Author: Doris Israel Ijeoma

Netflix is increasing its live streaming content as part of its growing entertainment offerings. The company, which serves over 94 million active users worldwide each month, has been gradually adding live TV options such as WWE wrestling, comedy specials, awards ceremonies, and other events. Some of these live streams have been successful, while others faced challenges. The streaming service plans to air the rematch between boxers Katie Taylor and Amanda Serrano on July 11. Netflix will also stream two NFL games on Christmas Day featuring the Dallas Cowboys versus the Washington Commanders and the Detroit Lions against the Minnesota Vikings.…

The federal government has announced that four new satellites will soon be launched to help monitor the country’s environment and support the fight against insecurity.  This decision was made after the federal executive council approved the satellite project. The announcement was made in Abuja during the 22nd National Council on Innovation, Science and Technology.  Uche Nnaji, the minister of innovation, science and technology, said the move is part of efforts to use technology to tackle Nigeria’s problems. He explained that the launch will include three satellites for earth observation and one radar aperture satellite that can give clear images for…

The Sokoto State House of Assembly has approved a new law that requires all couples planning to marry to undergo medical tests before tying the knot. The bill was passed during a plenary session on Wednesday, following the submission of a report by the chairman of the health committee, Kabiru Dauda. The new law says couples must be tested for HIV/AIDS, hepatitis, sickle cell, genotype, and other related health conditions. This step is meant to help people understand their health status and avoid future health issues that could affect their marriages and families. The bill was first read in the…

SoundCloud announced a change to its terms of use following widespread concern from users about how their audio content might be used for artificial intelligence training.  Earlier this year, the company updated its policies in a way that many interpreted as permission for SoundCloud to use uploaded audio to train AI models.  Although SoundCloud initially said it was not using user content to develop AI, people worried this might happen later. On May 14, 2025, SoundCloud’s CEO addressed the issue, admitting that the language in the policy was unclear and too broad.  The update was originally meant to cover the…

Microsoft has announced plans to lay off 6,000 workers as part of its latest restructuring move. The tech company shared the news on Tuesday, with notices already sent to those affected. This reduction will affect nearly 3 percent of its global workforce, which stood at 228,000 full-time employees as of June 2024. The job cuts will touch various departments and levels across Microsoft, including management. While the company did not give exact details about which roles will be removed, it explained that the decision is aimed at reshaping the organization to better compete in today’s fast-changing market. This development follows…

Airtel Africa Plc has announced that it is searching for someone to take over from Akhil Gupta, who will step down from his role as a non-executive director in July 2025.  The company shared this update in a filing made public on the Nigerian Exchange Limited and the London Stock Exchange. Gupta has been with the telecom firm since it made its entry into Africa in 2010.  He played a part in the company’s growth and its eventual listing on the London Stock Exchange in 2019. That same year, Airtel also joined the Nigerian Stock Exchange, now known as NGX.…

Meta Platforms has responded to growing complaints from Nigerian users after an unusual notification appeared during Instagram chats.  The alert informed some users that the person they were chatting with might be in Nigeria and advised them not to share personal information unless they knew the person well. This caused outrage online, with many Nigerians accusing the company of singling out the country. The alert was first noticed by a Nigerian Instagram user who posted a screenshot of the message. The notice quickly spread across social media, where many said it felt like discrimination against Nigerians. Meta later explained that…

Amazon has announced that Prime Video users in India will start seeing ads during movies and shows from June 17, 2025.  The decision comes as part of a global rollout that began in the United States and a few other countries in 2024.  According to the company, the ads will be short and fewer compared to regular television or other streaming apps. This update does not change the cost of the regular Prime membership. Users who prefer to watch content without ads will have to pay an extra fee of Rs 699 yearly or Rs 129 monthly for the ad-free…

Nigeria is set to receive telecom equipment and fibre optic cables valued at $3 billion by June 2025.  The Minister of Communications, Innovation and Digital Economy, Bosun Tijani, revealed this during a panel session at the Nigeria Development Update hosted by the World Bank. He explained that equipment worth $1 billion will arrive around mid-year, followed by an additional $2 billion investment in fibre optic cables. The goal of this move is to improve the country’s digital infrastructure and connect more areas to modern communication networks. Tijani said that a pilot phase will soon begin to reach over 20 million…

Tech giant, Apple is planning to increase the prices of the next iPhones set to launch this autumn. The tech company is trying to avoid linking the price jump directly to the U.S. tariffs on Chinese goods, according to sources close to the matter. Instead, Apple is exploring other reasons to explain the upcoming price changes.  One possible reason could be the new features and design updates expected in the new models.  Though the company has not confirmed anything officially, sources from the supply chain believe the upgrades will play a role in justifying the higher prices. Tariffs are expected…

