General News
Embracing Telecom Dynamics for Increased Access
The explosion in technology which ushered in the information age has become the basis for defining power in the modern world.
It is a widely accepted fact that no modern economy can develop without an integral information technology.
Consequently, the ability to easily access and share information and stimulate the creation of new ideas is viewed as essential to maintaining a strong economy and enhancing quality life of citizens.
Telecommunications networks are now making it possible for developing countries to participate in the world economy in ways that simply were not possible in the past.
Communications tools such as telephony, internet and broadband are increasingly critical to economic success and the citizen’s personal advancement.
The internet serves many functions – as virtual community, electorate marketplace, and information source/entertainment center, among others.
Through high speed internet, we can create new businesses or facilitate the delivery of basic services such as health, finance and education.
Available data from the International Telecommunications Union has shown that flows of international telephone traffic closely mirror the patterns of international trade. Indeed, variations in telephone traffic can be used as a leading indicator of national economic performance.
In agriculture, easier and faster access to up-to-date market and price information assists farmers and rural-based traders in their businesses.
Telecommunications can also deliver better access to information on improved seeds, availability of fertilizers, weather forecasting, pest control and other agricultural-related services.
Furthermore, telecommunications play an important role in politics and governance, by enhancing a government’s ability to provide security for its citizens, protect its borders and more efficiently handle civil emergencies and national disaster.
In turn, the citizens gain easier access to government and greater awareness of government programmes and activities. For instance, social media like facebook, twitter among others.
Traditionally, telecommunications had over the years been regarded as public utility provided by government.
However the need to improve services, encourage competition and attract private investment has led to the wave of privatization and sector liberation since the 80’s.
As at the beginning of 2008, nearly all countries in the world have either fully or partially privatized their incumbent operators and opened up the sector market liberalization.
In African with 52 countries, this wave of market liberation has also seen Africa transform to an ICT enabled region, though a lot more needs to be done in the area of penetration of internet and broadband.
On a global level, there are about 150 countries that have established independent regulatory agencies (the ITU: Trends report).
The advances in the last twenty years notwithstanding, in number of countries in Africa, the incumbent operators still retain very strong control of certain segments of the market showing the growth in those markets.
These incumbents are quite often, protected unnecessarily, thereby limiting competition, privatization and commercialization
In some cases where the incumbents have been partly privatized, the selected partners could be those with links in government circles who would be in a position to leverage such connections in influencing delays in opening up of the markets to competition.
In few African nations, exclusivity for the incumbents has been known to have been negotiated for upwards of 10 to 15yeas for example in the Fixed line Networks and International gateway services.
It is advised that where exclusivity still exists for the incumbents, such exclusivity should only be considered if it is for a number of service providers (at least two) so as to provide choice and encourage optimal investments while ensuring that competition exist.
Expectations
The rapid progress made in the telecom industry in the past 11 years in Africa has largely been as a result of the liberalized market, but even in a liberalized environment, government still has a vital role to play in growing the nation’s telecommunications infrastructure and ensuring a competitive environment that will reduce prices and make services more available and affordable.
Government best serves the industry through the establishment of strong regulatory institutions. The regulator’s role is to encourage competition, remove barriers to market entry, oversee interconnection of new operators with incumbents, monitor tariffs and quality of service, protect consumer rights and ensure the provision of telephone services for all.
Africa’s immediate requirement for local access to the telephone network is enormous and the required capital and time investment needed to compete is still huge.
Market reform has helped to accelerate investment flow into this vital sector, resulting in rapid roll out of networks, but we still require optic fiber highways within and between African nations.
The rapid rate of deployment means faster access to telecommunications facilities and consequently faster pace of national economic development and growth.
The Regulator is also today faced with the challenge of keeping pace with technological developments.
According to Ernest Ndukwe, immediate past executive vice chairman, Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC), “convergence is changing businesses, equipment and services we have been accustomed to, in their place new companies, technologies, equipment and services are emerging”.
New challenges are also arising from these rapid changes. Therefore, new skill in multi-sector, multi-technology regulations will be needed. Security issues have assumed new dimension, with growing incidence of Cybercrime, identity theft, among others. Laws would therefore need to be upgraded to cover new areas such as electronic transactions, e-commercial and cyber security, and so on”.
Indeed privacy of transaction is constantly being threatened and the same consumers that are to benefit from the new technologies and services will be demanding even more protection from the Regulators.
Telecommunications is an essential infrastructure of the information economy and therefore countries that lack sufficient access to modern telecommunications networks, will find it difficult to be effectively integrated into the global economy.
The role of the regulator is critical to the attainment of the goal of an equitable and socially inclusive information society.
General News
Haleon Introduces New Corporate Identity in Nigeria

