News
Nigeria Found First Case of Omicron in November- NCDC

Nigeria has detected its first case of the omicron coronavirus variant in travelers who arrived from South Africa in the past week, the country’s national public health institute said Wednesday, correcting its earlier statement that it found the variant in samples taken in October.

The Nigeria Center for Disease Control (NCDC) said in a second statement that it was the delta variant — not omicron as it had earlier stated — that was detected in the samples from October.
It said the omicron variant was first detected in three travelers who arrived in the country in the past week.
“Samples obtained for the stipulated day two test for all travelers to Nigeria were positive for this variant in three persons with history of travel to South Africa,” Dr. Ifedayo Adetifa, NCDC director-general said in the second statement.
Nigeria is the first West African country to have recorded the omicron variant since scientists in southern Africa detected and reported it and adds to a list of nearly 20 countries where the variant has been recorded, triggering travel bans across the world.
Much remains unknown about the new variant, including whether it is more contagious, as some health authorities suspect, whether it makes people more seriously ill, and if it can thwart the vaccine.
The NCDC urged the country’s states and the general public to be on alert and called for improved testing amid concerns that Nigeria’s low testing capacity might become its biggest challenge in the face of the new variant.
Testing for the virus is low in many states and even in the nation’s capital, Abuja. For instance, in parts of Kuje, a suburb of Abuja, Musa Ahmed, a public health official, told The Associated Press that no one has been tested for the virus for weeks.
The detection of the omicron variant in Africa’s most populous nation, with 206 million people, coincides with Nigeria’s new requirement that all federal government employees must be inoculated or present a negative COVID-19 test result done in the last 72 hours.
With the vaccine mandate taking effect on Wednesday, there were chaotic scenes at several offices in the nation’s capital as civil servants without a vaccination card or a negative PCR test were turned away by security agents.
Many of the workers and security agents were not wearing face masks.
“Governments should invest in promoting narratives around vaccine safety, efficacy, and the broader public health security implications of poor vaccines uptake,” Adewunmi Emoruwa, lead strategist at Gatefield, an Abuja-based consultancy. “If public servants are convinced about these issues, they are naturally more effective advocates to their constituents.”
Across Nigeria, the news of the omicron variant — which the World Health Organization has warned poses “very high” risk — has triggered concerns and renewed fears over the COVID-19 pandemic.
At the airport in Lagos, Nigeria’s largest city and economic hub, authorities insisted that travelers must wear their face masks at the counters, though not much attention is paid to many others flouting health protocols around the airport premises and in the city.
Nigeria — with 214,218 confirmed infections including nearly 3,000 deaths — has updated its travel advisory, ordering incoming international travelers to have a PCR test 48 hours before embarking on their trip to the country and two more tests, two days and seven days after arrival. Incoming international arrivals must also isolate for seven days.
Amid global concern over the omicron variant, the Nigeria CDC director-general told reporters that the country remains at alert in the face of the emerging crisis.
“We are working very hard to enhance ongoing surveillance, especially for inbound travelers, and also trying to ramp up testing (including) at the land borders,” he said.
News
Dangote Refinery Debunks Speculations on IPO

Dangote Petroleum Refinery and Petrochemicals (DPRP) has debunked recent circulation of unauthorised information regarding a potential Initial Public Offering (IPO).

In a statement, DPRP noted that several online platforms and unofficial sources have published unverified, and in some instances inaccurate, information relating to a potential offering.
“Such reports do not originate from DPRP and should be treated with caution. All official updates regarding any potential transaction will be communicated strictly through DPRP’s formal public disclosures and announcements issued by its appointed advisers, in line with applicable laws and regulatory requirements.
“Accordingly, the public, investors, and all market participants are strongly advised to disregard speculative commentary and rely solely on verified information formally issued by DPRP or its authorised representatives,” the statement said.
The firm assured stakeholders that, when appropriate, comprehensive, and accurate details regarding any proposed transaction will be made available through official channels, including regulatory filings, authorised press releases, and coordinated communications by the Enterprise and its appointed advisers.
News
Descasio Launches “Give to Gain” Leadership Insights Report, Hosts Executive Brunch for Women in Leadership

In celebration of International Women’s Day, Descasio hosted an intimate executive brunch bringing together distinguished women leaders from its customer community for a thoughtful conversation on leadership, partnership, and shared growth.

