This follows the signing of a new multi-year, multi-territory agreement between CANAL+ Group and Warner Bros. Discovery, marking a significant expansion of their long-standing partnership.

The new deal, which spans several regions across Africa and Europe, covers the distribution of HBO Max as well as the renewal of selected Warner Bros. Discovery thematic channels.

It represents a major milestone in the companies’ international collaboration and strengthens content offerings across MultiChoice Group territories.

MultiChoice disclosed that this agreement builds on earlier partnerships concluded in Europe. “It builds on the landmark agreements concluded in France in 2024,including the renewal of the exclusive pay-TV window for Warner Bros. Pictures films just six months after their theatrical release in France and the integration of HBO Max within select CANAL+ group offers – as well as in Poland in 2025, with the renewal of the distribution agreement for 22 thematic channels (including TVN 24 and Eurosport) and 4 free-to-air channels (including TVN).”

Under the renewed arrangement, MultiChoice Group will continue to distribute 12 Warner Bros. Discovery thematic channels across its territories, with some channels offered on an exclusive basis.

CNN International and Cartoon Network will remain exclusive to South Africa while being distributed non-exclusively in other markets.

Cartoon Network Porto will be exclusive in Angola and Mozambique and non-exclusive elsewhere. Other channels such as Discovery Channel, TLC, HGTV, Food Network, TNT Africa, Travel, ID and Cartoonito will be offered on a non-exclusive basis.

According to the partners, the deal reinforces CANAL+ Group’s channel portfolio on the continent. “This agreement enables CANAL+ Group to strengthen its entertainment, kids, news, and documentary channel offerings in African markets.”

The agreement is also expected to improve access for CANAL+ Group subscribers to Warner Bros. Discovery’s premium content through HBO Max and selected channels, including globally recognised series and films, further extending the studio’s international reach while consolidating MultiChoice’s content offering in key markets.

This represents a fall from 764,000 for the year to December 2022 – a figure revised upwards by 19,000 from an initial estimate now more complete data for the year is available.

The ONS said it is “too early to say if this is the start of a new downward trend”.

The Migration Observatory at the University of Oxford said net migration “remained at unusually high levels”.

The figures come a day after Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, called a general election for 4 July, in which immigration is likely to be a key battleground issue.

Despite the fall, net migration to UK is more than three times higher than at the 2019 election when the Conservatives promised to cut overall numbers in their manifesto.

According to James, the Home Secretary, the drop in net migration, as well as visa applications being down 25% so far in 2024, shows Mr Sunak’s plan was working but “there is more to do”.

The Home Office said the net migration figures “do not take into account the major package of measures announced in December which have already started to have an effect”.

These rules, which took effect last month, included increasing the minimum salary needed for skilled overseas workers.

When they were announced in December last year, Mr Cleverly claimed 300,000 people who were eligible to come to the UK in 2023 would no longer be able to in future.

Yvette Cooper, the shadow home secretary, said Labour would pledge to link a points-based immigration system with plans to boost skills at home.

She said the latest figures show “total Tory chaos and failure on immigration as net migration has more than trebled since Rishi Sunak and his party promised to get it down at the last election”.

The ONS figures show the number of people coming to the UK for humanitarian reasons – such as from Ukraine and Hong Kong – fell by more than 100,000 last year.

The data estimates about 1.22 million people came to the UK in 2023, and some 532,000 likely departed. The total arrivals is only slightly lower than the 1.26 million in 2022.

The biggest driver of migration last year was work. There was also an increase in the number of people arriving from outside the European Union on work visas, the figures suggest.

Non-EU immigration for work reasons went up from 277,000 in the year to December 2022 to 423,000 in the year to December 2023, according to the ONS.

More than four out of 10 people moving to the UK for work-related reasons last year came from India or Nigeria, most commonly in the health and social care sector.

Non-EU nationals arriving as dependants of those on long-term work visas rose slightly in 2023 to 219,000 from 204,000 in 2022.

The ONS says, the fall in net migration is also driven by non-EU foreign students who flocked to UK universities after Covid but have now finished their courses and returned home.

This is the last complete set of immigration figures before the election which means Home Office measures to restrict work and students’ dependents visas will not be reflected in net migration statistics before polling day.

Work-related non-EU immigration was at record levels last year, with fewer visas being issued by the government to workers than the family members they brought with them.

The four persons promoted into leadership positions are Jumoke Akinyele, Gabriel Olonisakin, Ugochukwu Ukaogu and Judith Ezeali.

While Jumoke Akinyele and Gabriel Olonisakin were elevated to the positions of  Business Director and Creative Director respectively,  Judith Ezeali moved up the ladder to the position of Deputy Business Director and Ugochukwu Ukaogu was promoted to the position of Associate IT Director.

