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MCL accelerates digital transformation amid changing reader habits

For decades, a newspaper arriving at a doorstep or a copy picked up from a roadside vendor defined how many Tanzanians started their day with news.

Today, that first source of information is increasingly becoming a smartphone.

The shift in how people consume information has forced media organisations to rethink their traditional models, and Mwananchi Communications Limited (MCL) is among the companies leading the transition by moving from a print-focused organisation to a digital-first content provider. Speaking during the Power Breakfast programme on Clouds FM radio station today Thursday July 23, 2026, MCL Executive Editor Mpoki Thompson said the changing habits of audiences had made digital transformation a necessity rather than a choice for media companies.

‘Today, we are no longer just a newspaper publishing company. We are a content company with digital at the centre of our strategy,’ Mr Thompson said.

MCL, the publisher of Mwananchi, Mwanaspoti and The Citizen, has expanded its platforms beyond printed newspapers, allowing readers to access news through websites, mobile phones and social media channels.

Mr Thompson said the transformation had changed the way audiences interact with news, removing geographical barriers that previously limited access to printed copies.

‘People no longer have to visit a newsstand to buy a newspaper. They can access our content through their mobile phones and various digital platforms, whether they are in Tanzania or anywhere else in the world,’ he said.

The digital shift, he said, has not only increased access to news but has also provided newsrooms with new ways of understanding their audiences through data analytics.

He said digital platforms allow MCL to track the type of stories readers are interested in, how long they spend engaging with content and the issues attracting public attention.

‘The advantage of digital platforms is that we can closely track what our audiences are reading, how much time they spend on different stories and who they are. These insights enable us to produce content that our audiences want,’ he shared.

Mr Thompson further added that the information gathered through digital platforms had become an important tool in helping the newsroom produce journalism that responds to public needs while maintaining its accountability role.

‘As the Fourth Estate, our responsibility goes beyond reporting problems. We identify the challenges facing Tanzanians and produce stories that contribute to finding solutions while holding duty-bearers accountable,’ he said.

However, as the demand for faster digital news continues to grow, Mr Thompson said MCL had remained focused on protecting the principles of professional journalism, including accuracy, fairness and balance.

‘Everyone wants to be the first to break the news on different digital platforms or websites but being first is not more important than being accurate,’ he said.

To maintain credibility, Mr Thompson said MCL had established an editorial process where every story passes through several levels of review involving reporters, editors, sub-editors and publishing teams.

He said the system ensures that information published across MCL platforms meets the company’s standards for accuracy and reliability.

‘The responsibility is to make sure that the information we give our audiences is truthful, accurate, balanced and accountable,’ he said.

According to Mr Thompson, he shared that the company’s investment in digital transformation would continue as the media industry undergoes major changes driven by technology and changing audience expectations.

He said MCL had already positioned itself as a pioneer in Tanzania’s digital media space after becoming the first media company in the country to introduce digital subscriptions.

Meanwhile, MCL Head of Digital Innovation Siael Macha said audience behaviour had played a major role in shaping the company’s digital strategy.

She said today’s readers want news that is immediate, accessible and presented in formats that allow them to interact with information.

‘Our audience wants news at their fingertips, delivered quickly and in a format that allows them to interact with it,’ Ms Macha said.

Ms Macha further added that MCL had also incorporated artificial intelligence (AI) features into its digital platforms to make news more accessible, including tools that allow users to listen to articles while carrying out their daily activities.

‘The AI-powered features can read stories aloud, allowing users to keep up with the news while driving, walking or carrying out other daily activities,’ she said.

She said the use of emerging technologies was part of MCL’s wider effort to ensure journalism remains relevant and accessible in an increasingly digital world.

Owolabi Salis meets Atiku, seeks talks with Tinubu, Obasanjo on Democratic Reforms

Nigeria’s first astronaut, Chief Owolabi Salis, has met former Vice President Atiku Abubakar as part of what he described as a strategic consultation with prominent national leaders aimed at charting a new course for Nigeria’s democratic and socio-economic development.

Salis, a New York-based lawyer and chartered accountant, disclosed that the meeting with Atiku marked the beginning of a series of planned engagements with key statesmen, including President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, former President Olusegun Obasanjo, former Heads of State Gen. Yakubu Gowon, Gen. Ibrahim Babangida, and Gen. Abdulsalami Abubakar.

According to him, the consultations are driven by growing concerns over Nigeria’s democratic trajectory despite more than two decades of uninterrupted democratic governance.

He lamented that the country had yet to fully harness its enormous potential, attributing the situation to electoral malpractice, weak democratic institutions and self-serving political leadership.

