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Spotify expands audiobooks to over 180 markets

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Spotify announced on Wednesday that it’s expanding audiobook access to over 180 markets worldwide, including regions across Europe, the Americas, the Caribbean, the Middle East, Africa, and Asia. The rollout is starting today and will continue over the coming months. With this move, more than 750 million users will be able to access audiobooks, allowing Spotify to better compete with both music streaming providers and audiobook apps like Audible.

Before this, audiobooks were available primarily in English-speaking markets like the U.S., U.K., Ireland, Australia, and New Zealand, as well as in Germany.

The audio platform said it has more than 350,000 titles for its new markets and has increased its collection to include over 120 languages. With its launch in Spain, users in the country will have access to over 45,000 titles in Spanish.

Spotify is working with more than 300 publishers worldwide, including Planeta and Mondadori, to increase the number of titles available in different markets.

With a Premium subscription, users can listen to 12 hours of audiobooks in eligible countries such as Brazil, Mexico, Colombia, Poland, Chile, Norway, and Peru. People across the world can also purchase an Audiobook+ standalone subscription to get access to titles with a 15-hour allowance. Alternatively, users can buy individual titles directly.

Spotify is also adding an Audiobook+ add-on for student plans in select regions in November. The company said that since its launch last year, Audiobook+ has gained over 1 million subscribers and has fetched over 100 million in annual recurring revenue for the platform.

In February, the company launched a “Page Match” feature, which lets users scan a page of a physical book and find the corresponding point in the audiobook to listen to. Since the launch, 1 million people have been using the feature monthly, the company noted.

Spotify said that over the last year, monthly listeners of audiobooks grew by 40% and listening hours increased by 30%.

This year, the company introduced Audiobook Charts to let people discover popular titles. It also launched an AI-powered tool for authors to turn their books into audiobooks using models from ElevenLabs. Plus, Spotify started experimenting with physical sales of books through its audiobook platform in select markets like the U.S. and the U.K.

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Kwankwaso demands independent probe into suspected AI photos in INEC voter register

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The vice-presidential candidate of the Nigeria Democratic Congress, NDC, Rabiu Kwankwaso, has demanded an independent investigation into suspected AI-generated photographs and questionable records in the preliminary voter register released by the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, ahead of the 2027 general elections.

Kwankwaso questioned how the suspicious images entered the register and whether the identities linked to the records were properly verified.

In a statement shared on X, Kwankwaso said INEC’s decision to investigate the matter was welcome but insisted that the probe must be transparent and conducted independently of the commission.

“The investigation must be thorough, transparent and independent,” he said, demanding that the findings be made public and anyone found culpable be held accountable under the law.

He also called for an independent audit of the preliminary register, including checks for questionable entries, duplicate records and artificial identities.

Kwankwaso demands independent probe into suspected AI photos in INEC voter register

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From Producing Nigerian Internationals to Building Their Own Stadium: Buruj Sports Academy Takes Bold Step as Ikorodu Football Dream Attracts Investors

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Buruj Sports Academy is turning years of grassroots football success into an ambitious infrastructure project, unveiling a proposed stadium development in Ikorodu, Lagos State, aimed at transforming opportunities for young Nigerian footballers.

The academy, founded by Dr. Waheed Salaudeen, has presented a new development layout featuring a standard 105m × 68m football pitch, spectator stand, changing rooms, administrative and first-aid facilities, toilets, parking spaces and perimeter security.

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The project represents a significant step toward establishing a permanent home for the academy’s growing football development programme.

Buruj’s ambitions are backed by its record of nurturing promising talents, including former Nigeria Under-15 internationals Raheem Moyinoluwa Salaudeen and Fawas Ayomide Adeleke, who represented Nigeria in youth competitions in Morocco and Algeria.

The academy has also facilitated opportunities for players in Spain and Lithuania, while six Buruj youngsters recently earned selection for an international football exposure programme following the Italian Consulate General U-20 Tournament.

Unlike its earlier three-acre, 5,000-seat stadium concept, the latest architectural proposal adopts a more practical, phased approach, beginning with an approximately 80–100-seat stand and essential football facilities. Punch Newspapers +1

Dr. Salaudeen, who serves as founder and Chief Executive Officer, has consistently championed football development alongside education.

“This dream is bigger than Buruj Sports Academy alone. We are appealing to private individuals, corporate organizations, investors, and well-meaning Nigerians to support this vision.”

His appeal reflects a determination to build a sustainable sporting institution capable of serving generations of young Nigerians. Sports247 Nigeria +1

For potential investors, the project offers opportunities in stadium naming rights, facility sponsorship, youth development partnerships, football tournaments and community sports programmes.

With a survey document and proposed layout now presented, Buruj is inviting partners to help turn its vision into reality, subject to necessary technical assessments and development approvals.

From discovering football stars to building the infrastructure that produces them, Buruj Sports Academy is no longer simply dreaming of the future — it is preparing to build it.

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