Telecom
YouTube Music Week: Patoranking, DJ Cuppy, Adekunle Gold and Fireboy DML to Celebrate with Fans
YouTube is thrilled to announce it will be hosting a YouTube Music Week in Nigeria from 21 to 26 September to celebrate Nigerian music and music stars and, most importantly, their many fans.
Virtual hangouts with top Nigerian music stars will take place over four days during the week. Megastars Patoranking, DJ Cuppy, Adekunle Gold and Fireboy DML will be interacting with their fans on the 23rd, 24th, 25th and 26th of September, respectively. The artists will leverage the platform to share some of their interesting plans with their fans.
Beyond celebrating the immense talent demonstrated by Nigerian music stars, the goal of YouTube Music Week is also to showcase some of the top artists and songs making waves on the YouTube Music platform.
Other fun features on YouTube Music like lyrics, playlists, background play, availability of remixes and covers will also be highlighted.
Launched earlier this year in Nigeria, YouTube Music reinforces YouTube’s long-term commitment to support the growth of the music industry in Nigeria.
The music streaming service uses the magic of YouTube to give fans official songs, albums, thousands of playlists and artist radio, plus YouTube’s tremendous catalogue of remixes, live performances, covers and music videos that cannot be found anywhere else – personalized and all simply organized in one place.
Music has been scientifically found to be a therapeutic medium. It allows people to express their feelings and communicate with others. YouTube Music Week is celebrating music as a tool that helps people to endure and persevere, particularly in difficult times like these.
“Music fans have had a hard time dealing with the COVID-19 pandemic; YouTube Music week is focused on helping music fans discover music that helps them deal with this difficult period ensuring they go through it stronger,” says Adetutu Laditan, Product Marketing Manager, Google.
YouTube has helped music lovers discover music that connects with their interests. The platform has enabled creators and fans to access and be inspired by music from everywhere. In Nigeria, YouTube is redefining the entertainment experience as the online platform that exports Afrobeat.
“In the last 15 years, YouTube has played an essential role in the discovery and development of African sound, exporting African music to listeners worldwide, enabling collaborations within the global and regional music industry, and accelerating the transition to digital for fans on the continent,” adds Laditan.
YouTube has continued to provide a platform for Nigerians to share the country’s unique and diverse culture on a global stage, and also to offer Nigerian users more relevant content. With cultural movements growing and building on YouTube, the platform plays an essential role in the discovery and development of African sound, exporting African music to listeners worldwide.
YouTube Music app is available to download from the Play Store and App Store or users can check out the web player at music.youtube.com.
Telecom
Glo Felicitates Nigerians on Christmas Celebration
Nigeria’s technology company, Globacom, has extended warm felicitations to Nigerians on the occasion of the 2024 Christmas celebrations.
In a goodwill message released in Lagos, Globacom urged Nigerians to embrace the spirit of love and kindness during the festive season, especially in the face of prevailing economic challenges.
The company emphasized the importance of practicing the teachings of Jesus Christ, particularly the virtues of obedience to God and loving one’s neighbor as well.
“Christ taught many virtues including obedience to God and loving one’s neighbour as oneself”, the company said, adding, “Now is the apt time to practise these teachings by sharing with the needy”.
Globacom also encouraged Nigerians to extend the conviviality of Christmas beyond the festive season by fostering love, peace, and harmony, as demonstrated by God through the birth of Jesus Christ.
Assuring its customers of uninterrupted services throughout the Yuletide period and beyond, Globacom urged them to take advantage of its innovative products and services to stay connected and share the memories of the season with loved ones.
Telecom
FG Gives Banks, Telcos Six-Month Deadline to Resolve N250Bn USSD Debt
Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) and the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) have ordered Deposit Money Banks and Mobile Network Operators to settle the long-standing N250bn USSD debt dispute before January 2, 2025.
The CBN and NCC also directed banks to pay the pre-Application Programming Interfaces (API) debt before July 2, 2025.
They also ordered that post-API debts be settled before December 31, 2024.
The directive was issued in a joint cirular titled, “2nd Joint Circular of the Central Bank of Nigeria and the Nigerian Communications Commission on the Resolution of the USSD Debt Issue Between Deposit Money Banks and Mobile Network Operators.”
The circular dated December 20, 2024, was signed by Oladimeji Taiwo, acting director of the Payments System Management Department, CBN, and Chizua Whyte, head of Legal and Regulatory Services, NCC.
The regulators said, “In view of the foregoing, the CBN and the NCC hereby direct DMBs and MNOs as follows: 1. That 60 per cent of all pre-API invoices must be paid as full and final settlement.
“Payment plans (lump sum or installments) must be agreed upon between a concerned DMB and MNO by January 2, 2025. Installments must be based on equal monthly payments, with full payment due by July 2, 2025.
“DMBs must pay 85 per cent of all outstanding invoices issued after the implementation of APIs (i.e., February 2022) by December 31, 2024.
“Similarly, 85 per cent of future invoices must be liquidated within one month of service.”
According to the regulators, the transition to end-user billing will be activated only for DMBs and MNOs that comply with the payment conditions cobtained in the circular.
CBN and the NCC said they would provide further guidance on public enlightenment initiatives related to the transition.
The regulators also directed MNOs to implement the “10-seconds rule” for USSD invoicing.
This implies that any session lasting less than ten seconds will not be billable.
The regulators added, “Failure to comply with the terms outlined in this directive will attract necessary sanctions, ensuring that both DMBs and MNOs uphold their obligations.”
Telecom
NCC Launches Initiative to Combat Fraud, Spam Messaging
Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) has unveiled a draft regulatory framework aimed at addressing fraud, spam, and other challenges in the Application-to-Person messaging sector.
The telecom regulator made this announcement in a statement.
The proposed framework, which was introduced during a virtual Stakeholders’ Forum, is said to be a key step towards enhancing the sector’s integrity and ensuring a fair, transparent environment for all parties involved.
The draft framework, presented by Aminu Maida, executive vice chairman, NCC, who was represented by Chizua Whyte, NCC’s acting head of legal and regulatory services, seeks to regulate the A2P messaging space.
The A2P messaging, used for notifications such as bank alerts, promotional campaigns, and government updates, has become a vital communication tool in Nigeria.
However, the sector faces significant challenges, including consumer protection concerns, fraud, and data privacy issues, as well as an unequal distribution of value within the ecosystem.
“The international A2P messaging space in Nigeria faces gaps that have led to issues such as fraud, spam, and data privacy concerns. These challenges threaten the sustainable growth of this communication tool,” the NCC said.
The proposed framework aims to address these challenges by protecting consumers, promoting fair competition, and holding service providers accountable.
“This forum marks a pivotal step towards addressing these challenges. We are here to engage with all stakeholders—operators, aggregators, businesses, service providers, and consumers—to refine the framework and ensure it meets the needs of the entire ecosystem.”
The NCC stressed the importance of inclusivity and collaboration in creating an effective regulatory environment.
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