Centered around the 2026 International Women’s Day theme, “Give to Gain,” the gathering created space for accomplished women in enterprise leadership to reflect on mentorship, collaboration, and investing in people as key drivers of sustainable growth.
Held in Lagos, the event convened leaders from organizations including Honeywell Group Limited, Finchglow Travels, NGCOM, and Eroton Exploration & Production Company.
Guests were personally welcomed at the start of the gathering by Mr. Dele Nedd, CEO of Descasio; who greeted each of the women leaders and expressed his appreciation for their presence before leaving the session to allow the women lead the conversation among themselves.
The gesture reflected Descasio’s leadership culture; one where women are not only recognized, but actively supported and empowered. It also underscored the company’s belief that meaningful progress in leadership requires partnership and allyship across the organization.
Rather than a traditional panel discussion, the brunch was designed as a candid and reflective exchange among peers navigating leadership in complex industries. Throughout the conversation, participants shared perspectives shaped by experience, responsibility, and the realities of leading teams and organizations.
A recurring theme in the discussion was the role of execution and accountability in leadership. For many organizations, strategy alone is not enough; consistent delivery is what ultimately builds credibility and trust.
Reflecting on this, Josephine Adebola, Data Compliance & Process Automation Manager at Finchglow Travels, emphasized the importance of reliability in leadership and the discipline required to translate vision into results. “Get it done on time and in full.”
The conversation also explored the role of curiosity and continuous learning in shaping effective leaders. In rapidly evolving industries, the ability to ask questions, remain open to new perspectives, and keep learning is often what enables leaders to grow alongside their organizations.
Sharing her perspective, Tomi Otudeko, Chief Operating Officer at Honeywell Group Limited, reflected on how curiosity has shaped her leadership journey.
“Asking questions and continuously learning have always stood me in good stead as a leader.”
She also spoke about the importance of leading with empathy and understanding the people behind the roles within organizations.
“Everyone has multiple dimensions to who they are. Leadership has taught me to see people in their totality. That awareness doesn’t make a leader weak; it makes them more effective.”
Another important theme that emerged from the conversation was authenticity in leadership. In an environment where leaders often face pressure to conform to traditional expectations, remaining true to one’s identity while continuing to evolve is essential.
For Helen James-Eziashi, General Manager at NGCOM, authenticity and curiosity remain key guiding principles. “Be yourself, keep learning, and stay curious.”
The discussion also highlighted the role of self-awareness in sustaining leadership journeys, particularly in complex and high-responsibility environments. Understanding one’s values, motivations, and support systems often becomes the anchor that allows leaders to navigate uncertainty with confidence.
Reflecting on this, Ifeanyi Onyejekwe, IT Manager at Eroton, emphasized the importance of knowing what grounds a leader.
“Know who you are and understand what supports and sustains your leadership journey.”
According to Descasio, the event reflects its broader commitment to building strong partnerships and fostering meaningful leadership conversations across its enterprise customer community.
“For us, this was about more than marking International Women’s Day,” said Umama David-Ogebe, The HR Manager at Descasio. “It was about creating a space where leaders could learn from one another and reflect on the kind of leadership that builds strong organizations. The most meaningful partnerships grow from conversations like these.”
To extend the impact of the discussion, Descasio has published “The Give to Gain Leadership Report: Insights from Women Leading Enterprise Organizations,” a curated publication capturing key reflections and leadership lessons shared during the session.
The report highlights themes including:
- The role of curiosity and continuous learning in leadership
• Building stronger teams through empathy and accountability
• The importance of authenticity and self-awareness in navigating leadership journeys
• How investing in people drives stronger partnerships and resilient organizations
The Give to Gain Leadership Report is now available for download Here.
News
World Backup Day: Research Reveals 84% of Users Store Sensitive Data Digitally

Ahead of World Backup Day, Kaspersky reveals the most popular ways to store important data and gives practical advice on how to keep it safe. Global research shows that zoomers and millennials keep nearly everything electronically, while almost one‑in‑three respondents over 55 y. o. still prefer good old‑fashioned paper.

Where do we store what matters?
Research* conducted by Kaspersky’s Market Research center shows that most people prefer to keep important info stored digitally.The majority of all respondents (84%) claim they store sensitive personal data like ID, financial details, healthcare related info or photo archive in electronic format.
When it comes to digital data storage, more than half (56%) say they keep their important records on a computer or a hard drive, 45% use cloud solutions and 20% entrust their data to government digital services.
Does digital mean safer?
Each storage method has its own advantages and limitations. Physical media can be lost or suffer damage, external hard drives are not always convenient to use on the go and cloud services, while being accessible, are vulnerable to unauthorised access. To maximise digital data security, Kaspersky experts advise adhering to the following best‑practice recommendations:
- Develop a backup strategy
There is no universal approach to data storage, nor is it necessary to back up every single file. Nonetheless, cultivating a regular backup routine is strongly recommended, particularly for sensitive data or files that cannot be regenerated or recovered through other means.
According to the popular 3-2-1 backup strategy you should have at least three copies of important data, store it on two different storage types, and make at least one copy off-side (cloud or external physical location).
The most sensitive data like passwords, ID or financial details requires special attention. Use a dedicated security solution like Kaspersky password manager, which apart from securely keeping users’ credentials and bank cards, has a special secret vault functionality aimed at storing important documents, for example, scanned Passports/IDs and PDF files, addresses and notes.
- Protect your vaults
According to Kaspersky’s data, 98% of all respondents take at least some measures to protect their personal data storages, which is a good sign. However, 36% of respondents use quick-to-remember passwords to safeguard their personal data.
Relying solely on simple passwords leaves your digital vaults vulnerable to brute‑force attacks. That’s why experts recommend enabling two‑factor authentication (2FA) wherever it is available or adopting passkey technology. Passkeys can be stored securely in a password manager and accessed seamlessly from any authorised device.
- Set up automatic backups where possible
Continuously remembering to perform backups can be cumbersome. To streamline the process, enable the built‑in backup service on every device you use (e.g., iCloud for iPhone/iPad/Mac, Google Drive/OneDrive for Android/Windows).
Test it once a month or two by restoring a single file, just to be sure the backup works. Kaspersky Premium allows users to make regular backups and restore information on Windows devices. Backup copies of data can be easily saved on removable drives or in cloud storage in an encrypted format.
“We all know backups are important, but most of us never do them because we try to back up everything at once and it gets overwhelming. The smarter approach? Treat backup like any other workflow. Tag your files – critical, important, low‑priority.
Automate real‑time backups for the critical stuff, schedule weekly or monthly backups for the rest. And for sensitive data like passwords and IDs, use our dedicated solution with a secret vault to keep it secure. When you automate and prioritise, you protect what really matters without getting overloaded,” comments Marina Titova, Vice President for Consumer Business in Kaspersky.
The study was conducted by Kaspersky’s market research center in November 2025. 3000 respondents from 15 countries (Argentina, Chile, China, Germany, India, Indonesia, Italy, Malaysia, Mexico, Saudi Arabia, South Africa, Spain, Turkey, UK, United Arab Emirates) took part in the survey.
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