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Teacher Gets Car in StarTimes ExtraTime Promo

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Oladele Ajibola, secondary school teacher, has received the 2014 Toyota Yaris car; he won in the on-going StarTimes’ ExtraTime promo.

The prize was presented to him at the StarTimes headquarters in Lagos, recently.

Ajibola, who received the prize in the presence of Jude Ogaga Ughwujabo, head of Regulation and Monitoring Unit of the National Regulatory Commission, said that he had initially thought that it was a ploy by tricksters, when he received the call from StarTimes that he had emerged the star winner in its ongoing promo.

In his words: “In fact at the time I received the call, I was in front of a debtor pleading that at least five thousand naira be paid out of the money owed me to attend to some family needs. I was not expecting such a call from anywhere because I did not even know that StarTimes had an ongoing promo.

“It was after I received the call and informed my wife that she searched on the internet to confirm that StarTimes is indeed running its ExtraTime promo. Since then, I have anxiously waited for this day looking out at every car I see on the road to confirm what the car looked like. I have been unable to sleep well because of my anxiety. This is my first car and I do not even know how to drive.”

Surprisingly, Ajibola, who is a member of the Methodist Church Nigeria, Diocese of Ibadan, Odo-Ona, said that he had been informed by a minister of God at his church’s yearly crusade in February, this year, that he would be presented with the keys to a car but he had not taken it seriously.

“To be frank, I did not believe but the revelation came again a second time that I doubted; it was then that I accepted the message believing that it was the will of God because whatever God says, will come to pass.” Despite his acceptance of the revelation however, Ayodele said that he was expecting a relative to present him with a used car. “All I did was to ensure that I recharge my decoder and now I have a brand new car.”

On her part, Bukola, Ajibola’s wife who is also a school teacher, said she was delighted about her husband’s win. “I’m happy, it is more than my expectation; it is God and it is like a dream,” she said.

Meanwhile Ughwujabo said that the ongoing promo is free and fair because the way it has been conducted.

“The winners emerged based on a random selection from a pool and we were on ground to ensure that the whole process was not staged. Our commission is set up to sanitize promotions like this; we are here because they have a permit. If a promo is not registered, there is a penalty to it. There are actions that monitor compliance our laid down regulations. We have collected the number of the winner and we will continue to follow-up with the winner to ensure that he is driving the car,” he said

To qualify for the promo, new subscribers stand the chance of winning a brand new 2014 Toyota Yaris car or a 32’ LED Digital TV at the monthly draws on the purchase of the StarTimes decoder, which comes with one month’s free subscription.

On the other hand, existing subscribers stand the chance of winning promo prizes by recharging with a StarTimes Soccer card or the usual StarTimes’ recharge card during the promo period.

There are also instant gifts like the 32’ LED Digital TV Sets or units of Viju Milk to be won. Instants prizes are to be redeemed at designated StarTimes’ prize redemption centres.

Monthly draws for the promo would hold at StarTimes’ Lagos head office at the end of each month until the promo ends in August. The last draw would come up on the 29th August 2014.

Currently, StarTimes sports channels are NTA Sports 24, Setanta Action, Setanta Africa, NBA TV, and MCS Sports. Soccer lovers can watch Live Matches of the FIFA World Cup moments on NTA Sports 24.

StarTimes has a mission of ensuring that every home in Nigeria enjoys affordable digital television. The mission is backed with its collaboration with NTA; the relationship is strategic partnerships that will help Nigeria actualise its 2015 digital transition deadline.

StarTimes is leveraging on NTA’s platform to provide quality digital service to every home in Nigeria and is committed to making digital television accessible and affordable to all Nigerians on the latest technology in DTT operation.

StarTimes, a licensed Digital Terrestrial Television (DTT) pay TV operator in Nigeria, started its operations in Nigeria as NTA-STAR TV Network Limited with the joint venture between Nigerian Television Authority (NTA) and Star Communication Network CO, Limited of China.

StarTimes has covered thirty-two cities in Nigeria which include Abuja, Lagos, Kano, Ibadan and Port-Harcourt, Aba, Benin, Enugu, Ilorin, Jos, Kaduna, Makurdi, Onitsha, Sokoto, Uyo, Yola, Abeokuta, Akure, Oshogbo, Lokoja, Zaria, Kastina, Gusau, Minna, Lafia, Owerri, Awka, Warri, Calabar, Suleja, Binin-Kebbi and Ado EKiti.

 


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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.

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Tech Alliance Aims to Transform Africa’s Mapping System

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Space42, the UAE-based global AI-powered space-tech company, part of technology group G42, this week announced the signing of a memorandum of understanding with Microsoft and Esri to deliver high-resolution, scalable base maps across all 54 African countries, serving over 1.4 billion people.

Known as the “Map Africa Initiative,” the project will create a comprehensive base map of the continent to date, addressing challenges in infrastructure, investment, and institutional gaps, according to Space24.

The company said the updated mapping system will catalyse economic development through increased access to intelligent solutions that support governments, businesses, and communities.

The five-year collaboration aims to strengthen geospatial capabilities across Africa and the UAE, and provide precise and accessible data to national and regional stakeholders.

Space 24 detailed how the initiative will enable economic opportunities and innovation, saying the program is expected to unlock long-term value across multiple industries including: ports and logistics; renewable energy; security and disaster response; smart cities and digital economies.

