Apple emerged as the world’s leading smartphone brand in 2025 as global shipments grew for the second year in a row, according to preliminary data from Counterpoint Research. Worldwide smartphone shipments rose two per cent year-on-year in 2025, with Apple overtaking Samsung to claim the top spot after finishing second in 2024. Counterpoint’s data shows Apple not only led the market but also posted the fastest growth among the top five brands, driven by strong premium demand and rising sales in emerging markets. Apple ended 2025 with a 20 per cent share of global smartphone shipments, recording 10 per cent year-on-year…
Author: Elvis Eromosele
By Elvis Eromosele There is a familiar refrain that echoes across generations: our grandparents were smarter than our parents; our parents were smarter than us; and our children, glued to their phones, must surely be the dullest of all. Every era seems convinced that intelligence peaked just before it arrived and has been on a steady decline ever since. Our grandparents often spoke with quiet authority. They survived scarcity, built families with little formal education, and navigated life with practical wisdom. To them, endurance was intelligence. Knowing when to plant, when to save, when to speak and when to remain…
Nigeria is on course to spend over ₦91 trillion on debt servicing between 2023 and 2028, highlighting the rising cost of public borrowing under President Bola Tinubu amid weak revenue growth. Based on budget data and projections in the Medium-Term Expenditure Framework (2026–2028), debt service has consistently exceeded estimates. Spending rose from ₦8.56 trillion in 2023 (against a ₦6.56 trillion budget) to ₦12.63 trillion in 2024, far above the ₦8.27 trillion provision. For 2025, ₦14.32 trillion was budgeted, but ₦9.8 trillion had already been spent in the first seven months. Looking ahead, debt service is projected at ₦15.9 trillion in…
Africa must deploy at least $120 million annually in pre-seed capital to prevent further weakening of its startup pipeline and secure the future of its innovation ecosystem, according to an analysis by Grégoire de Padirac, CEO of Digital Africa. Pre-seed funding remains severely underdeveloped on the continent, accounting for just 1.5 per cent of total venture capital in 2025, far below the 4–6 per cent seen in mature markets. De Padirac warned that this gap threatens the flow of viable startups into later funding rounds, even as overall African venture funding rebounds. Data from Africa: The Big Deal shows that 281…
The Nigerian Meteorological Agency (NiMet) has forecast widespread dust haze, cloudy conditions and isolated thunderstorms across several parts of the country from Sunday to Tuesday. The weather outlook, released on Sunday in Abuja, warns that persistent dusty atmospheric conditions, particularly across the northern and central regions, could affect health, road safety and aviation operations nationwide. NiMet disclosed that moderate dust haze is expected to dominate the northern region on Monday and Tuesday, with conditions likely to worsen as the week progresses. According to the agency, the central region will experience thick to moderate dust haze throughout the forecast period, while…
The Federal Government and the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) will, on Wednesday, January 14, formally unveil a new agreement aimed at strengthening Nigeria’s public universities and ensuring long-term industrial stability. The disclosure was made in a statement issued on Sunday in Abuja by Folasade Boriowo, Director of Press and Public Relations at the Federal Ministry of Education. According to the ministry, the agreement is the outcome of sustained engagements between the Federal Government and ASUU to resolve lingering industrial disputes and improve the quality of university education across the country. The formal unveiling will take place at the…
By Aderemi Ogunpitan The recent inauguration of a ₦40.17 billion CCTV control centre for the Third Mainland Bridge by the Federal Government invites a necessary and sober review, not out of cynicism, but out of responsibility to public accountability. Major infrastructure investments deserve calm scrutiny, especially when they are presented under a single label that may not fully describe what is being delivered. The Third Mainland Bridge spans approximately 11.8 kilometres. By global standards, CCTV deployment for linear infrastructure of this nature is not uncommon, particularly where safety, traffic management and security are concerns. However, international best practice assesses such…
When the Afrobeat sensation first saw Lemi Ghariokwu’s work, he said, ‘Wow!’ Then he plied him with marijuana and asked him to design his album sleeves. Ghariokwu had first crossed Kalakuta’s threshold three years earlier as an 18-year-old engineering student, accompanied by Kuti’s journalist friend Babatunde Harrison, who’d spotted Ghariokwu’s portrait of Bruce Lee hanging in a Lagos bar and deemed him skilled enough to illustrate the musician’s album sleeves. As he awaited his audience with the Black President, then mid-siesta, Ghariokwu absorbed his surroundings. When Kuti finally awoke, Ghariokwu handed over the portrait of him that Harrison had requested.…
By Bimbo Esho Highlife music, now a century old, stands as one of Africa’s most enduring and influential musical traditions. My dad Mr Femi Esho has been promoting and preserving Highlife Music since the age of twelve and up to his last day on earth. His unquenchable love for Highlife music made me write my final year project on Highlife music as an undergraduate of the University of Ibadan. The project took me around the length and breadth of Nigeria, interviewing and documenting the works of popular Highlife Music greats. Born in the early 20th century along the coastal regions of…
Abdul Samad Rabiu, Chairman of BUA Group, has pledged a total cash reward of $1.5 million for Nigeria’s Super Eagles if they go on to win the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON). Rabiu announced a $500,000 bonus should the team defeat Morocco in their semi-final clash and qualify for the final. He also promised an additional $1 million if the Super Eagles lift the trophy on Sunday. The billionaire industrialist announced on Saturday via his verified X (formerly Twitter) account, shortly after Nigeria’s 2–0 quarter-final victory over Algeria in Marrakech, which secured a semi-final showdown against tournament hosts Morocco.…