Speaking on the promotion, the Chief Executive Officer of Noah’s Ark Communications Limited, Lanre Adisa, stated that the elevation is in line with the company’s culture of recognizing high-performing team members while creating the enabling environment for them to develop their skills and collaborating to achieve exceptional performance in their new roles.

Adisa expressed optimism that the promoted staff would bring fresh ideas to reinvigorate the leadership team to record tremendous success in the coming years. He noted that all the elevated team members have put in meaningful years of hard work, loyalty and dedication.

Jumoke Akinyele started her career in the agency in 2010 as a temp/intern and rose to her current role. Until recently, she was the Associate Director and was responsible for managing business processes and cross-functionally working with critical stakeholders and agency teams to solve marketing problems while ensuring profitability for the business.

Jumoke holds a B. A. in English Language from Adekunle Ajasin University, Ondo State and  an MBA from Nexford University, USA.

She is an alumna of the Lagos Business School (Senior Management Programme). An ARCON-certified marketing communications and brand management professional, her industry experience spans several multinational and local brands across various industries and categories, some of which are  Maltina, Airtel, Maggi, Rexona, Minimie, Hacey Initiative, PayAttitude, Fayrouz, Indomie, Paga, SWIFT Networks, Three Crowns Milk, Peak Milk, Travelstart, Hypo, Power Oil, among others.

Similarly, Gabriel Olonisakin joined the company 13 years ago, bringing a unique blend of artistic vision, strategic thinking and leadership prowess into his new role. Throughout his career, he has been instrumental in crafting visually stunning and conceptually compelling campaigns that captivate audiences and drive brand success.

A serial award winner, he has won laurels at global and regional advertising festivals, including the Loeries and Epica Awards. He clinched the first-ever creative effectiveness medal at the Lagos Advertising and Ideas Festival and was recognized for his creativity at the African Cristal Awards.

Judith Ezeali started her career with Brand Communicator magazine in 2008 as an Assistant Editor and Sales Lead before joining 141 worldwide (now Nitro 121).  She left 141 Worldwide as an intern and moved to Bi-Courtney Aviation Services Limited in 2011. In 2014, she joined Noah’s Ark Communications Limited as an Account Executive and rose to become a Deputy Director.

Her work involves business operations, brand management, client servicing and managing the creative processes from start to finish.

Over the years, she has garnered cross-industry experience from working on various brands in diverse categories spanning Telco, FMCG, Insurance, Aviation, Travel, Education, Hospitality and Financial Services.

Ezeali, who holds a B. Sc. in Mass Communication from Olabisi Onabanjo University, is also an alumna of the prestigious Lagos Business School, SMP 80 Class. She is an associate member of ARCON (ARPA) and holds a diploma in digital marketing (DDM) from the Digital Marketing Institute, Ireland.

Ugochukwu Ukaogo is a seasoned professional in IT infrastructure management with a robust experience.

He joined Noah’s Ark as an Assistant Manager and rose to Deputy IT Director before his latest promotion to Associate IT Director.

Before joining Noah’s Ark in 2017, he had worked in different multinational companies, ranging from telecommunications to fast-moving consumer goods.

At a conferment ceremony held at the Nigeria Correctional Service Headquarters, Minister of Interior Rauf Aregbesola announced the launch of the Brown Card, following its approval by President Muhammadu Buhari and the Federal Executive Council.

The Minister stated, “I am pleased to announce the introduction of the Brown Card as the legal instrument for Permanent Residency.

The Minister of Interior now has the authority to grant Permanent Residency to non-Nigerian individuals, enabling them to live and work in Nigeria without the need for renewal every five years, as was previously required.”

The Brown Card will be the official document conferring this newly established status. Eligible candidates for Permanent Residency include foreign nationals of African descent who wish to make Nigeria their home through the ‘Privilege of Return’ program, foreign nationals intending to invest in Nigeria according to established guidelines, foreign nationals who have demonstrated exceptional talents, knowledge, and skills in rare fields such as Science, Technology, Medicine, Engineering, the Arts, Sports, and other areas as determined from time to time, as well as male foreign nationals who have been married to Nigerian women for at least one year.

During the conferment ceremony, Minister Aregbesola presented all deserving foreign nationals to President Buhari for the formal granting of Nigerian citizenship.

He emphasized that the growing number of foreigners seeking Nigerian citizenship is evidence of the Federal Government’s ongoing efforts to make Nigeria an attractive destination for investment and peaceful coexistence.

The Minister stated, “Acquiring Nigerian citizenship is a significant privilege, and not everyone who applies is successful.

However, the fact that we have a considerable number of foreigners eager to become Nigerians demonstrates that our efforts to make Nigeria a destination for investment and peaceful coexistence are yielding positive results.