It added: “Accurate maps are foundational to urban planning, public services, and technology deployment. The data will be licensed to national governments, enabling ownership and long-term updating by National Mapping Agencies. Over time, the initiative will also support a new commercial ecosystem of African startups. The data will eventually be housed in G42 and Microsoft-managed data centers across the continent.”

Hasan Al Hosani, CEO of Smart Solutions at Space42, said: “Partnership is core to the UAE’s DNA, and is central to how Space42 operates. This collaboration with Microsoft and Esri is more than technical; it’s strategic. It advances Space42’s business priorities, strengthens our role as a trusted partner to governments, and delivers meaningful benefits to communities across Africa.

“Accurate, high-quality mapping and the intelligence solutions built on it are essential for growth, resilience, and inclusive innovation. With reliable data, communities and economies prosper.”

While, Jack Dangermond, president of Esri added: “We are proud to support the Map Africa Initiative in partnership with Space42. Transforming satellite imagery into detailed, accurate base maps at continental scale requires advanced geospatial technology and professional production workflows.

“These same capabilities have supported similar national and regional mapping efforts around the world. With Map Africa, we are helping to establish a foundational resource that will drive infrastructure planning, economic growth, and sustainable development across the continent.”


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Kenya Tops Global Rankings for ChatGPT Use

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Kenya has emerged as the global leader in the adoption of ChatGPT, with a higher percentage of its internet users utilizing the AI chatbot than any other country.

According to the July 2025 Global Digital Report from DataReportal and Meltwater, an astounding 42.1% of Kenyan internet users aged 16 and above used ChatGPT in the past month.

This remarkable statistic places Kenya at the forefront of a global shift towards integrating artificial intelligence into daily life, outranking traditionally tech-forward nations such as the United Arab Emirates (42%), Israel (41.4%), Malaysia (39.8%), and Brazil (39.7%). In contrast, major economies like Russia (10.8%), China (7.3%), and Japan (5.8%) showed significantly lower adoption rates.

The report, which provides a comprehensive snapshot of digital trends worldwide, also highlights Kenya’s significant contribution to the platform’s overall traffic. The country is ranked third globally in website traffic to ChatGPT, accounting for 4.81% of all global visits, trailing only the United States and India.

Analysts attribute Kenya’s rapid and widespread adoption of ChatGPT to two primary factors:

  1. A Young, Tech-Savvy Population: With a median age of just 20, Kenya has one of the youngest populations in the world. This demographic is highly digitally native and has been quick to explore and adopt AI tools for a wide range of purposes, including education, business operations, and content creation.
  2. High Mobile Internet Penetration: Over 48% of Kenya’s population uses the internet regularly, with the vast majority accessing it via mobile devices. The accessibility of AI tools like ChatGPT on smartphones has been a critical enabler of its adoption, even in semi-urban and rural areas.

The report’s findings come shortly after OpenAI, the creator of ChatGPT, revealed that the platform now handles over 2.5 billion prompts globally every day. While OpenAI did not provide a breakdown of these prompts by use case, the platform’s popularity for tasks ranging from writing and coding to research and brainstorming is undeniable.

Kenya’s top ranking is a powerful indicator of the country’s dynamic and fast-evolving digital landscape, showcasing an eagerness to embrace cutting-edge technologies and positioning the nation as a key player in the future of AI adoption in Africa.

 


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Yahoo Mail Halts Free Storage Service, Caps at 20GB

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Yahoo Mail has announced a major shift in its storage policy, slashing the free email storage cap to 20GB and rolling out a new subscription model starting at $1.99 per month for 100GB.

The change, which takes effect immediately, marks a significant downgrade for many long-time users who have grown accustomed to Yahoo’s previously generous storage offering.

In a notice sent to users on Tuesday, the company urged account holders to review their current storage usage and consider paid upgrade options to avoid disruptions.

“Once you reach the 20GB limit, you will no longer be able to send or receive emails unless you either delete existing messages or upgrade your account,” the notice warned.

While access to inboxes will remain intact for now, users will be forced to clean up their accounts or move to a paid tier to maintain full functionality.

Yahoo has unveiled two new storage plans which are 100GB for $1.99/month and 1TB for $9.99/month.

For those seeking a more premium experience, Yahoo is also offering Yahoo Mail Plus, which includes 200GB of storage, an ad-free interface, and additional features. However, users opting for the 100GB and 1TB tiers will still be served ads, a move likely to frustrate those paying for expanded capacity.

To ease the transition, Yahoo is rolling out new tools to help users manage their inboxes more efficiently. These include real-time storage tracking, a usage dashboard, sorting options for large emails, and an attachment manager to help clear out space-consuming files.

Despite the enhancements, the abrupt downgrade has sparked concerns among users, particularly those with email archives spanning more than a decade. Critics argue the change could pressure many into paying for what was previously free, without a proportionate upgrade in value, especially considering ads remain in place for all but the premium Plus tier.

Yahoo’s new model brings it closer to competitors like Gmail, which offers 15GB of free storage shared across Gmail, Google Drive, and Google Photos. Google’s paid plans also begin at $1.99/month for 100GB, but offer additional benefits such as photo backups and expanded cloud services. Gmail also provides a cleaner experience, with minimal ads even on its free plan.

Yahoo Mail’s new 20GB limit applies exclusively to email storage, a slight advantage for users who don’t rely heavily on broader cloud services. But the real test will be how users respond to the newly imposed constraints and whether the value proposition is strong enough to convert them into paying subscribers.

 


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