‘It is unfortunate that Nigeria is still drifting after over two decades of democracy despite its enormous potential,’ Salis said.

He argued that the consequences of poor governance are most evident in the widening gap between the rich and the poor, with many Nigerians unable to afford basic healthcare and other essential services.

According to him, thousands of vulnerable citizens continue to die from preventable illnesses because they cannot afford basic medications, while the wealthy often seek medical treatment abroad.

Salis said he personally spends between $4,000 and $5,000 monthly to support indigent Nigerians with food and medical expenses, stressing that the scale of hardship reflects deeper systemic failures.

He also pointed to inadequate infrastructure in many communities, particularly those inhabited by low-income earners, as evidence that governance has failed to meet citizens’ expectations.

The former Lagos State governorship candidate of the Alliance for Democracy (AD) called for comprehensive electoral reforms, insisting that credible elections remain the foundation of national development.

‘There is currently a dangerous trend that allows for rigging and writing of election results, which is dangerous for national development,’ he said.

Recalling his experience during the Lagos governorship election, Salis claimed he witnessed electoral irregularities firsthand while inspecting election materials at the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).

He further expressed concern over declining public confidence in key democratic institutions, including the judiciary and the National Assembly.

While declining to disclose the details of his proposals, Salis said he has developed practical solutions to Nigeria’s democratic challenges, which he intends to present privately to President Tinubu and other national leaders during the planned consultations.

‘I believe I have solutions, but I would rather discuss them directly with the country’s leaders than in the media,’ he said.

Motorcycle back-rider dies, 2 hurt in Quezon road crash

A motorcycle back-rider died while two others were injured when their vehicles collided on Wednesday, July 22, in Sariaya town, Quezon province.

The Quezon Police Provincial Office, in a belated report on Thursday, said the mishap happened along a national road in Barangay Lutucan 1 at around 5:30 p.m.

Motorcycle driver ‘Jerome,’ a minor and Grade 11 student, and his pillion rider, ‘Michael,’ 26, were about to turn left when their vehicle was accidentally sideswiped by another motorcycle ridden by ‘Jeffrey.’

The three riders were thrown off the vehicles, landed on the pavement, and sustained injuries. Rescuers rushed them to two different hospitals in Sariaya and Lucena City for immediate treatment.

However, Michael was declared dead on arrival at ACE Medical Center in Sariaya.

The report did not state whether the three riders were wearing crash helmets, as required by the Motorcycle Helmet Act of 2009.

Police said Jerome had no driver’s license because he was a minor.

Both parties were working on an amicable settlement, police said.

Why I served in Aregbesola’s govt – Osun Commissioner

Osun State Commissioner For Political Affairs and Intergovernmental Relations, Dr Anthony Olabiyi Odunlade has narrated how he met former Governor Rauf Aregbesola and served as commissioner in his cabinet.

Odunlade, an academic, former councilor, former Secretary to Ife Central Local Government and two times commissioner in Osun, has traversed many political parties.

He was in the Alliance for Democracy (AD) before moving to the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) from where he went to join Engr. Rauf Aregbesola in the Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN) and served in Rauf’s administration, first as Special Adviser on Youths and Sports and later became the Commissioner for Social Protection, Sports and Special Needs in 2017.

The Ile-Ife born politician went back to the PDP to join the administration of Governor Ademola Adeleke as commissioner in 2022 before moving with the governor into Accord Party on November 6, 2025.

The Commissioner was a guest at the Osun NUJ Guest Platform, NUJ Press Centre, Osogbo on Wednesday to field questions on the performance of the Adeleke Administration in the last three and a half years.

The ebullient politician was asked by a member of the panel interviewing him on the platform the reason he has been taking flights from parties. He narrated his journey as follows:

‘I grew up as a Human Rights activist and as an academic. I belief in vision, in ideology. I started up as a member of the SDP during the Abiola days. We moved on in a lot of transitions and landed at UNCP, one of Abacha’s parties and left after Abacha’s death. We moved on to the Alliance for Democracy, AD which metamorphosed into AC, ACN. After the ACN experience, we had issues with the leadership of the state then where some anti-lablour policies came on board during campaign, embarking on undemocratic engagements, I had to leave for PDP.

