UNFPA Appoints Botlhale Boikanyo as Regional ICPD Youth Champion for East and Southern Africa

Johannesburg, August 2026 – The United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) East and Southern Africa Regional Office is pleased to announce the appointment of Ms. Botlhale Boikanyo as its new Regional International Conference on Population and Development (ICPD) Youth Champion.

 

Botlhale Boikanyo is an award-winning South African poet, actress, speaker, and youth advocate whose journey from becoming the first poet and youngest winner of South Africa's Got Talent at the age of 11 has evolved into a powerful platform for youth empowerment and social change. As the founder of the Botlhale Boikanyo Foundation, she has dedicated her work to amplifying young voices, championing education and self-expression, and inspiring a new generation of African changemakers through the power of storytelling. Through her advocacy and leadership, she has inspired young people to use their voices and engage in shaping policies and solutions that affect their lives and futures.

 

As Regional ICPD Youth Champion, Botlhale will work alongside UNFPA to amplify the voices of young people across East and Southern Africa and advocate for accelerated action towards achieving the commitments of the ICPD Programme of Action. She will support efforts to advance bodily autonomy, gender equality, access to quality sexual and reproductive health services, and meaningful youth participation in decision-making processes.

 

For UNFPA,  young people are not just the leaders of tomorrow; they are the leaders of today. Putting young people at front and centre of sustainable development is both urgent and non-negotiable. Their voices, experiences, and innovations are essential in building the Africa we want.

 

Speaking on her appointment, Botlhale Boikanyo said:

 

“My hope and dream is to live in a world where every young person, especially women and girls, has the freedom and opportunities to shape their own future and is included in the rooms where decisions about their lives are made. Being a UNFPA Champion is another step towards turning that vision into reality. It is an opportunity to amplify the voices of young people through storytelling across our region, and advocate for investments that uphold the rights, dignity, well-being and potential of every young person everywhere.”

 

The appointment comes at a critical moment for the region, where young people in Africa constitute a significant share of the global youth population of 1.9 billion and are leading transformative efforts in their communities. Yet many continue to face barriers to education, healthcare, employment, and opportunities to meaningfully participate in decisions that affect their lives. She believes that storytelling is a catalyst for social change and that young people must not only be heard, but meaningfully included in shaping the decisions that affect their lives and futures.

 

As Regional ICPD Youth Champion, Botlhale will use her energetic presence and platform to engage with young people, policymakers, civil society, and development partners to advocate for investments and policies that uphold the rights, dignity, and potential of every young person.

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Tinubu orders NIMC to enrol all Nigerians, sets 2026 deadline

President Bola Tinubu has directed the National Identity Management Commission to enrol every Nigerian in the national identity database before the end of 2026, the commission’s Director-General and Chief Executive Officer, Abisoye Coker-Odusote, says.

Speaking on Channels Television’s Sunday Politics, Coker-Odusote said the directive is part of the Federal Government’s plan to build a comprehensive national identity system to support governance, planning and service delivery.

“The President has given us till the end of this year to make sure that we capture every single Nigerian,” she said.

By Tosin Oyediran

Full story at Punch

EFC and DAZN Announce Global Broadcast Partnership

Africa’s Leading MMA Organisation To Reach Fans in More Than 200 Markets Worldwide

Johannesburg, 18th June 2026 - Extreme Fighting Championship (EFC) and DAZN, the world’s

leading sports entertainment platform, have announced a multi-year broadcast partnership that

will significantly expand the global reach of African mixed martial arts.

Beginning with EFC 134 on June 4, EFC events will be available free-to-view on DAZN worldwide,

excluding Sub-Saharan Africa and Poland, bringing Africa’s premier MMA organisation to fans

across more than 200 markets.

The agreement marks one of the most significant international broadcast partnerships in EFC

history, and represents a major step forward in the continued growth of African MMA on the

global stage.

For more than sixteen years, EFC has served as the proving ground for many of the continent’s

leading mixed martial artists, producing athletes who have gone on to compete at the highest

levels of the sport internationally. Through this partnership, EFC events, athletes, and

commercial partners will now receive unprecedented global exposure through one of the

world’s largest sports streaming platforms.

The partnership launches with EFC 134, headlined by a women’s flyweight championship clash

between reigning champion Amanda “Mad Dog” Lino of South Africa and Nigerian challenger

Juliet Chukwu. The event also features a pivotal flyweight showdown between Sisa Jungula and

Thapelo Seabi, alongside a stacked card showcasing talent from across Africa.

Shay Segev, DAZN Group CEO, said: “DAZN is the global home of sport, and alongside

enhancing our portfolio of top-tier fight sport content this partnership with EFC also reflects our

commitment to supporting fast-growing sports. We are helping EFC expand their global reach

and introduce elite African MMA to fans around the world.”

The agreement further strengthens EFC’s international broadcast footprint and creates new

opportunities for athletes, sponsors, and commercial partners seeking access to a growing

global combat sports audience.

In addition to DAZN, EFC events continue to broadcast across SuperSport, SABC Sport, Discover

Sport, and a network of top international broadcast partners, delivering African MMA to

audiences across multiple continents.

EFC President Cairo Howarth said: “This partnership represents an important milestone for EFC

and for African MMA. The athletes competing at EFC belong on the world stage. DAZN bolsters

our global broadcast reach to showcase that talent while delivering greater value to our athletes,

fans, and commercial partners.”

The partnership begins with EFC 134 on June 4 and includes the remainder of the 2026 EFC

calendar, extending through EFC 140 in December.

EFC 134: Lino vs Chukwu for the women’s flyweight championship is presented by World Sports

Betting, and will be broadcast live from the World Sports Betting EFC Arena in Johannesburg,

South Africa.

About EFC

Headquartered in Johannesburg, South Africa, EFC is a world leading mixed martial arts

organisation. EFC produces 10 live events annually at sold out arenas. With over 200 athletes

exclusively contracted to the organisation, EFC showcases the greatest warriors on the planet.

EFC events are broadcast in over 120 countries around the world on numerous television

networks in multiple languages. EFC programming is available weekly in more than 600 million

television households globally, making it one of the most recognisable MMA brands in the

world.

Media Contact:

Harry Clynch

harry@leopardpr.io

+447808118155

London was promised huge new Migration Museum - some of it could be lost to cram in student rooms

The museum and developer Dominus have said the proposed amendments are necessary to ensure the scheme is deliverable.

A new museum in the City of London may end up with less space than initially planned under a proposal to increase the number of student rooms.

The Migration Museum, which was based in Lewisham until March last year, explores how the movement of people to and from the UK has shaped the country and its communities. It has moved between a series of temporary sites since its founding in 2011 by Barbara Roche, a former Minister of State for Immigration.

By Ben Lynch

Full story at My London