Broadcasting
StarTimes Invests $220m in Nigeria in 9 years
Startimes, Pay television company, said it has invested over $220 million in Nigeria, over the last nine years to boost entertainment and enrich the country’s television experience.
Speaking at the launch of the Chinese Animation season in Abuja, Vice President of StarTimes, Ms Guo Zi Qi, said along with other initiatives of the company, this had positioned it as the fastest growing television network in Nigeria.
She also expressed the company’s resolve to cooperate with Nigeria in the area of animation production and in the development of that segment of television.
Also speaking, Mr. Yakubu Ibn Mohammed, Director General of the Nigerian Television Authority, NTA, lamented that despite the fact that almost every child is fascinated by video animation, especially cartoons, there is not a single dedicated cartoon channel that is African in origin and content on any of the television network currently operating in Nigeria.
Mohammed, who was represented by Mr. Rabiu Adamu, Director of Programmes, NTA, stated that this is probably because the country’s local content producers and animators do not have access to the huge funding and technical know-how required to produce animated content.
He said, “This trend is not healthy for us as a nation, because our children today are the leaders of tomorrow who should be embodiments of our culture and values, we need more local animated content and I hope we can collaborate with foreign partners to achieve this objective.”
Mohammed expressed optimism that the visit of a team of Chinese animation companies to Nigeria would ensure that areas of cooperation are found between the experts and local producers to improve the quality and quantity of indigenous animation content for local consumption and which is also suitable for export.
“NTA has a long history of working with various partners from all over the world as long as they are in line with our core mandate of informing and educating Nigerians and preserving our culture and values.
We are open to discussing various areas of cooperation with the Chinese team for the benefit of both parties,” he noted.
Speaking in the same vein, Executive Director of the Nigerian Film and Video Censors Board, NFVCB, Mr. Adedayo Thomas, stated reiterated the fact that China is Nigeria’s biggest trading partners, noting however, that more cooperation is still needed in the area of film and animation content production.
He called for increased collaboration between Nigeria and the government of China to arrest the influx of uncensored and unclassified films into the country, stating that such contents are capable of destroying the cultural fabric of the country.
According to him, arresting the influx of uncensored and unclassified materials from China could only be better achieved if there was a synergy among StarTimes and its partner, the NTA, Chinese firms dealing in providing contents for the film industry and the NFVCB. He further disclosed that the NFVCB is opened for more collaboration that would be beneficial to both countries.
Nigerian Copyright Commission (NCC) has warned disc jockeys (DJs) against publicly playing music without proper authorization or a valid license.
NAN reports that John Asein, NCC director-general, gave the warning in an advisory issued in Abuja.
He said the commission’s attention had been drawn to the growing practice of DJs playing music in public spaces without obtaining copyright licences from their approved collective management organisations (CMOs).
Asein said under sections 9 and 12 of the Copyright Act, 2022, only the owner of copyright in a musical work or sound recording has the exclusive right to reproduce, perform, or communicate it to the public.
The NCC threatened to prosecute defaulters in a case that could lead to a N1 million fine or a 5-year jail term upon conviction.
“Engaging in any of these acts without the owner’s authorisation constitutes an infringement under the Act,” he said.
“Such infringement may constitute a civil wrong or a criminal offence under section 44 (7), punishable upon conviction by a fine of not less than N1 million or imprisonment for a term of not less than five years or to both.”
Asein advised DJs to obtain the necessary licences and pay royalties to the approved CMO before performing music publicly.
The NCC director-general added that the commission will arrest and prosecute anyone found violating the law.
“For the avoidance of doubt, the approved CMO for musical works and sound recordings in Nigeria is the Musical Copyright Society, Nigeria (MCSN),” he said.
“The Commission is aware that the Disc Jockey’s Association of Nigeria (DJAN), as the umbrella body representing DJs in Nigeria, has entered into a Memorandum of Understanding with MCSN.