‘Then, I went with Otunba Iyiola Omisore from ACN to PDP when there was misunderstanding. In PDP, I was very prominent. I became secretary to the Local Government for two years 2008 to 2010. Along the line, the PDP also derailed. It became anti-people in some ways. Then came in Ogbeni Aregbesola whom I met on the street. We were in the struggle for emancipation of Nigerians together, then he was a student at the Polytechnic Ibadan and I was a student at Obafemi Awolowo University. So, our paths crossed at the revolutionary level. We met and we discussed and he said ‘Comrade, you have to join us’, and I told him to convince me on why I should join him. He said, ‘I have a very bright vision for Osun State’ and I saw the green book, I went through it and I promised I would join him because I believe in providing and making available the dividend of democracy to the people which is the hallmark of politics and democracy.

‘In a democratic system that does not cater for the common people, I would not want to associate with it. And we went on like that. At the end of Aregbesola’s eight years, we all decided that we were going to continue along that line. All of a sudden, a governor came in and told us that anybody still having anything to do with Aregbesola should not get close to him. I challenged that. He said ‘this is your name on the list of cabinet, you have to sign a paper’. I am not lying about this. If you want me to cite witnesses, you will be surprised. I said how can I sign that I will not have anything to do with Aregbesola, a fellow comrade?

‘I was convinced that didn’t have anything against him (Aregbesola), I should not leave him. So, I told him I would not sign that document and precisely that document was presented by a member of the House of Representatives then from Ilesa who wanted to contest for Senate. So, the rest is history.

‘I moved on and went back to academics at the Obafemi Awolowo University. I told them that I’m back, I don’t think I can do politics again. It was along that line that I was convinced that I should not leave politics outright because they needed forthright people. Then, I moved back to the PDP with Adeleke and that’s how we got together.

‘You know the Adeleke’s story. How he transmitted from PDP to Accord when PDP became compromised at the federal level. So, that’s how I found my way to Adeleke. I never worked with him. They were just looking for brilliant people to support their government and they contacted my boss and I was asked to send my CV. I never met the governor, I never met any of his relations. They just asked me to send my CV and I became a member of the cabinet.’

He spoke of the Adeleke administration’s achievements, saying the administration has accomplished a lot in the areas of road infrastructure, health and human capital development. He took a swipe on the Federal Government over the pervasive insecurity in the country and asked President Bola Tinubu to rise to the occasion.

Lagos deepens drive to fast-track implementation of 2052 Development Plan

The Lagos State Government will convene a high-level stakeholders’ parley on Tuesday, July 28, 2026, as part of renewed efforts to strengthen the implementation of the Lagos State Development Plan (LSDP) 2052 and accelerate sustainable socio-economic development across the state.

Organised by the Ministry of Economic Planning and Budget, the engagement will bring together key officials from Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) to assess progress on the state’s long-term development blueprint, address implementation challenges, and deepen inter-agency collaboration.

The forum is expected to reinforce the government’s commitment to achieving the strategic vision of transforming Lagos into Africa’s model megacity through coordinated planning and effective policy execution.

Commissioner for Economic Planning and Budget, Mr. Ope George, said the parley reflects the state’s resolve to institutionalise performance-driven governance, strengthen accountability, and promote evidence-based planning.

According to him, the engagement will provide stakeholders with an opportunity to evaluate implementation efforts, improve institutional coordination, and reaffirm their collective commitment to delivering the goals and priorities outlined in the Lagos State Development Plan 2052.

The ministry noted that the initiative aligns with Governor Babajide Olusola Sanwo-Olu’s vision of fostering sustainable economic growth, enhancing good governance, and improving the quality of life for Lagos residents through effective planning and seamless implementation of development programmes.

Free surgeries promised for 258 patients after Arusha health camp

A total of 258 patients diagnosed with conditions requiring surgery and specialised treatment during the Phase Three Medical Camp in Arusha will receive these services free of charge.

The announcement was made on Thursday, July 23, 2026, by Arusha Urban Member of Parliament Paul Makonda, who coordinated the initiative, stating that organisers will collaborate with stakeholders to cover all medical expenses.

During the camp held from July 13 to 21, 2026, 28,871 citizens accessed health services, with 258 identified as needing specialised referrals and surgery for serious conditions, including tumours, cancer, and cardiovascular ailments. Mr Makonda, who is also noted that most affected patients come from low-income families unable to afford procedures, prompting the organising committee to intervene.

‘Patients attended seeking diagnoses, only to learn they required complex, costly surgeries. It would be unjust to leave them without assistance,’ said Mr Makonda.

He assured that the committee will track each patient through the referral process until full recovery.

‘We will support them through this secondary phase of care to restore their health and enable them to resume economic activities,’ he added, appealing to health institutions and donors for support.

The camp engaged 520 healthcare providers, including medical specialists and super-specialists from across the country, alongside 200 support staff.

