Day: May 23, 2024

JOHANNESBURG, South Africa, May 23, 2024/ — By Fhulu Badugela, MultiChoice Africa CEO (www.MultiChoice.com).

As we mark Africa Day, people and organisations commit themselves to making a positive difference for the continent. Building a business model that improves lives is the most effective way to achieve this, writes MultiChoice Africa CEO Fhulu Badugela.

As the continent celebrates Africa Day on 25 May, two business priorities come into sharp relief; Businesses must remain profitable to survive, but they must also deliver a net benefit for society.

A unifying purpose

At MultiChoice Africa, we strive to achieve this balance by aligning around a single unifying goal – enriching lives. It’s at the heart of our value proposition of delivering entertainment and services to our customers through technology.

While we aim to be the entertainment platform of choice for African households, we also want to enrich their lives by making a significant contribution to economic development, in the spirit of Africa Day.

MultiChoice also enriches lives through our role in developing Africa’s contemporary cultural heritage, having been entertaining, informing and empowering African communities for more than 30 years.

We also continue to offer value to our customers by using the latest technology to enhance accessibility, and boosting the number of platforms we offer as we develop our hyperlocal strategy of authentic African content for African audiences.

Authentic storytelling

Developing that content allows us to reshape the African narrative through the stories we tell. Through our hyperlocal approach, we not only develop film and television industries in multiple African markets, we also allow African people to see their stories told by their own people in their own languages.

After 38 years’ operating across the continent, MultiChoice Africa now produces more than 6 000 hours of local content a year, in 40 languages, across 50 countries, reaching more than 100 million people every day.

Our 17 local channels share homegrown shows, in regional languages, on platforms like Africa Magic, Mzansi Magic, Akwaaba Magic, Maisha Magic, Pearl Magic Prime, Abol TV, Kwenda Magic, Maningue Magic and Zambezi Magic.

This has significant cultural and psychological impact. It’s hard to quantify how much it improves someone’s quality of life, when they see their own culture, values and aspirations reflected in the content they consume.

Smash-hit local shows across the continent not only create opportunities for local filmmakers and actors but has also help to showcase African stories on a global platform.

Recent successes have included family drama Sinia, crime drama Danga and Tuko Talk on Tanzania’s Maisha Magic Plus. In Kenya, the Showmax Original crime procedural Crime and Justice is highly popular, while Uganda’s Pearl Magic Prime features drama series Chapterz.

On Zambezi Magic, Wanilata is a reality dating show; while Our Perfect Wedding Zambia is a staple on ONEZED, alongside telenovela Ubuntu, with Adey and Zuret providing riveting drama on Ethiopia’s Abol TV.

In West Africa, the Akwaaba Magic channel in Ghana is the home of the popular Dede, the story of a naive rural teenager, while Africa Magic channels feature appointment-viewing successes like Date My Family Nigeria and Idols Nigeria.

In Southern Africa, locally produced hits include Zuba and Ten Tamanga Street on Zambezi Magic, O Rio Mahinga on Kwenda Magic, and Maida, Date My Family and Our Perfect Wedding Mozambique on Maningue Magic.

We also strive to ensure we have a pipeline of talented, qualified African creators entering our industry, by investing in training and development through our pan-African MultiChoice Talent Factory (MTF) Academies.

Multiplier effects

Our group’s content investments have had major economic multiplier effects on the continent, employing 3 042 full-time staff, and making R5.1bn in total tax contributions.

In Nigeria, the Africa Magic channel now produces 700-1 000 hours of original content every year, and buys even more independently produced local content through its online content-licensing portal.

Across the continent in Ethiopia, MultiChoice has commissioned and licensed more than 138 Ethiopian films and TV shows within two years, for its hyperlocal Abol channels. In Botswana, MultiChoice has delivered local shows alongside MTF skills-transfer partnerships with the Botswana Department of Broadcasting Services.

Longevity through alignment

In every market, MultiChoice Africa also makes a material contribution to the economy through tax revenues, investments in broadcasting technology and sponsorships of local sports leagues, such as SuperSport’s coverage of Zambia’s MTN Super League.

MultiChoice maintains a strong market position due to its established brand presence, extensive content library, and investment in local programming. Our focus on innovation and customer satisfaction has seen us build resilience in a rapidly evolving media landscape.

If there is a learning in this, it is that when the interests of all stakeholders are aligned, then better business makes for better lives. As we once more mark Africa Day, we look forward to continuing to provide Africa with quality entertainment content, and opportunities, in ways that improve lives.

ABUJA, Nigeria, May 23, 2024/ — The African Development Bank (www.AfDB.org) has invested $1.44 billion to support the development of energy and power, transport, water, and sanitation infrastructure in Nigeria.

The Bank’s Nigeria Country Department, Director General Lamin Barrow disclosed this at the Nasarawa Investment Summit 2024, held from 15 – 16 May in Lafia, the Nasarawa State capital. The event was attended by local and foreign investors, representatives of the private sector, and senior government officials.

Acknowledging the resonance of the Summit theme against the backdrop of turbulence in the global economy, Barrow noted that Nasarawa State, and indeed Nigeria, face a huge infrastructure deficit, inhibiting the country’s efforts to diversify its non-oil production and achieve international competitiveness for exports.

According to the 2020 National Integrated Infrastructure Master Plan, Nigeria requires, between 2020 and 2043, total infrastructure investments estimated at $2.3 trillion, to raise its infrastructure stock to the international benchmark of 70% of GDP. The energy sector alone will require $759 billion, while the transport sector needs $575 billion.