Haleon, a global consumer health company with a purpose to deliver better everyday health, is introducing its corporate identity across Nigeria in a phased transition. Trusted brands such as Panadol, Sensodyne, Macleans, Otrivin, Voltaren, Cac 1000 and Andrews Liver Salts remain unchanged in formulation, quality, and effectiveness.

Following the formal demerger from GSK, Haleon was launched on July 18, 2022, as an independent company 100% focused on consumer health. Haleon is the new home for brands like Sensodyne, Panadol, Centrum and others, trusted by millions worldwide for their proven effectiveness in improving everyday health.
From relieving tooth sensitivity or pain to providing essential vitamins and nutrients, our products are designed to fulfil Haleon’s purpose: to deliver better everyday health with humanity.
This revised corporate identity is a branding change only and does not affect the safety, quality, or efficacy of the products. Haleon is sharing this update as part of its commitment to transparency and consumer confidence, helping consumers continue to choose the brands they know and trust.
Haleon’s collaboration with Fidson Healthcare forms part of this approach, reinforcing the value of local production in supporting trusted everyday health brands in Nigeria.
Panadol Extra 100s and Panadol Pain & Fever 100s are currently being produced and supplied to the market under the Haleon identity. Sensodyne Rapid Action will bear the Haleon corporate identity from mid-June, followed by Andrews Liver Salts later this year.
In due course, additional brands—including Otrivin, Voltaren, Cac 1000, Macleans, and the wider Sensodyne portfolio—will also transition to the Haleon identity.
Haleon remains committed to ensuring consumers can continue to access the same high-quality brands at pharmacies, supermarkets and other retail outlets across Nigeria.
“As Haleon introduces its identity in Nigeria, we want consumers to feel informed and reassured. The trusted products they rely on remain the same in quality, formulation and effectiveness.
“At the same time, our local production approach in partnership with Fidson Healthcare supports reliable access to high-quality everyday health products in Nigeria,” said Himanshu Raj, Haleon General Manager for Sub-Saharan Africa.
General News
Elon Musk Makes History as the World’s First Trillionaire

Tech entrepreneur and SpaceX founder, Elon Musk, has become the world’s first trillionaire after the successful public listing of SpaceX pushed his net worth beyond the $1 trillion mark.

Elon Musk
According to multiple financial reports, Musk’s fortune surged to approximately $1.1 trillion following SpaceX’s historic stock market debut on June 12, making him the first individual in history to achieve the milestone.
The sharp increase in wealth was driven primarily by SpaceX’s initial public offering (IPO), which valued the company at more than $1.7 trillion at listing before rising above $2 trillion during its first day of trading. Musk’s holdings in SpaceX, combined with his stakes in Tesla and other ventures, significantly boosted his net worth.
Musk, 54, is also the founder or co-founder of companies including Tesla, SpaceX, Neuralink and The Boring Company. He acquired social media platform X, formerly Twitter, in a $44 billion deal and has remained one of the most influential figures in technology and business.
Financial analysts noted that Musk’s wealth now far exceeds that of any other billionaire.
Matt Durot, deputy editor at Forbes Wealth, said the gap between Musk and the world’s second-richest individual had widened significantly, with no other person currently close to the trillion-dollar threshold.
Despite the historic achievement, Musk’s vast wealth has reignited debates over global inequality and the responsibilities of ultra-wealthy individuals in addressing humanitarian challenges.
Advocacy groups have frequently pointed to issues such as hunger, disease eradication and access to education as areas where large-scale private philanthropy could make a significant impact.
In 2021, Musk publicly challenged the United Nations to provide a detailed plan showing how billions of dollars could help combat world hunger. Although a proposal was later presented, no donation followed.
Analysts note that much of Musk’s wealth remains tied to company shares rather than liquid cash, meaning his net worth can fluctuate significantly with market movements.
Nevertheless, the SpaceX IPO marks a historic moment in global finance, placing Musk in a wealth category previously considered unimaginable.
Commenting on Musk’s business achievements, Jamie Dimon, chief executive officer of JPMorgan Chase, described him as “the Edison of our time.”
Musk’s rise from co-founding internet startup Zip2 in the 1990s to becoming the world’s first trillionaire is regarded by many analysts as one of the most remarkable wealth creation stories in modern history.
General News
Kaspersky Warns of “Grey” Scam Websites Exploiting User Trust