Screenings revealed high rates of non-communicable diseases: 6,030 individuals were diagnosed with hypertension, including 1,930 newly identified cases placed on immediate care.

Additionally, 6,297 people were screened for diabetes, with 554 diagnosed with elevated blood sugar levels and enrolled in treatment.

Mr Makonda urged men to prioritise routine prostate health checks, noting that participation remains low despite rising cases.

Services encompassed cardiology, oncology, paediatrics, gynaecology, orthopaedics, nephrology, and mental health care, alongside cervical and breast cancer screenings.

Surplus medical supplies valued at Sh89.88 million and Sh154 million in cash donations will be retained to sustain local services.

Arusha District Medical Officer, Dr Nindwa Maduhu, confirmed that the remaining supplies will be distributed to district health centres, with referrals commencing immediately.

Reps probe Mining Marshals over alleged N2bn scandal

The House of Representatives has resolved to investigate the activities of the Mining Marshals Corps, comprising more than 2,200 personnel drawn from the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC).

The resolution followed the adoption of a motion by Rep. Abdulmaleek Danga (APC-Kogi) during plenary on Wednesday.

Danga recalled that the Federal Ministries of Solid Minerals Development and Interior inaugurated the specialised security unit on March 21, 2024.

He said the unit was established under Section 3 of the NSCDC Act and the regulatory framework of the Nigerian Minerals and Mining Act, 2007.

According to him, the Mining Marshals were established to secure mining sites, combat illegal mining and banditry in mineral-rich communities, and protect federal revenue from the solid minerals sector.

However, the lawmaker alleged that the unit had deviated from its mandate, resulting in the wrongful arrest and harassment of legitimate mineral title holders.

He also alleged financial impropriety within the unit, including the reported discovery of more than N2 billion in the bank account of a former state commander.

Danga said the commander was redeployed instead of facing judicial inquiry, prosecution or internal disciplinary action, fuelling allegations that the unit had been compromised by wealthy illegal mining syndicates.

He also expressed concern over the procurement and allocation of operational vehicles without clear evidence of legislative appropriation or budgetary provision.

The House mandated its Committee on Solid Minerals Development to conduct a comprehensive investigation into the activities and performance of the Mining Marshals nationwide.

The committee is to investigate the N2 billion bank account allegation, other cases of alleged compromise, the source of funding for the operational vehicles, and all external financial inflows to the unit.

It is also to examine the statutory compliance of the unit’s creation, structure and composition, and recommend an internationally accepted and legally compliant security model.

Ruling on the motion, Deputy Speaker Benjamin Kalu mandated the committee to submit its report within four weeks for further legislative action.

EAC unveils regional virus research centre to strengthen health security

The East African Community (EAC) has operationalised its Regional Centre of Excellence in Virology, marking a major milestone in efforts to strengthen the region’s capacity for virus research, specialised laboratory training and disease surveillance.

The facility, hosted by the Uganda Virus Research Institute (UVRI) in Entebbe, Uganda, was officially launched on Wednesday, July 22, 2026, by Uganda’s Prime Minister, Ms Robinah Nabbanja, on behalf of President Yoweri Museveni.

The centre is expected to serve as the region’s leading hub for advanced virology research, laboratory diagnostics, scientific training, disease surveillance and knowledge sharing, enabling EAC partner states to better prepare for and respond to public health threats, including Ebola, Marburg and other emerging and re-emerging viral diseases. Launching the centre, Ms Nabbanja described the initiative as a significant step towards strengthening regional health security, saying East Africa must continue investing in scientific research and innovation to address evolving disease threats.

‘The world is changing rapidly, together with its health challenges. We have learnt that a nation capable of studying its own pathogens is a self-reliant nation. Uganda remains committed to increasing investment in research,’ she said.

The EAC Council of Ministers Chairperson, Ms Rebecca Kadaga, said the establishment of the centre came at a critical time when infectious diseases continued to pose serious risks across the region and beyond.

She said lessons from the Covid-19 pandemic demonstrated that diseases do not respect national borders, making regional cooperation essential in preventing and responding to outbreaks.

Ms Kadaga added that although EAC partner states had strengthened their laboratory systems in recent years, disparities in technical expertise, infrastructure and resources remained.

She said the new centre would bridge those gaps by promoting scientific collaboration, specialised training and the sharing of expertise among partner states.

Representing the EAC Secretary General, Deputy Secretary General for Infrastructure, Productive, Social and Political Sectors, Mr Ariik Malueth said the centre was among seven Regional Medical Diagnostic Centres of Excellence identified under the EAC Health Investment Priority Framework 2018-2028, approved by the 19th Summit of EAC Heads of State.