We continue to welcome foreigners who choose to do business here and, after interacting with us, express a desire to become part of our nation.”

Minister Aregbesola also highlighted that the current administration led by President Muhammadu Buhari has conferred Nigerian citizenship through naturalization or registration to the largest number of foreigners to date.

In 2017, 335 individuals obtained Nigerian citizenship, followed by 286 foreigners in the previous year, and at the conferment ceremony, 385 foreign nationals were granted Nigerian citizenship, bringing the total to 1,006 individuals.

However, the Minister reminded the new citizens of their responsibility to make meaningful contributions to the development of Nigeria in all areas, including defending the nation’s territorial integrity if necessary and promoting the welfare of its people.

The Chairman of the Airlines and Passengers Joint Committee of the International Air Transport Association, Bankole Bernard, stated that the demand for travel within Nigeria is high, indicating that the revenue from foreign airlines is expected to continue thriving, Punch reported.

He expressed confidence that the figures would remain steady in the near future.

However, there have been issues with trapped funds for foreign airlines in Nigeria. The Senate passed a resolution calling on the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) to release $717,478,606 of airline funds that were stuck in the country. 

The Senate also urged the CBN to allocate $25 million to airlines operating in Nigeria at its fortnightly dollar auction. 

Bankole Bernard commented that the Senate may not be able to intervene effectively, as the CBN has shown disregard for the law by only complying with a court order to release old notes.

Regarding the possibility of airlines withdrawing their services due to trapped funds, Bernard stated that it is unlikely because they did not acquire the aircraft to keep them parked. 

However, he acknowledged that foreign airlines still face challenges and may consider redirecting their aircraft to more lucrative markets if available.

The spokesperson for foreign airlines in Nigeria, Kingsley Nwokoma, emphasized that the repatriation of funds has been a longstanding issue for foreign airlines. 

The inability to access the funds has impacted their operations, profitability, and willingness to continue operating in Nigeria. 

Nwokoma warned that if the Nigerian government does not take immediate action to repatriate the funds, more airlines may leave the country. 

He mentioned that several airlines have either ceased operations or reduced flight frequencies due to this issue.

Nwokoma expressed skepticism about the CBN’s immediate disbursement of the funds following the Senate’s order. 

He believed that there needs to be a willingness from the government to ensure that the funds are repatriated according to the BASA (Bilateral Air Services Agreement) regulations. 

He also suggested that if any disbursement had been initiated, the airlines would have made a public statement regarding it

This move comes as the UK government aims to reduce immigration numbers, which currently stand at approximately one million, according to Sky News.

Under the new rule, international students will no longer have the option to switch from the student route to work routes before completing their studies, in order to prevent misuse of the visa system.

Additionally, there will be a comprehensive review of the maintenance requirement for students and their dependents, as well as a crackdown on “unscrupulous” education agents who exploit immigration opportunities rather than focusing on education, as reported by Sky News.

These changes will come into effect in January 2024, allowing students who are starting their courses in the UK sufficient time to plan and adjust to the new regulations.

In a written ministerial statement released on Tuesday and obtained by Sky News, Home Secretary Suella Braverman highlighted the unexpected increase in the number of dependents accompanying international students, as revealed by recent immigration figures

In a statement issued by Mousa Ubandawaki, the Deputy Director of Information & Publications at NAHCON, the commission emphasized its commitment to ensuring a seamless airlift of pilgrims and providing them with excellent services throughout the Hajj process.

Ubandawaki clarified that the ongoing crisis in Sudan, which led to the closure of its airspace due to security concerns, has affected all Hajj airlift flights.

As a result, alternative routes with longer flight durations, ranging from 1 hour 40 minutes to 3 hours, depending on the departure points in Nigeria, had to be taken.

He explained, “These alternate routes require the carriers to fly through the airspace of Cameroon, Central African Republic (CAR), Uganda, Kenya, Ethiopia, and Eritrea, incurring additional costs for aviation fuel and over-flight charges.”

The commission thoroughly assessed various options to fund the additional $250 dollars for the airlines, engaging in multiple processes and meetings with the airlines, the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority, and the State Pilgrims Welfare Boards, in order to find a prompt solution to the challenges.

In an effort to mitigate the impact of the additional airfare on pilgrims, NAHCON decided to appeal to the Federal Government to waive the remaining 35% of aviation charges for the airlines. This would result in a reduction of $55 from the negotiated $250 addition.

Ubandawaki stated, “The remaining liability of $195 will be shared among the 75,000 pilgrims, amounting to approximately $117 per pilgrim.

To offset this amount without imposing further financial burden on the pilgrims, NAHCON has decided to reduce the Basic Travelling Allowance (BTA) for 2023 Hajj Pilgrims to $700, compared to the originally paid amount of $800 included in the Hajj package.”

