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

Starlink, DStv, Others Pay “Peanuts” to Operate in Nigeria- Minister

Published

on

Uche Nnaji, minister of Innovation, Science and Technology,
Kindly share this post

Uche Nnaji, minister of Innovation, Science and Technology, has, said that the federal government has been exploring measures to curb the growing exploitation of satellite technologies, lamenting that Starlink, DStv, and a few other service providers pay ‘peanuts’ to operate in Nigeria.

Starlink, DStv, Others Pay “Peanuts” to Operate in Nigeria- Minister

According to him, some foreign investors have been known to find a way to bypass the system and deprive the government of its mandatory revenues.

The minister made the revelation at a stakeholders’ Workshop on Space Regulation organised by the National Space Research and Development Agency (NASRDA) in Abuja.

Addressing the gathering, Nnaji noted that if the regulation of space is properly handled, it would not only boost revenue, it will also whittle down the growing activities of pipeline vandals, insurgents and criminal groups.

He said, “In the near future, we will move from the $ 1 trillion economy to $ 5 trillion. So with this space regulation and licensing. Starlink and most of them, including DSTV will come here, some will pay peanuts and shortchange Nigerians. These are part of what we want to address through this space regulation and license.

“You can be sure that yearly, if we are going by what my capacity DG of NASRDA has said, we will be looking at over N200 billion annually, with annual increment of 18-20 per cent. This is just one of the initiatives coming out of the agency.”

Continuing, Nnaji said the era of satellite pay-tv or radio losing signal when it is raining will soon be a thing of the past.

The minister said they have discovered some service providers are not operating on the right bandwidths hence the loss of signal when there is a change in weather.

“All these challenges of your TV or radio not working or losing signal whenever it is raining are because the DSTV and the likes are not hosting their equipment at the right bandwidth. They will host it at the lower bandwidth, where they will not spend money on the higher bandwidth.

“But with the regulation, we will force them to move it up to where it’s supposed to be. Because if you move it up to where it’s supposed to be, you won’t have any of those problems of losing signal as soon as it starts raining. So this is part of the many reforms that are going on under this very capable man, Dr. Olumide Adepoju.

 


Kindly share this post

Nigeria CommunicationsWeek believes that technology makes life more exciting and helps improve the lives of people around Nigeria and indeed the world. So since 2007, we have devoted our energy to independent reportage of technology and how they affect lives.

Broadcasting

A Billion-Dollar Obsession in 90-Second Bites

Published

on

Kindly share this post

About ₦2 billion changes hands in bets every day (KPMG Gaming Outlook 2025), driven by a 60-million-strong punter base that treats wagering as both entertainment and side-hustle. Industry revenue is on pace to hit US $3.63 billion in gross gaming revenue (GGR) by December 2025 – roughly the size of Nigeria’s entire recorded-music market.

Smartphones rule this universe: more than 90 percent of slips now start and finish on a handset, which is why the market leaders obsess over data-lite apps and USSD deposits almost as much as odds feeds.

Our Litmus Test for “Best”

To separate hype from heft we graded each book on the nine variables that still matter after the banner ads fade:

  1. Odds edge & market depth – average margin on EPL, NPFL and niche sports
  2. Live tech stack – cash-out latency, in-play uptime, streaming rights
  3. Payout speed & reliability
  4. Responsible-gaming tools (RG) – time-outs, self-exclusion, deposit caps
  5. Licensing strength & dispute history
  6. Promotions that actually pay
  7. Product breadth – virtuals, jackpots, prediction games, casino
  8. Financial resilience – operating cash flow, retail footprint, VC war chest
  9. Cultural traction – agent networks, grassroots sponsorships, meme power

The Heavyweights – and Why Each Owns a Piece of The Best

OperatorWhat They NailTicking Time-BombsVerdict
SportyBetBiggest traffic (≈ 57 M visits / month), sub-5-second cash-outs, crazy-low EPL margin (~4.5%).Still no retail city hubs; crash loops on older Tecno devices.Mobile kingpin
Bet9jaHeritage trust, retail agents in 20 states, jackpots like Super9ja; circa ₦10 billion monthly handle.Dated UX; odds less sharp since 2024 revamp.Legacy war-horse
BetKingData-driven odds, Genius Sports in-play feed, renewed deal with Gamble Alert for RG training.Slower KYC queues at peak traffic.RG poster-child
Surebet247NLRC Permit 0001081; cash-first agent model with mobile slip tracking; boosted welcome bonus to ₦150k; full cash-out on domestic basketball.Android app, iOS app; livestream rights still pending.Mobile dark horse
1xBet & BetwayGlobal market buffet, esports, crypto options.Offshore-licence optics; occasional geoblock glitches.International muscle
NairaBet, AccessBET, Msport, Premier Bet, BetPawaNairaBet = pioneer cachet; Msport & BetPawa blitz TikTok; Premier Bet just signed Francis Ngannou.Each misses at least one core pillar (RG tooling, market depth or fast payouts).Specialist niches

Two Deep-Cut Insights the Billboards Won’t Show You

  1. Women are quietly reshaping the market. According to University of Abuja (“according to data from the University of Abuja”), 30 percent of urban Lagos women now gamble regularly, and a 2025 field survey found daily spend often tops ₦50,000 despite lower median income.
  2. Mobile-money betting dents student wallets. According to Lagos State University, mobile-money deposits explain 26.7 percent of the variance in student financial well-being – a stat that should make every platform’s RG desk sweat.