He said the centre would ensure specialised scientific knowledge developed in one partner state became a shared regional resource benefiting all East Africans.

‘Uganda’s selection reflects the Uganda Virus Research Institute’s internationally recognised expertise and decades of contribution to virus research, disease surveillance and outbreak response,’ he said.

UVRI Director, Prof Pontiano Kaleebu, said the institute was committed to supporting regional health security through cutting-edge virology research, specialised laboratory training, diagnostics, surveillance and scientific collaboration.

He noted that UVRI already played a regional role by confirming laboratory samples submitted by partner states before disease outbreaks were officially declared, ensuring public health decisions were guided by scientific evidence.

The operationalisation of the centre has been supported through the EAC Regional Network of Reference Laboratories for Communicable Diseases Project, with financial support from the German government through KfW and technical assistance from the Bernhard Nocht Institute for Tropical Medicine (BNITM).

Uganda’s KfW country director, Jan Alber, reaffirmed Germany’s commitment to supporting East Africa’s health security, saying stronger laboratory systems and scientific partnerships were essential for building resilient health systems capable of responding to future disease outbreaks.

I never owned a house in eight years as Osun governor – Aregbesola

National Secretary of the African Democratic Congress, Rauf Aregbesola, has claimed that he governed Osun State for eight years without owning a personal house.

Aregbesola made the claim while addressing his supporters in a video that circulated online on Thursday.

The former governor said he lived in a friend’s house throughout his two terms in office.

‘I’m the first governor in Nigeria to govern a state for eight years without owning a house of my own,’ he said.

‘I stayed in my friend’s house for eight years as governor in my fatherland. Whoever says what I’m saying is not true should come out and show me the house I own.’

Aregbesola governed Osun State from 2010 to 2018 before serving as Minister of Interior under former President Muhammadu Buhari.

Wanted Dawlah bomb-maker trained by ‘Marwan’ arrested

A long-wanted member of the now-defunct Dawlah Islamiya, well-versed in the fabrication of large improvised explosive devices, was arrested by policemen and soldiers in Mamasapano, Maguindanao del Sur on Tuesday, July 21.

Local executives in different towns in Maguindanao del Sur, Moro datus and relatives of the now-detained 38-year-old Muslimin Sangila Amilil told reporters on Thursday that he is an expert maker of bombs using either ammonium nitrate or potassium chlorate as blasting charges, packed with nails and metal fragments with jagged edges.

They also corroborated assertions by police and Army officials that he was trained in assembling home-made bombs, which can be detonated from a distance using mobile phones, by the Malaysian terrorist Zulkifli Bin Hir, most known as “Marwan,” who was killed in a gunfight with personnel of the Special Action Force of the Philippine National Police in a brief clash in Pidsandawan area in Mamasapano on Jan. 25, 2015.

Local executives said Amilil is also wanted for his involvement in the ambush on March 28, 2026, near the Maguindanao del Sur provincial police headquarters in Shariff Aguak municipality, of policemen riding a patrol vehicle, killing five of them instantly and injuring three others.

Capt. Steffie Salanguit, spokesperson of the Police Regional Office-Bangsamoro Autonomous Region, said on Thursday that Amilil was cornered and arrested on Tuesday afternoon in a secluded area in Barangay Tukanalipao in Mamasapano by personnel of different units led by Col. Michael John Mangahis, director of the Maguindanao del Sur Provincial Police Office.

Salanguit and Mangahis separately told reporters that soldiers from the Army’s 34th Infantry Battalion, led by Lt. Col. Edgardo Batinay, and intelligence agents under the 601st Infantry Brigade of the 6th Infantry Division assisted the operation in anticipation of a possible encounter between Amilil and other remnants of the Dawlah Islamiya holding out in Barangay Tukanalipao.

Policemen and soldiers first searched for Amilil in his hideout in Barangay Duguengen in Shariff Saydonaff Saydona Mustapha, Maguindanao del Sur but did not find him there. They instead arrested his 36-year-old wife, Aiza Awab Amilil, when they found three 5.56 M16 rifles, a 7.62 M14 and three homemade bombs in their house, where they first searched for him with the help of barangay officials and villagers in Barangay Duguengen.

With the support of local executives, Moro datus and officials of the Shariff Saydona Municipal Police Station, the policemen and soldiers dispatched to arrest Amilil managed to locate and arrest him, an hour later, in an isolated area in Barangay Tukanalipao, about two six kilometers away.

He is now locked in a police detention facility, awaiting prosecution in different courts for his high-profile criminal offenses.