Selamat,
Victoria from Techpoint here,
Here’s what I’ve got for you today:
- Binance in hot water as Nigeria doubles down
- How TikTok is influencing the African music scene
- Ride-hailing strike gets petty with fake trips
Binance in hot water as Nigeria doubles down
The tax battle between Nigeria and Binance is heating up, and now the court says emails will do just fine. Justice Emeka Nwite of the Federal High Court in Abuja has allowed the Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS) to serve legal documents to Binance by email since the crypto giant doesn’t have a physical office in Nigeria. The case has now been pushed to May 12, 2025.
The FIRS is accusing Binance of massive tax evasion and economic sabotage. According to them, Binance owes Nigeria about $2 billion in back taxes and $79.5 billion for causing alleged economic damage, mainly from how its platform was used to trade the naira during Nigeria’s forex crisis.
Binance’s lawyers aren’t letting this slide. They tried to argue that court documents shouldn’t be served outside Nigeria without proper approval. But FIRS fired back, saying Binance is dodging the system with secret registrations and no real address, even though its platform is active in Nigeria. They say it’s only fair that the company’s Nigerian lawyers accept the court documents.
The judge sided with FIRS, allowing them to send the documents by email. This is a big deal because it means Binance can’t avoid the case by hiding behind borders or a lack of physical presence. Now, both parties have some time to prepare for the next round in court.
This case is part of Nigeria’s larger crypto crackdown. The naira has lost more than 70% of its value since 2023, and the government blames platforms like Binance for making things worse through unregulated trading. If this case goes through, it could set a major precedent for how countries deal with offshore crypto platforms.
How TikTok is influencing the African music scene
Remember when “Calm Down” by Rema took over TikTok? That catchy hook, the dance challenge, and the remix with Selena Gomez? Yeah, that wasn’t a fluke. TikTok has become the go-to spot for launching African hits into global fame. With just a snippet and the right challenge, songs blow up overnight. It’s not just fun. It’s changing lives.
Back in the early 2020s, TikTok was just a place for young people to pass time and get creative during the lockdown. Now? It’s a full-blown music marketing machine. As Motolani Alake from Virgin Music puts it, TikTok had the first-mover advantage. It gave creators and artists a huge global audience before any other platform could catch up.
For African music, especially Afrobeats, it’s been a game-changer. Whether it’s a dance challenge from Nigeria or a lip-sync in Ghana, TikTok’s algorithm helps the music go far beyond the continent. Unlike other platforms, it doesn’t care how many followers you have. If your song slaps, it flies.
Even new artists are cashing in. TikTok encourages remix culture — people speed up songs, dance to them, add transitions — and suddenly, your track has millions of plays. Those few seconds in someone’s video can end up as streams on Spotify and Apple Music. The results? Viral charts. Real fans. Booked shows.
Just ask Kunmie, the artist behind “Arike.” He told Techpoint Africa he had only 200 followers before his breakout. Now he’s sitting on over 200,000 TikTok fans and 3 million+ creator videos using “Arike.” From a home studio to global stages, all because TikTok gave him the visibility.
Want to know how TikTok is shaking up the African music scene and creating global stars? Read Delight’s latest for more insight.
Ride-hailing strike gets petty with fake trips
Some drama went down on Workers’ Day among ride-hailing drivers in Nigeria. Drivers who didn’t join the “May Day Log Off” strike were reportedly hit with fake ride requests by those who did. On a WhatsApp group created for the strike, some protesters called the non-participants “betrayers” for not supporting the cause.
But here’s the kicker: many of the targeted drivers say they didn’t even know a strike was happening. So now, they’re stuck wasting fuel and time on trips that don’t exist.
The strike was organised by the Amalgamated Union of App-Based Transporters of Nigeria (AUATON) to protest low pay, sudden account deactivations, and general unfairness from ride-hailing apps. Their biggest issue? High commission fees that eat into their already-small earnings.
One driver told Techpoint Africa, “These platforms only care about pr0fits. We’re just numbers to them.” Ouch.
AUATON says they’ve tried talking to the ride-hailing companies, but nothing changed. So they decided to turn up the heat by calling a 24-hour nationwide strike, aiming to get 5,000 drivers to log off and join in.
We couldn’t confirm exactly how many drivers showed up, but Onikan Stadium in Lagos saw a huge turnout. The drivers didn’t just want better pay, they were also demanding proper social protection like health insurance, pensions, and safety nets for when things go wrong.
In case you missed it
- South African banks may be ditching ATMs to bet big on digital payments
What I’m watching
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- Michelle Obama: This Is A Scam! People Were Running From Us Because We Were Black!
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Have a fun weekend!
