The executive secretary of the Presidential Enabling Business Environment Council (PEBEC), Jumoke Oduwole has called out Airpeace, an indigenous flight operator over its repeated failure to comply with announced flights schedules as well as its unreliable change of schedules.

Oduwole who is also the Special Adviser to the President on Ease of Doing Business, challenged the company in a petition titled “Ease of Doing Business Intervention : Request for Urgent Intervention Regarding Service of Air Peace” which she addressed to Musa Nuhu, Director General, Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority, (NCAA), regulators of activities of airlines in Nigeria.

Other key government stakeholders such as Hadi Sirika, Aviation Minister; Emmanuel Meribole, Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Aviation; Managing Director, Nigerian Airspace Management Agency (NAMA), Rabiu Yadudu,Managing Director, Federal Airport Authority of Nigeria (FAAN), Babatunde Irukera, Chief Executive Officer, Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (FCCPC) were also copied in the petition.

Giving an account of what she described as a misleading flight rescheduling by the company, she said;

“My personal experience today bears repeating as an example of what many air travelers in Nigeria, including other members of my team and I have experienced firsthand and on various occasions in the past months. On Saturday, April 22, 2023, two Air Peace tickets were purchased to return to Lagos from Akure with a departure time of 3:30PM to return from attending a programme in Omuo–Ekiti, Ekiti State, (near border with Kogi State). On Tuesday, April 25, 2023, a schedule change notification was sent informing of an earlier departure time from 3:30PM to 12:40PM. A subsequent notification was sent at 2:37AM today, April 28, 2023 informing of a further time change from 12:40PM to 8:30AM.

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At 7:30AM, as soon as I became aware of the notification (one hour before the new departure time), I abandoned the event I had come to attend, and proceeded to immediately start making my way down to the Akure Airport, a two-and-a-half-hour journey on the shortest route from Omuo-Ekiti. The PEBEC Secretariat team also called the Air Peace Duty Manager in Akure, Mr Charles, and asked him to please reschedule the flight to a later time to allow more passengers time to see the notification and make the new flight time. He stated that there was nothing he could do.”

“I arrived at the Akure airport at 9:13AM (for what was to be a 12:40pm flight). The Air Peace Lagos-bound flight had departed. Being the only flight of the day from Akure to Lagos, and with another important official engagement to attend at 5PM in Lagos this evening, I was forced to proceed on an unplanned 5-hour road trip to Lagos. This is only one of many such instances of unacceptable inefficiency of this airline operator in recent times, to which most frequent air travelers in Nigeria can testify,” she said.

Oduwole said the implications of these unchecked actions by airline operators on the Nigerian economy, businesses and persons include wasted man hours, high cost and time of doing business in Nigeria, lack of operational transparency of airline operators, difficult ticket refund processes while selling tickets and tying down funds with real and opportunity costs to air travelers.

She called for an investigation of the recurrent situation and necessary actions to ensure that such issues are addressed with airline operators on pain of sanction in order to ensure that the growing monopolistic tendencies of poor service offerings by some of our air transport operators in Nigeria are curbed as a matter of great urgency.

Flutterwave, Africa’s leading payments technology company, announced it has received the Excellence in Fintech Infrastructure Award. The award celebrates Flutterwave’s dedication to building payment infrastructure that makes lives easier for millions of people globally. The award was presented at the 2023 Africa Fintech Summit (AFTS) in Washington, DC, United States on 12th of April, 2023.

The Excellence in Fintech Infrastructure Award was launched in April 2018 by the AFTS as an integral part of the AFTS, honoring distinct fintech stakeholders for their achievements in creating impactful products or making decisions that advance the continent’s fintech ecosystem. The first session of this year’s summit, themed “The Future of Finance,” provided a platform for discussions of the latest issues around Fintech Africa and awards presentations for worthy companies.

Expressing his excitement and gratitude for the award, Olugbenga “GB’ Agboola, Founder and CEO of Flutterwave, said, “We are deeply honored to receive this prestigious award. It is a testament to the dedication and hard work of our team, who constantly strive to provide innovative and efficient payment solutions that bridge the gap between Africa and the global market.”

During the summit, Oluwabankole Falade, Flutterwave’s Chief Regulatory Affairs & Government Relations Officer, participated in a panel discussion addressing the current state of the fintech connection between Africa and the U.S. Additionally, Chongsi Bi, Flutterwave’s Head of Corporate Development and M&A, joined a panel of experts to share insights on the future of fintech in Africa and the work that needs to be done by players in the ecosystem in the coming years.

“Flutterwave is committed to delivering the best in fintech infrastructure and solutions, and this award reinforces our dedication to serving the African continent and beyond. We extend our gratitude to the Africa Fintech Summit for this esteemed recognition as one of the most trusted Fintech Infrastructure Providers in Africa. We will continue to drive innovation and inclusivity in the fintech space for emerging economies globally,” Olugbenga Agboola said.

About Flutterwave
Flutterwave is the leading payments technology company that enables businesses across the world to expand their operations in Africa and other emerging markets through a platform that enables local and cross-border transactions via one Application Programming Interface (API). Flutterwave has processed over 400M transactions in excess of USD $25B and serves more than one million businesses, including customers like Uber, Airpeace, Bamboo, Piggyvest, and others. The company’s key advantage is connecting businesses to various local and international payment types to enable them to expand globally. It also enables cross-border transactions from the diaspora to African countries via its SendApp product. Flutterwave processes payments via multiple payment modes, including local and international cards, mobile wallets, bank transfers, and Google Pay. The company has an infrastructure reach in 34 African countries. For more information on Flutterwave’s journey, please visit www.flutterwave.com.