“To address this problem, the African Development Bank is supporting the federal and state governments to improve the national and states’ infrastructure. As of April 2024, 31 percent of the Bank’s active portfolio, valued at $1.44 billion, is supporting infrastructure development in Nigeria,” Barrow said in a speech he read on behalf of the Group’s President, Dr. Akinwumi Adesina.

To achieve industrial renaissance, Nasarawa State and Nigeria must accelerate domestic resource mobilization; boost agriculture sector productivity; develop value chains and supportive infrastructure; enhance de-risk investments; prioritize natural resource value addition and beneficiation; strengthen institutional capacity and bridge the skills mismatch to enhance youth employability, he said.

“Nasarawa is known for its huge potential in agriculture, particularly its organized commodity aggregation system, which ensures the marketability and traceability of produce. It is reassuring to note that Nasarawa is prioritizing the development of agricultural value chains for key commodities such as sesame, rice, and ginger. “

Dr. Doris Nkiruka Uzoka-Anite, Minister of Industry, Trade and Investment, representing Nigeria’s President, Bola Ahmed Tinubu, opened the summit. She said the country was proud of Nasarawa State, particularly for the positive strides it had made in the mining sector.

“Nasarawa State has shown great vision in ensuring that their vast lithium deposits are developed and processed, ensuring that raw materials are not exported out of this country without any value addition, in line with the renewed hope agenda,” she said.

In his welcome remarks, the Nasarawa State Governor, Abdullahi Sule, thanked the African Development Bank for its continued support for the industrial and sustainable economic development of the state.

The African Development Bank has financed the construction of the Keffi and Akwanga water supply schemes in Nasarawa, comprising intake works, pumping stations, a 62,850 m3/d treatment plant, 19.9 km of transmission pipes and 42 km of distribution pipes, as well as service reservoirs, drainage, and buildings.

The state is under consideration for participation in Phase II of the Special Agriculture Processing Zone (SAPZ) program in Nigeria. https://apo-opa.co/3wMbTmz

Media contact:
Chukwuemeka Francis Ezekiel,
African Development Bank Nigeria Country Department (RDNG)
media@afdb.org

About the African Development Bank Group: 
The African Development Bank Group (AfDB) is the premier multilateral financing institution dedicated to Africa’s development. It comprises three distinct entities: the African Development Bank (AfDB), the African Development Fund (ADF) and the Nigeria Trust Fund (NSF). The AfDB has a field presence in 41 African countries, with an external office in Japan, and contributes to the economic development and social progress of its 54 regional member states.

ABIDJAN, Ivory Coast, May 23, 2024/ — The African Development Bank (www.AfDB.org) has reassured Sudan of its continued support in providing humanitarian and economic assistance, while addressing other priority needs amid the country’s ongoing civil conflict.

Rufus N. Darkortey, the Bank’s Executive Director representing The Gambia, Ghana, Liberia, Sierra Leone, and Sudan, reaffirmed this commitment during discussions with Sudan’s Finance Minister and Governor of the African Development Bank, Dr Gebreil Ibrahim Mohamed Fediel.

“The Bank will continue to support Sudan in reducing fragility, stabilising the economy, and fostering recovery,” said Darkortey, acknowledging the severe impact of the conflict on the country. The meeting, held in Cairo, Egypt, rather than Sudan due to the ongoing civil conflict, focused on the Bank’s ongoing support for Sudan, identifying new priorities, and discussing humanitarian aid.

While recognising efforts to grant aid access in Darfur, Darkortey called for expanded access nationwide. He also urged the protection of investments within the country financed by the Bank and development partners during the conflict and lauded the outcome of the recent humanitarian donor conference in Paris, where $2.13 billion was pledged for Sudan.

The Executive Director informed Governor Fediel that the African Development Bank is supporting Sudan both at national and regional levels. The Bank approved $74 million for the Sudan Emergency Wheat Production project, implemented by the World Food Program, which is enhancing food security and wheat production. This project aims to assist Sudan in becoming a net exporter of wheat in the long run.

The Bank has also committed $1 million from its Special Relief Fund to support humanitarian and food security efforts for internally displaced persons, refugees, and vulnerable communities.

Regionally, the Bank is co-financing a $36.4 million emergency project to support the stabilisation and recovery of refugees and host communities in the Lake Chad Basin. It is also exploring further regional support for the displacement crisis resulting from Sudan’s conflict. Minister Fediel expressed gratitude to the Bank and its President, Dr Akinwumi A. Adesina, for their robust support in helping the nation meet its immediate needs. He emphasised the need for continued humanitarian assistance and technical support to assess the conflict’s impact as peace is established. With the farming season approaching, he called on the Bank to provide urgent agricultural support, including seeds and fertilizers.

Governor Fediel pledged the government’s commitment to a stronger African Development Bank by ensuring the settlement of the country’s debt arrears. He reaffirmed Sudan’s commitment to financially contribute to the ADF-17 replenishment cycle starting in 2025, as pledged in a constituency memorandum signed in 2023. This memorandum outlines plans for enhancing domestic resource mobilisation and advancing SME-led private sector growth in constituency member countries.

Both officials thanked the Bank’s Sudan Country Office for its leadership during this challenging period and expressed gratitude to the Egypt Office for hosting the mission.

Darkortey also met with Sudan Country Office staff, affirming the Bank’s ongoing support for their welfare.

Contact:Kwasi Kpodo

Communication and External Relations
media@afdb.org

About the African Development Bank Group:
The African Development Bank Group (AfDB) is the premier multilateral financing institution dedicated to Africa’s development. It comprises three distinct entities: the African Development Bank (AfDB), the African Development Fund (ADF) and the Nigeria Trust Fund (NSF). The AfDB has a field presence in 41 African countries, with an external office in Japan, and contributes to the economic development and social progress of its 54 regional member states. For more information: www.AfDB.org