Regarding the remaining $17, NAHCON has also requested the understanding of the air carriers to offer that amount as an additional discount to the pilgrims, who are also affected by the closure of Sudan’s airspace.

Ubandawaki further clarified, “If the Sudanese airspace is cleared for normal flights either before the commencement of the airlift or at any point during the operation, appropriate refunds will be issued to the pilgrims.”

He emphasized that the trending news reports are misrepresenting the facts, stating that NAHCON will never engage in any practices that exploit the pilgrims.

The commission remains committed to supporting the media and pilgrims by providing accurate information and maximum cooperation.

In light of this, the government has approved the appointment of Kabir Mohammed, who currently serves as the Manager of Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport in Abuja, as the new Managing Director of FAAN. Mohammed is expected to assume his new responsibilities next week.

Prior to this appointment, Mohammed held the position of Regional General Manager for the North Central region. He also served as the Chairman of the Aviation Roadmap Implementation Committee since January 2022, a role he efficiently managed alongside his position as the General Manager of Special Duties at FAAN

The Minister made the remarks yesterday at the 10th Aviation Stakeholders Forum in Abuja.

Remember that following President Muhammadu Buhari’s inauguration in May 2015, the government floated the idea of a new national carrier to replace Nigeria Airways, which was liquidated in 2003. It however took the government seven years to get a technical investor (Ethiopian Airlines) in the airline.

However, Sirika, who said the operation of the new airline has been hindered by the court cases, also stated that all the Nigerian-owned airlines were invited to invest in Nigeria Air but they declined because they did not believe.

He explained that Ethiopian Airlines came with a better proposal and were chosen as the preferred bidder because of the expertise they have shown and survived for a long time now.

The Minister said “Negotiation meeting with the Ethiopian Airlines Group Consortium and the Federal Government of Nigeria is ongoing.

“Next step: Federal Executive Council approval of the Full Business Case.
“Operation of local and international flights will commence soon. Before the end of this administration, before May 29, we will fly.”

Sirika also stated that the benefits of establishing the national carrier include a reduced capital flight from Nigeria, maximizing the benefits of BASA and SAATM, and developing an aviation hub.

He also said the national carrier will contribute to the GDP; facilitate hospitality and tourism; facilitate growth and development of the Nigerian Agricultural Sector and create jobs around the Agro-Cargo Terminals.

Robert has over two decades of global experience in leading and growing technology companies focused on providing solutions for the automotive industry value chain. He is currently CEO of CloudOne, a marketing company that helps auto dealers find and engage customers.

He was Senior Vice President and General Manager at DealerTrack Technologies, where he led various units, including the finance and lender networks, inventory management and transportation, CRM, and independent dealer websites.

Post the acquisition of DealerTrack Technologies by Cox Automotive Inc., the global leader in providing automotive solutions, he served as Senior Vice President, Strategy, at Cox Automotive, where he performed assessments of new growth opportunities, expansion of current business offerings, and effectiveness of current products and services.

He served as Operating Partner at SNH Capital Partners, where he was CEO of the Automotive Portfolio which comprised of National Credit Center, the leading provider of comprehensive data, software and marketing solutions to US dealerships and ProMax, the leading software provider to retail automotive dealers, offering award winning CRM, desking, website, credit, and lead generation solutions.

He was also CEO of MAX Digital, a leading automotive inventory management and merchandising platform, supporting the company through a successful exit in 2021.

He will bring this vast experience to Autochek, supporting the integration of the Pan-African automotive industry to drive shared value for consumers, manufacturers, financial institutions and other stakeholders.

Autochek provides best in class technology and advisory solutions to car dealers, financial institutions and other stakeholders in Africa’s automotive ecosystem, supporting them to improve credit decisioning, collections, pricing, portfolio management and product development, as well as deliver an enhanced customer experience.

Since launching in 2020, Autochek has driven the penetration of auto-financing across Africa, enabling more consumers and businesses across North, West, East and South Africa to access financing solutions to purchase their desired vehicles. In less than two years of operations, the company has worked with more than 70 financial institutions and more than 2,000 dealerships to process more than 80,000 car loan applications. Leveraging the vast reach of its online marketplace, the company originates auto loans powered by data analytics that makes it easier for financial institutions to offer credit to consumers.

Etop Ikpe, CEO of The Autochek Group, said, “We are excited to have someone of Robert’s calibre on our board with his vast experience from the most advanced automotive markets in the world. He has played a major role in building many successful automotive technology companies and we are looking forward to leveraging his experience to support our continued growth as a company.

Robert Granados said, “There is a great opportunity to transform lives and livelihoods across Africa by making car ownership more accessible and affordable, and I am thrilled to be supporting Etop and the team to make this happen. Autochek has achieved so much success in a short period of time and I believe there is so much more to come.”