General News
What Will Online Privacy and Security Look Like in 2022?
By Andrew Bourne, Regional Manager – Africa, Zoho Corporation
In many ways, 2021 was a landmark year for online privacy. In April 2021, Apple rolled out an update allowing users to opt out of app tracking, with most iPhone users having done so by the end of the year. There were even talks to disable tracking technology on the world’s most popular web browser.
We also saw movement on the legislative front, with South Africa’s Protection of Personal Information Act (POPIA) coming into effect in July. (Kenya and Nigeria’s equivalent acts came into effect in 2019). In fact, Gartner predicts that modern privacy laws will cover 75% of the world’s population by the end of 2023.
But there’s also clearly still a lot of work to be done. By the end of September 2021, there had been more data breaches than in the whole of 2020, impacting hundreds of millions of people. The average cost of a data breach rose to US$4.24-million, the highest it’s been in 17 years.
What this illustrates is that online privacy and security is an ongoing battle and that organisations of all sizes will have to keep stepping up their efforts when it comes to protecting their customers and staff. While it’s hard to predict exactly how this will play out in 2022, there are several definite trends that will have an impact throughout the course of the year.
Privacy will become (even more) mainstream
With big tech embracing privacy, or at the very least making an effort, it’ll likely become even more mainstream. This will be a positive in many markets, especially where the majority of ordinary business owners are naive to their consumers’ privacy wants and needs.
A survey Zoho conducted earlier in 2021, for example, found that only 22% of South African businesses are aware of privacy laws governing their marketing activities, despite POPIA coming into effect on 1 July. It also found that while 76% of the businesses indicated that they have well-documented policies for customer data protection, only 57% are strictly applying those policies.
At Zoho, data privacy is perceived as not just a legal obligation but an ethical choice. The team is serious about customer data protection and strives to develop applications that treat user data responsibly. In 2020, Zoho also took a strong stance against adjunct surveillance—the practice of monitoring data and activity through third parties, cookies, and trackers embedded in the software/website—and removed all invasive/non-essential third-party trackers from its websites.
The growing importance of (safely) dumping data
Having spent years trying to gather as much data as possible on their users, companies are starting to realise that it’s not always an asset. In fact, many organisations are sitting on vast “data graveyards” that are a major security liability.
The better they get at safely disposing of that data, the less risk they’ll face when it comes to cybersecurity breaches. With increasingly robust laws, companies will be forced to improve their governance but the organisations that fare best will be the ones that go above and beyond when it comes to data governance.
Increased demand for transparency
As an effect of privacy becoming an increasingly mainstream issue, it’s also become a much bigger concern for ordinary consumers who are turning privacy-conscious with each passing day. People want to know that companies aren’t going to collect data that they aren’t comfortable sharing and that the companies will be wholly transparent with the data they do collect. For the next few years, organisations that boldly come forward and declare their data collection practices with complete transparency and accountability will gain a competitive advantage.
A higher responsibility
Ultimately, the onus is on the organisations to set up a company-wide data governance framework which ensures that only the minimum necessary amount of data is collected from customers along with their explicit consent and is further used, stored, and managed responsibly. Equally important, organisations should ensure that their business software providers and vendors also follow the same amount of strict guidelines, policies, and compliance procedures when it comes to data privacy.
Femi Otedola, chairman, First HoldCo, has revealed that he will invest $100 million in Dangote refinery.
Aliko Dangote and Femi Otedola
This is coming ahead of news that the Dangote refinery is planning to raise $2 billion through private placement, by selling its shares to the general public on a stock exchange for the first time.
Otedola, announced his plans on Wednesday after leading top executives of First HoldCo to visit Aliko Dangote, president of the Dangote Group, at the refinery in Lagos.
“From on a personal note, I’ve appealed to him (Aliko Dangote). I’ve been here with him 25 times, so my compensation is he’s going to allocate to me shares worth $100 million in the private placement,” the billionaire said.
“That’s one of the reasons why I sold my stake in Geregu plant to come and invest my proceeds in the IPO of Dangote refinery.”
During the meeting, Dangote said, the company is targeting a private placement of about $2 billion for the refinery
Dangote, on October 22, 2025, said the refinery could sell up to 10 percent stake in the listing, which Bloomberg valued to be about $5 billion.
The billionaire is planning to make the IPO a cross-border listing to enable the refinery draw investments from domestic and international investors.
In an earlier report, Dangote said the IPO is designed to democratise wealth creation and give Africans direct access to participate in the continent’s industrial transformation.
On May 12, Bloomberg reported that the billionaire is reportedly aiming for a valuation of up to $50 billion for Dangote refinery.
The Nigeria Immigration Service, Lagos State Command, has entered into a collaborative partnership with Lasaco Assurance Plc to drive sustainable institutional growth and operational synergy.
According to a statement from the firm, the partnership is a strategic move to bridge the gap between public service efficiency and private sector innovation.
The partnership was solidified during a courtesy visit by top officials of the NIS Lagos Command to the corporate headquarters of Lasaco Assurance Plc in Lagos.
Led by the Deputy Comptroller of Immigration and Passport Control Officer, the NIS delegation engaged the insurance firm’s executive team in high-level discussions aimed at fostering knowledge exchange, strengthening risk management practices, and advancing national development goals.
