; in October, 1,266; in November, 2,442, while it operated a total of 585 flights in December 2024. The airline within the period also had a total number of complaints among the air travellers, with just 190, with the majority being resolved by the airline.
The further breakdown of complaints indicated that for the month of January, there were no single complaints from any of its air passengers ferried within the period, had just two complaints in February, while March recorded only one complaint.
April had four complaints; May, two; June, one; July, three; August received seven complaints; September, 28; October, 50; November, 67, while December 2024 recorded only 25 complaints from the flying public. Besides, Arik Air did not record a single baggage miss in 2024, with all 84 delayed baggage items, as indicated by the NCAA statistics, were handed over to their owners.
Furthermore, unlike other domestic airline operators, Arik Air had only one overbooking/denied flight in its entire 10,699 flights in 2024. This was in October 2024.
Olumide Ohunayo, General Secretary Aviation Safety Round Table Initiativs said: “Arik Air’s performance in 2024 stands out as exceptional, despite the airline being under AMCON receivership. The data released by the regulatory authority ranked Arik as second in domestic passenger traffic, moving 2,239,176 passengers—a testament to its resilience and strategic management under challenging conditions.
“With a 13.4% market share out of the 11.5 million total domestic passengers, Arik Air’s sustained dominance highlights its strong operational efficiency. This result demonstrates Arik’s operational stability under Receivership despite financial constraints, distractive litigations, fleet limitations, and regulatory challenges, the airline continued to deliver reliable air travel services, showing effective route management and passenger demand optimization.
“It should be noted that Arik Air suffered severe disruptions due to a high court order grounding some of its aircraft last year when mediation was a better option to the instantaneous grounding by the executive.”
In his comment Roland Iyayi MD of Top Brass Aviation Limited said: “Arik Air transporting 2.2 million passengers and securing the second position in Nigeria’s domestic market, ahead of competitors like Ibom Air (1.3 million), Max Air (915,918), and Aero Contractors (964,900) is a huge and massive achievement, considering the disruptions the airline had suffered under receivership.
“Arik Air’s performance is remarkable given its limited access to fresh capital, aging fleet, and regulatory hurdles tied to its receivership status.
“The Asset Management Corporation of Nigeria (AMCON) strategic support deserves recognition for its crucial role in stabilizing Arik Air, ensuring its continued operations, and maintaining confidence among passengers. Without AMCON’s intervention, the airline would not have remained a key player in Nigeria’s aviation industry. Arik Air’s ability to thrive under receivership reaffirms AMCON’s commitment to preserving jobs, sustaining economic contributions, and ensuring safe, reliable airline services for Nigerian travelers.”
National Identity Management Commission (NIMC) has announced a milestone achievement, with over 117 million Nigerians now enrolled for the National Identity Number (NIN) as of February 28, 2025.
Lagos State emerged as the top contributor to this figure, boasting over 12.6 million registrations, followed by Kano State with 10.2 million.
According to NIMC’s latest data, male registrants outnumber female registrants, making up 56.5% of the total enrollment at 66,281,803, while female registrants account for 43.5% at 51,079,521.
The report highlighted regional enrollment trends, showing an almost equal distribution across Nigeria’s northern and southern regions.
However, Bayelsa, Ebonyi, and Ekiti States recorded the lowest enrollment figures, with Bayelsa reporting a mere 758,111 registrations.
Lagos State dominated the charts with 6,870,915 males and 5,741,419 females registered, while Kano trailed closely, boasting 5,924,126 males and 4,321,929 females in its 10.2 million total registrations.
Other notable states in the top 10 include Kaduna, Ogun, Oyo, Katsina, and Rivers. NIMC expressed optimism about further improving enrollment figures in underrepresented regions in the coming months.
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