Nissan Motor Company is planning to let go of more than 10,000 employees across its global operations. This is according to a report by Japan’s national broadcaster, NHK. This fresh round of layoffs adds to earlier job cuts, raising the total to around 20,000 workers, which is about 15 percent of the company’s workforce. The move comes as the Japanese carmaker faces major challenges in its key markets, especially China and the United States. Sales in both countries have dropped, and the company is working to reorganize its operations to stay afloat.  Nissan has struggled to keep up with trends…

Several bank customers in Abuja have decided to stop using SMS alerts and switch to email notifications to cut down on extra costs linked to account transactions.  The decision follows recent increases in SMS fees, which many customers say are adding more burden to their already charged bank accounts. The move became more common after some banks, including GTCO, raised their SMS alert fees from N4 to N6 per message. This change was reportedly made because of higher charges from telecom providers. However, many customers said that banks are taking advantage of the situation to collect more money from them.…

Meta is in early discussions with companies in the cryptocurrency infrastructure sector to explore the use of stablecoins like USDT and USDC for payments across its platforms. The goal is to make payments for creators on apps like Instagram more cost-effective and accessible to a global audience. Sources familiar with the discussions say Meta is considering a multi-token approach while learning more about the benefits of stablecoins. The company has recently hired Ginger Baker, a former executive at Plaid and board member of the Stellar Development Foundation, to lead these efforts. This initiative marks Meta’s first significant step into the…

The World Health Organization (WHO) has raised concerns about the future of healthcare in Africa, revealing that 42 percent of nurses across the continent are considering moving abroad for better opportunities. The revelation came as WHO celebrated the courage and dedication of nurses on International Nurses Day 2025. WHO noted that nurses make up nearly 70 percent of the global health workforce and often work in remote or difficult conditions. Nurses play major roles in patient care, health education, and responding to emergencies. WHO’s Acting Regional Director for Africa, Dr. Chikwe Ihekweazu, shared that while the global number of nurses…

Microblogging platform, X formerly known as Twitter, is facing an ongoing outage with its notification system, affecting users across the globe.  Many have reported that they are unable to receive notifications for tweets or posts from accounts they follow. Some users have shared that their last notification was received as far back as 14 to 15 hours ago. The issue has left users unable to stay updated on their preferred accounts, with no clarity on when the service will be fully restored. At the time of writing, X has yet to release an official statement regarding the cause of the…

Google has introduced new artificial intelligence features to help protect Chrome users from online scams.  The company made the announcement on Thursday, revealing that the desktop version of Chrome will now use Gemini Nano, an AI model built into the device, to detect scam websites and suspicious behavior in real time. The aim is to improve online safety for users browsing the internet. Chrome’s Enhanced Protection mode already offers a higher level of security than the standard option, and now with Gemini Nano, the browser will be able to respond more quickly to scam attempts, including those that haven’t been…

Instagram Threads will soon start testing video advertisements, according to Meta.  This new move, revealed during Meta’s presentation at the IAB NewFronts, is aimed at expanding the platform’s advertising options, which were opened to global brands just last month. The company said only a few advertisers will be part of the test for now.  These ads will be in 19:9 or square format and placed between regular user posts on Threads. Meta did not provide full details about how often these ads will appear or how much they will cost. This update comes shortly after Meta revealed that Threads now…

Microsoft has stopped its workers from using the DeepSeek app, raising concerns over where data is stored and the kind of information users might receive.  This was shared during a Senate hearing in the United States by Brad Smith, who serves as the company’s president and vice chairman. The app, which runs on both phones and computers, is not allowed on Microsoft’s internal platforms or even listed in its app store. The company said the main reason for this decision is tied to the fear that user data may end up stored in China, and that the app’s replies may…

A plan to stop children under 16 from using social media in New Zealand faced a major roadblock when one of the ruling coalition parties, ACT, refused to support it.  The idea came from Catherine Wedd, a member of the National Party, and had the backing of Prime Minister Christopher Luxon. The proposed law aimed to make social media companies verify users’ ages and block those under 16 from using their platforms. However, the ACT party’s refusal means the Prime Minister can no longer move forward with the bill on his own.  To keep it alive, support must now come…

Snapchat has announced that Snap Map now has over 400 million people using it every month.  This update marks a new step for one of the platform’s most popular features, which has become a major part of how users connect on the app. Snap Map was first introduced in 2017 as a way for users to share their location with friends and view public content from around the world. Since then, it has grown to offer more tools that let users explore their surroundings, find local places to visit, and see what’s happening nearby. Snapchat has been gradually improving the…