We now consume music differently thanks to music streaming services. Spotify, in particular, has become a popular destination for millions of music fans worldwide and has opened up music to people from all walks of life with its extensive song library, individualized playlists, and user-friendly interface.

If you love music, use Spotify, and want to know which songs have won the hearts of millions of people worldwide, look nowhere else! In this article, we will delve into the world of music streaming and look at the top ten most streamed songs on Spotify. These songs have completely controlled the charts and attracted the interest of music lovers all over the world.

Blinding Lights

“Blinding Lights” is a song by Canadian singer The Weeknd. It was released on November 29, 2019, through XO and Republic Records. This song took the Weeknd to the throne room of Spotify and made him the reigning king of Spotify. The song had 3.525 billion streams on Spotify making it the most streamed song on the platform.

Shape of You

“Shape of You” is the second most streamed song on Spotify. The song is by English singer-songwriter Ed Sheeran and was released on 6 January 2017 as one of the double lead singles from his third studio album.

 The dancehall and R&B-infused pop song did not only perfectly cater to our lovesick souls, it peaked at number one across notable charts across the globe and had 3.444 billion streams on Spotify making it the second most streamed song on the platform.

Dance Monkey

Dance Monkey is a song by Australian singer Tones and I. Released on May 10, 2019, it quickly rose to the top of the official singles charts in more than 30 nations and peaked in the top ten of many others, including the United States. The song broke the record for the most weeks at number one on the Australian singles chart and achieved a similar feat on Spotify, becoming the third most streamed song, reaching 2.797 billion streams.

Someone You Loved

“Someone You Loved” is a song recorded by Scottish singer-songwriter Lewis Capaldi. It was released on 8 November 2018 and was a commercial success, peaking at number one on the UK Singles Chart, the best-selling single of 2019 in the UK.

“Someone You Loved” was nominated for Song of the Year at the 62nd Grammy Awards and is the 4th most streamed song on Spotify, with 2.738 billion streams on the platform.

Rockstar

Rockstar is a song by American rapper Post Malone featuring Atlanta-based rapper 21 Savage. It was released on September 15, 2017, and reached number one on the US Billboard Hot 100, and also became one of the most streamed songs on Spotify reaching 2.649 billion streams.

Sunflower

Sunflower is a song performed by American rappers and singers Post Malone and Swae Lee. It was released on October 19, 2018, as a single from the soundtrack to the 2018 animated film Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse.

The song ranked in the top ten of the chart for 33 weeks and also got a massive 2.619 billion streams on Spotify. Sunflower has become one of the most popular songs on Spotify, ranking among the top 10 most streamed songs on the platform due to its infectious beat and highly therapeutic sounds

One Dance

“One Dance” is a song by Canadian rapper and singer Drake. The dancehall and Afrobeats song featured guest vocals from Nigerian afrobeats artist WizKid and British singer Kyla. Drake’s always been a master of writing about love and lust, and “One Dance” is no different. One Dance reached number one in 15 countries, topped the US Billboard Hot 100 for 10 non-consecutive weeks and became the fifth most streamed song on Spotify with over 2.598 billion streams.

Closer

“Closer” is a song by the Chainsmokers and features American singer Halsey. The song was released on July 29, 2016, and in the United States, “Closer” became the first number-one single on the Billboard Hot 100 staying at the top spot for 12 consecutive weeks.

“Closer” has been streamed 2.512 billion times on Spotify and is a reassuring tune that can uplift your spirits at any given moment. The song narrates the story of two past partners who come to the realization that their emotions for one another may still exist, leading them to reunite.

Stay

“Stay” is a song by Australian rapper and singer the Kid Laroi and Canadian singer Justin Bieber.  The song peaked at number one on the Billboard Hot 100, topped the Billboard Global 200, reached number one in 21 countries, and has become one of the top 10 most streamed songs on Spotify. Currently, “Stay” has 2.505 billion streams on Spotify.

Believer

“Believer” is a song by the American rock band Imagine Dragons. The song was released on February 1, 2017, and peaked at number four on the US Billboard Hot 100, it also reached the top ten in Austria, Canada, Czech Republic, France, Italy, Poland, Portugal, and Switzerland.

“Believer” by Imagine Dragons topped several Billboard year-end charts and was among the US’s top five best-selling songs of 2017. “Believer” by Imagine Dragons is one of the top 10 most streamed songs on Spotify hitting 2.462 billion streams.  “Believer” is a song that would encourage you to overcome your most challenging moments and turn your suffering into motivation. It has frequently been featured in commercials and TV shows such as CW’s Riverdale.

The most streamed songs on Spotify cater to every mood and have won the hearts of music lovers with their catchy beats, contagious melodies, and relatable lyrics. As such, they are timeless classics that continue to be popular among music lovers.

As the world of music progresses and expands, it is likely that we will witness an influx of remarkable tracks that captivate our emotions and gain popularity on Spotify as well as other streaming services.

That said, which is your favourite song on the list?