Recent research by Kaspersky has shown that the so-called “grey” websites repeatedly target all world regions, and this may be driving both financial loss and large-scale data harvesting.

Grey websites are deceptive online platforms that fall outside traditional phishing definitions but still manipulate users into voluntarily handing over money and personal data. Kaspersky’s new report provides detailed insights into the threats posed by the grey websites on global and regional levels.
Unlike classic phishing attacks, which aim to steal credentials outright, grey websites rely on persuasion, misleading interfaces, and hidden terms to exploit users. They often impersonate legitimate services such as e-commerce platforms, financial tools, AI services, or subscription-based content, making them significantly harder to detect.
Kaspersky analysis shows that the majority of suspicious resources globally fall into several recurring categories:
- Fake browser extensions and “security tools” that actually harvest browsing data and track user activity.
- Fraudulent financial platforms including crypto exchanges, trading tools, and investment schemes promising unrealistic returns.
- Intermediary services (e.g., legal or real estate), charging for low-value or nonexistent services while harvesting sensitive personal data.
- Subscription traps offering low-cost trials that convert into costly recurring payments hidden in fine print.
- Fake online shops that either deliver counterfeit goods or nothing at all.
Example of a grey website.
A notable trend is the emergence of tools disguised as AI services or image-processing platforms, reflecting attackers’ ability to adapt to current digital trends and target younger audiences.
There are proven security solutions that help users to detect grey websites across different types of devices – those running on Windows, Linux, Android and iOS. The detection model is based on many factors, including domain name and age, IP reputation, stability of the infrastructure used, DNS configurations, HTTP security headers, digital identity and popularity of the web resource and other criteria.
Regional specifics
Regional variations in grey websites demonstrate how threat actors localise scams based on user behaviour and trending technologies.
In Europe, the threat landscape is dominated by links to suspicious browser extensions and fake “privacy-enhancing” tools.
These resources often present themselves as security solutions, promising safer browsing or anonymous search capabilities. In reality, they function as browser hijackers – intercepting traffic, collecting cookies, tracking user behaviour, and injecting advertisements.
The popularity of these threats reflects a high level of user concern around privacy and security, which attackers actively exploit. Additionally, these regions show a steady presence of phishing intermediaries and crypto-related scams, indicating a blend of technical and financially motivated attacks.
Across African markets, financial scams are the most prominent category of suspicious resources. Fraudulent trading platforms, fake brokers, and investment schemes frequently mimic legitimate financial services, often accompanied by fabricated licenses or endorsements.
These platforms typically prevent users from withdrawing funds, instead introducing additional “fees” or taxes to prolong the scam. The concentration of these threats highlights how attackers leverage growing interest in online investing while exploiting gaps in regulatory enforcement and financial literacy.
In the Middle East and North Africa region, suspicious resources frequently mimic communication (Internet telephony) tools, financial platforms, or betting services. Additionally, Ponzi-style investment schemes and crypto scams are widespread, often presented through polished interfaces that mimic legitimate platforms.
Web browser-based threats also play a significant role, with malicious extensions targeting user data and browsing activity. The regional threat profile reflects a convergence of financial fraud and technical compromise, where users risk both data exposure and monetary loss.
“Suspicious websites don’t look harmful at first glance. But they exploit trust, urgency, and familiarity, and a single click on what looks like a harmless AI image tool, a “secure” browser extension, or a heavily discounted online shop could be all it takes to lose money or expose sensitive data.
Instead of direct credential theft, attackers turn to behavioural manipulation – whether that’s subscribing, investing, or installing software,” comments Anna Larkina, Web Content and Privacy Analysis Expert at Kaspersky.
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