A major highlight of the strategic engagement was the presentation of an award to the Managing Director of Lasaco Assurance Plc, Ademoye Shobo.
The NIS delegation honoured the insurance boss for his exemplary leadership in driving product growth, building operational resilience, and introducing innovative risk management solutions to the industry.
While commending Lasaco’s leadership, the NIS delegation noted that the company had consistently distinguished itself through a customer-focused approach and commitment to professionalism.
They emphasised that public-private partnerships were vital to creating value-driven systems that would benefit the larger Nigerian economy.
Reacting to the honour and the partnership prospects, Shobo reiterated the insurer’s readiness to support the immigration office.
“We are deeply honoured by this visit and the recognition from the Nigeria Immigration Service. At Lasaco, we believe that the future of institutional growth lies in deliberate collaboration. We are fully committed to maintaining a strong, mutually beneficial relationship with the Immigration Office to improve operational efficiency and deepen trust across both sectors,” Shobo said.
The management of Lasaco Assurance further expressed gratitude, noting that the engagement had set a new benchmark for public-private alignment.
The management stated, “This courtesy visit is not just a ceremony; it is a reinforcement of our shared commitment to institutional excellence. By combining public sector dedication with private sector innovation, we can create stronger avenues for service delivery that ultimately advance our national goals.”
The engagement underscored the growing importance of continuous dialogue between government agencies and private corporations to solve modern operational challenges.
Moving forward, both organisations expressed confidence that the partnership would unlock new opportunities for strategic growth.
Lasaco Assurance Plc reaffirmed its long-term vision to deliver value-driven insurance solutions, sustain stakeholder confidence, and champion impactful collaborations that foster national progress.
Dr. Aminu Maida, executive vice chairman and chief executive officer (EVC/CEO), Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC), has has been confirmed as a Special Guest of Honour at this year’s Africa Beacon of ICT Lectures and Awards.
Dr. Aminu Maida, executive vice chairman and chief executive officer, NCC
Africa Beacon of ICT Lectures and Awards, is widely regarded as the most prestigious annual event available in the ICT industry in Nigeria.
The event according Ken Nwogbo, editor-in-chief of Nigeria Communications Week,“is digital transformation edition” will hold on Saturday, May 30, 2026 at the Four Points by Sheraton, Lagos.
Africa’s BoICT Lecture is designed to explore efforts to put Nigeria on the global Information and Communications Technologies map.
It will also to recognise and celebrate organisations and individuals in the ICT and banking industries that have impacted in digital transformation of the economy.
Nwogbo said that Dr. Maida, oversees the regulation, development, and strategic direction of the Nigerian telecommunications industry.
His administration at the NCC, actively drives initiatives to improve telecom consumer experience, enhance infrastructure, and foster collaborations (such as with the Central Bank of Nigeria) to protect citizens from financial fraud
He holds a PhD in Electrical & Electronic Engineering from the University of Bath, UK.
Prior to joining the NCC, he served as the Executive Director, Technology and Operations at the Nigeria Inter-Bank Settlement System Plc (NIBSS).
At NIBSS, Dr. Maida was responsible for spearheading the technical and operational standardization of all devices deployed in the financial system in Nigeria for interoperability.
He led a dynamic team that ensured that all terminals used in the e-payment industry and all devices deployed in Nigeria would accept all cards issued by banks and other licensed card schemes without discrimination.
Prior to his appointment at NIBSS, Maida was the Chief Technical Officer (CTO) at the Nigerian-based FinTech Arca Payments Network and Senior Manager at Cisco Systems, United Kingdom.
As a seasoned technical professional with over 15 years of multi-functional and international experience in FinTech & Telecoms & Enterprise Technology, Dr. Maida between 2010 and 2014, worked as a Network Design Consultant at EE, part of BT Group, and one of the largest mobile communications companies in the UK.
He was also at some point (2006-2010) a System Engineer at Ubiquisys, a leading company in intelligent 3G and LTE small cells, which is now part of Cisco.
Dr. Maida will be joining will join top dignitaries who have graced the event in the past including: Dr. Ernest Ndukwe, former executive vice-chairman, Nigeria Communications Commission (NCC); Engr. Yomi Bolarinwa, former Director-General of National Broadcasting Commission (NBC); Dr. Jean Luc Fort, CEO at OR System France and a specialist in Counterparty Risk; and Professor Chris Nwagboso, Chairman, Knowledge Factory International, United Kingdom.
Others are: Chris Uwaje, chairman, Mobile Software Solutions Ltd; Uche Orji, former managing director/chief executive officer, Nigeria Sovereign Investment Authority (NSIA); Biodun Omoniyi, Managing Director/CEO, VDT Communications; and John Obaro, CEO and founder of Systemspecs; Dr. Isa Pantanmi, former DG, NITDA; Dr. Obadare Peter Adewale, co-founder and COO, Digital Encode Limited; among others.
The highpoint of the BoICT Lecture will be the conferment of awards to companies and individuals for their significant contributions to the growth of technology in Nigeria and indeed Africa.
The event is a five-star event; easily Nigeria’s ICT Oscars.
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