Turkish authorities have blocked the X (formerly Twitter) account of jailed Istanbul Mayor Ekrem Imamoglu following a legal request connected to a post made in April.  Imamoglu, who has nearly 10 million followers, has been in jail since March 19 after he was accused of corruption charges he denies.  His detention led to major protests across the country, with thousands hitting the streets in his support. On Thursday morning, users in Turkey could no longer view his account, as a message on the platform stated it had been withheld due to a legal order. The Turkish presidency later confirmed that…

OpenAI has been meeting with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration to talk about how artificial intelligence could help improve the way drugs are reviewed.  The discussions, which were recently reported by Wired, focused on a project known as cderGPT, believed to be designed for use by the Center for Drug Evaluation. This FDA department handles the regulation of both prescription and over-the-counter drugs in the country. The idea behind these meetings is to explore how AI can make certain parts of the drug approval process faster.  Drug development is known to take several years, often more than a decade,…

The Federal Government has reacted to a video circulating online where a popular religious figure urged people to ignore medical warnings about salt.  The Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare made it clear that such advice could harm public health. The warning came through a statement released on Wednesday by the Ministry’s Deputy Director of Information and Public Relations, Alaba Balogun. The government urged Nigerians not to follow misleading health tips that could put their lives at risk. The Ministry explained that while salt is needed for certain body functions like nerve signals and muscle activity, too much of…

The Federal Government has opened a new regional office of the National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA) in Enugu to support digital growth in the South East.  The launch took place on Wednesday in the GRA area of the state capital. The new office is expected to help people in the region learn digital skills, support tech startups, and guide local businesses with useful information on how to grow in the digital world. It also brings programs like the 3 Million Technical Talent project closer to young Nigerians who want to build a future in technology. The Minister of Communications,…

Three former heads of Nigeria’s top refineries are threatening to sue a national newspaper for N50 billion, accusing it of publishing a damaging report that linked them to a major fraud.  The publication had alleged their involvement in a $3 billion scandal related to refinery rehabilitation and claimed N80 billion was found in the personal account of one of the former officials. The former Managing Directors—Mr Ibrahim Onoja of Port Harcourt Refining Company, Mr Efifia Chu of Warri Refining and Petrochemical Company, and Dr Mustafa Sugungun of Kaduna Refining and Petrochemical Company—have denied any connection to the fraud and said…

Substack has introduced a new audio-only livestream option, allowing publishers to connect with their audience without using a camera. The feature was announced on Tuesday, May 6, 2025, and will begin rolling out next week. This update offers a more relaxed way for creators to go live, especially for those who prefer to stay off camera or remain anonymous during broadcasts. To activate the new feature, users simply need to click on the camera icon before going live, which switches the stream to audio-only. If they later decide to appear on screen, they can turn the video back on at…

Reddit has announced a new step to fight the spread of fake human-like bots on its platform after an online experiment caused concern among its users.  The move comes after a group of researchers released over 1,700 AI-generated comments on the “Change My View” subreddit. These bots pretended to be real people, sharing personal stories or controversial views, making it hard for others to tell whether they were interacting with actual users or not. The company described the experiment as unethical and reported it to the university involved.  But the event served as a wake-up call, showing that bots are…

Google has launched a new feature called “Simplify” in its iOS app to help users better understand complex or technical web content.  The feature uses artificial intelligence to turn hard-to-read text into simpler language without removing important details.  This update is being released this week to iPhone users through the Google app. The feature works by letting users select a portion of text on a web page. Once the text is selected, a “Simplify” icon appears.  When tapped, the tool rewrites the selected part in a clearer, easier way, allowing users to continue reading without needing to switch to another…

Former U.S. President Donald Trump has said he is open to delaying the TikTok ban again if the company’s Chinese owner, ByteDance, does not complete a deal to sell its U.S. operations by the June 19 deadline.  Speaking during an interview on NBC’s “Meet the Press,” Trump mentioned that he feels a certain fondness for TikTok, suggesting he would allow more time if needed. The situation began last year when Congress passed a law demanding that ByteDance sell TikTok’s U.S. business or face a ban, due to concerns over national security and data privacy. The app was briefly banned in…

YouTube is trying out a new two-person Premium subscription plan in India, France, Hong Kong, and Taiwan, the company shared on Monday.  The move is aimed at giving users more options and making Premium more affordable for people who live together. The plan works similarly to Spotify’s Duo plan, where two people in the same household can enjoy Premium services at a lower price compared to the regular single or family plans. This includes ad-free videos, background play, and offline downloads, which many users enjoy but may have stopped paying for after recent price increases. YouTube’s parent company, Google, has…