“Under the arrangement, DJAN is authorised to work with MCSN to facilitate the payment of royalties by DJs nationwide, based on the tariff that DJAN had negotiated with MCSN.”
Netflix has increased its subscription fees in Nigeria for the third time since 2024, with the Premium Plan rising by 21.43%, from ₦7,000 to ₦8,500 per month.
This marks the streaming platform’s first price adjustment in 2025.
Other subscription tiers have also been affected.
The Standard Plan now costs ₦6,500, up from ₦5,500—a hike of 18.18%.
The Basic Plan has increased from ₦3,500 to ₦4,000, while the Mobile Plan moved from ₦2,200 to ₦2,500, reflecting increases of 14.29% and 13.64% respectively.
The latest adjustment aligns with Netflix’s broader global pricing strategy, which the company has linked to its ongoing investment in content and platform development. In a previous communication to investors, Netflix stated, “As we invest in and improve Netflix, we’ll occasionally ask our members to pay a little extra to reflect those improvements. Which in turn helps drive the positive flywheel of additional investment to further improve and grow our service.”
While the company did not explicitly cite inflation in its most recent update, its website indicates that local economic factors influence its pricing structure.
“Price changes are made to respond to local market changes, such as changes to local taxes or inflation,” the statement read.
The move mirrors similar pricing shifts among other major digital and entertainment services in Nigeria.
Companies including Google, DSTV, GOtv, and Microsoft have also raised subscription rates, attributing their decisions to continued inflationary pressures and a weakening naira.
National Broadcasting Commission (NBC) and Nigerian Communications Satellite Limited (NIGCOMSAT) have jointly introduced “The Big Picture’, a flagship initiative under Nigeria’s renewed Digital Switchover (DSO) project.
Under the project, Nigerian households will for the first time, gain access to high-quality digital broadcasts via affordable satellite dishes, hybrid devices, and internet-enabled set-top boxes.
Backed by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and in line with his Renewed Hope Agenda, this strategic shift marks a significant step toward transforming Nigeria’s broadcasting landscape by leveraging the country’s sovereign satellite infrastructure.
At the heart of the initiative is NigComSat-1R, Nigeria’s only communications satellite in orbit, which will play a critical role in delivering Direct-to-Home (DTH) broadcasts across the entire Nigerian territory.
This satellite-first approach eliminates the traditional dependence on terrestrial transmission towers, accelerating the nationwide rollout of digital broadcasting by over 65%.
It also offers a scalable, cost-effective, and future-ready model for expanding digital access and promoting national storytelling.
Key figures, including: Charles Ebuebu, director-general, NBC; and Jane Nkechi Egerton-Idehen, managing director, Nigcomsat, have welcomed this forward-thinking strategy, emphasising its importance in maximising the use of national satellite assets and ensuring inclusive access to digital content.
An estimated 10 million homes equipped with DVB-S2-compatible televisions or decoders will have immediate access to free-to-air channels, while others will benefit from next-generation hybrid devices that combine satellite feeds with online streaming capabilities.
These new branded devices are designed with the country’s youth-dominated demographic in mind over 60% of the population is under the age of 25.
They will feature pre-installed apps, voice search functionality, parental controls, and seamless integration with NigComSat’s Electronic Programme Guide (EPG), offering an intuitive and engaging user experience.
In a data-driven upgrade to Nigeria’s broadcasting ecosystem, NBC is also partnering with global analytics firm GARB to introduce real-time audience measurement technology.
This will enable broadcasters, advertisers and content creators to analyse viewership trends across regions and devices, helping to tailor content more effectively and drive higher audience engagement. The introduction of this system is expected to boost advertising revenue by as much as 300% by 2026.
The success of “The Big Picture” will rely on robust collaboration between public and private stakeholders.
The Broadcasting Organisation of Nigeria (BON) and other content partners are expected to supply 60% of programming for the new 120-channel platform, using both original and repurposed content.
Meanwhile, local manufacturers will contribute by producing around 5 million compliant devices annually, a move projected to create over 20,000 jobs in assembly plants nationwide.
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