So, Who Actually Wins?

  • Premier-League diehards who live for lightning-fast in-play cash-out: SportyBet wears the crown.
  • Corner-shop loyalists who still like to chat with a clerk: Surebet247 Betshop nails the cash-plus-mobile sweet spot.
  • Jackpot chasers who want EPL on Saturday, Ugandan Super League on Tuesday, and darts on Thursday: Bet9ja is still the Swiss-Army knife.
    Punters who value self-exclusion toggles and deposit caps (you should): BetKing edges ahead.

In reality, “best” is contextual. Odds hawks, live-stream junkies, crypto degenerates and agent-network stalwarts will all point to different logos. What you don’t want is a bookie that melts down at 89′ when Villarreal finally scores.

On that front, the four names above – plus a rapidly innovating Surebet247 mobile bet shop – look built to survive Nigeria’s next data-price hike and the NLRC’s tightening audit screws.

The rest? Keep one eye on their uptime dashboards – and the other on your bankroll.


Kindly share this post
Continue Reading

Broadcasting

Nigeria Week Ahead: Inflation, Oil and Naira in focus

Published

on

Kindly share this post

By Lukman Otunuga, Senior Market Analyst at FXTM.

A flurry of high-risk events may pump global financial markets with fresh volatility this week.

Top-tier data, including US Inflation, the unofficial start of earnings season, and US Congress Crypto Week,” among other themes, could spell fresh opportunities.

Amidst this, uncertainty over global trade will add to the mix after President Donald Trump threatened 35% tariffs on the EU and Mexico over the weekend.

Regarding US inflation, this may impact bets around Fed cuts in the second half of this year. Markets are forecasting CPI to rise 2.6% from 2.4% in the prior month, with core CPI rising to 2.9% from 2.8%. Signs of rising prices may shave bets around the Fed cutting interest rates – boosting the dollar as a result.

Closer to home, Nigerias June CPI data due July 15 is expected to show signs of cooling inflationary pressures. This could offer some relief to the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) which aggressively hiked interest rates throughout 2024. Inflation is expected to have eased to 21.4% year-on-year from 23% in May – marking the 4th consecutive month of decline. However, the slowdown is largely a technical adjustment aided by the recent gains in the Naira amid higher non-oil exports and a weaker dollar.

The CBN is scheduled to meet later this month and will most likely keep rates unchanged at 27.5%.

One key challenge for the country will be how to re-tweak its budget for lower oil prices. Indeed, the budget was based around oil production at 2 million barrels and oil prices of $75. Brent is trading around $70 with the nation producing 1.544m b/d of crude in May according to OPEC. Nigeria is hoping to raise production to 1.9m b/d by the end of 2025. But its impact on the economy may be muted if oversupply and tepid demand keep oil prices subdued. Brent is up 4% this month but still down over 6% since the start of 2025.


Kindly share this post
Continue Reading

Broadcasting

EFCC Re-Arraigns Echefu, TStv CEO for Allegedly Defrauding Ex-Minister of N1Bn, $1.3m

Published

on

Kindly share this post

Bright Echefu, chief executive officer, Telecom Satellites Limited (TStv), and three co‑defendants appeared before the Federal High Court in Abuja yesterday on an amended twelve‑count indictment brought by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC). The charges allege money laundering, tax evasion, and investment fraud involving approximately ₦1 billion and $1.3 million.

EFCC Re-Arraigns Echefu, TStv CEO for Allegedly Defrauding Ex-Minister of N1Bn, $1.3m

Bright Echefu, chief executive officer, TStv

In addition to Echefu, the defendants are TStv Executive Director, Felix Igboanuga, Telecom Satellites Limited itself, and Briechberg Investment Ltd.

According to the April 5, 2025, amended charge sheet the EFCC accuses the quartet of defrauding Mr. Tanimu Turaki, Managing Director of Kalsiyam Global and former Minister of Special Duties, alongside BYI General Limited, out of a combined investment of ₦1 billion and $1.3 million. The commission has also included a ₦66 million alleged tax default.

The revised indictment lists:

Count 2: ₦33,909,542.47 in unremitted Company Income Tax

Count 3: ₦13,519,382.00 in unremitted VAT

Count 4: ₦19,488,860.00 in unremitted PAYE

Counts 5–12: Various fraud‑related transactions, including ₦380 million from Kalsiyam Farm, ₦400 million from BYI General Ltd and $1.35 million in loans secured under false pretences.

All defendants pleaded not guilty once again. At the hearing before Justice Mohammed Umar, Echefu’s lead counsel, Senior Advocate Eyitayo Fatogun, informed the court of ongoing settlement discussions with the complainants.

“There are moves to settle this matter and there was a meeting on Saturday between myself and the Nominal Complainant as it is about investment,” Fatogun stated.

“The Defendants have paid some money and I was thinking that the matter be adjourned for report of settlement.”

EFCC counsel A.S. Tomwell confirmed receipt of those payments but emphasized the necessity of entering a plea before considering any adjournment. The court thus ordered the formal reading of the charges and adjourned the trial to October 15, 2025.


Kindly share this post
Continue Reading

Trending