E-Business
Stakeholders Say NIN is Asset for National Transformation

The importance of ‘proof of identity’ known as National Identification Number (NIN) resonated Monday at a Business Forum organised by the National Identity Management Commission (NIMC) in Lagos with stakeholders describing the project as valuable asset for national transformation.
President Goodluck Jonathan had in October during the launching of the scheme identified that the enrolment exercise and issuance of a NIN is documentation critical to the country’s development.
Similarly, Senator Anyim Pius Anyim, secretary general of the Federation (SGF), told stakeholders at the Forum that Nigeria must maintain an overall equivalence with the rest of the advancing world in ensuring that it create a credible identity management system, especially, that will stand the test of time.
Senator Anyim who was by Mr. Linus Awete, permanent secretary, General Services in the office of the SGF, rued the previous efforts at creating a reliable system in the country which was inclusive and bugged by legislation induced factors.
“In some cases, the process is repeated each time the service is to be delivered. Identities were neither confirmed nor unique and an individual could have different identities in each location.
“The creation of a modern national identity management system and infrastructure as recently launched by President Goodluck Jonathan signalled the dawn of a new era in our quest to get identity management right in Nigeria,” he said.
The SGF noted that NIMS which includes a secured, reliable and accessible National Identity Database (NIDB), secured identity document and identity authentication and verification infrastructure is built to meet current and long term needs of law enforcement agencies, business and commercial transactions in both the public and private sectors of the Nigerian economy.
Earlier, Dr. Chris Onyemenam, director-general (NIMC), hinted that the Commission may begin to distribute the identity cards by the first quarter of 2014; however, he noted that NIMC is currently concerned with capturing, verifying and security of database that will serve numerous purposes for the country.
He reiterated the Commission’s clear departure from the past schemes which, despite invested resources, produced limited success, adding that current disparate, mostly legislation induced, databases for government services, lead to challenges with authentication and verification hence the need for harmonization of the data captured by different Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) for coherency.
Onyemenam, said that the Commission is not resting on its oars to give Nigeria a multipurpose card and reliable database, although it inherited unsustainable funding and institutional arrangement from the former department for national and civic registration (DNCR); obsolete machinery & dilapidated infrastructure with over 80% redundant or ghost workers, also the financial liabilities to SAGEM & disengaged staff, cynicism from staff & the public and preponderance of multiple identities & identity tokens.
He also listed absence of a sustainable universal identification infrastructure in Nigeria; absence of a legal, regulatory and institutional framework for identity management in Nigeria; card issuance mistaken for identity management and absence of reliable identity verification & authentication system as part of the pills NIMC has vehemently avoided.
“Government resolution towards solving the abnormalities showed in the current effort to unique and unambiguous identification of Nigerians, which led to the creation of an agency in the Presidency to establish and manage NIMS, and foster the orderly development of an identity sector in Nigeria, thus NIMC was established in 2007.
“Since then, we have been engaged in changing Nigerians mindset on the importance of this system, especially in the elimination of wastages and duplication of efforts. Our strategy involved the establishment of a National Identity Management System; creation of a model for sustainability, efficiency & local content through public-private partnership, among other measures,” he noted.
The DG said that the key NIM milestones are evident in five areas, particularly with the Standardised Data Capture/ Enrolment System deployment for data capture in compliance with ISO, ICAO, IEEE etc.
Also, Mazi Sam Ohuabunwa, national president, Nigerian-American Chamber of Commerce (NACC), identified the process a landmark achievement that will launch the nation deeper in socio-political and economic development as population statistics and accruable data are panaceas for planning.
“A significant challenge evident in incoherent identity system is such that even during electioneering aliens troop into the country, and squeeze themselves into the system, because there is no sure way to identify the electorate. So, NIMC is on the right path and we must accord them every assistant to succeed,” he urged the people.
The business forum, which was well attended by stakeholders in the financial, technology and business community, was tagged: “Resolving Nigeria’s Identity Management Crisis.
E-Business
Kaspersky Warns of a New Phishing Technique Leveraging Bubble, a no-code AI Platform

Kaspersky has discovered a new phishing tactic used to evade traditional security controls that exploits Bubble, a platform that allows users to build web and mobile applications through a visual interface without writing code.

Attackers are increasingly adopting innovative tools designed for legitimate software development and repurposing them to boost phishing campaigns.
Traditional phishing attacks often rely on malicious links or obvious redirection techniques, which are typically flagged and blocked by modern security systems.
However, attackers are now leveraging Bubble’s no-code environment to generate intermediary web applications which are hosted on Bubble’s legitimate infrastructure and trusted domains such as *.bubble.io, which improves their credibility and helps them bypass security filters.
These applications function as disguised redirectors, silently forwarding victims to malicious credential-harvesting websites.
In the observed campaign, victims were ultimately redirected to a convincing imitation of a Microsoft login page, protected by a Cloudflare verification layer designed to further obscure malicious intent.
This technique is likely being integrated into broader phishing-as-a-service (PhaaS) platforms and phishing kits. These kits enable a wide range of malicious capabilities with ready-made tools, including real-time interception of session cookies, driving phishing campaigns through legitimate services such as Google Tasks and Google Forms, and carry out adversary-in-the-middle (AiTM) attacks that can bypass multi-factor authentication.
They also support the generation of phishing emails using AI, implement geo-filtering and anti-detection mechanisms to evade security crawlers and are often hosted on reputable cloud services like AWS to avoid blacklisting.
“The use of legitimate platforms like Bubble introduces a new level of trust abuse, making it harder for both users and automated systems to distinguish between safe and malicious content. This significantly increases the likelihood of credential theft, unauthorised access and potential data breaches,” comments Roman Dedenok, Anti-Spam Expert at Kaspersky.
E-Business
NITDA Takes Over National Digital Architecture System

Nigeria has taken a major step toward strengthening its digital governance framework as the National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA) officially assumes control of the Nigeria Government Enterprise Architecture (NGEA) infrastructure.

The handover ceremony held in Abuja, marks the culmination of a high-level partnership with the Korea International Cooperation Agency (KOICA).
This transition signals a shift from fragmented IT projects to a unified, disciplined approach to national digital investment.
The NGEA initiative forms a core part of the e-Government Masterplan 2.0 (Ne-GMP 2.0), aimed at establishing a unified and structured approach to managing government IT investments and digital resources.
The framework is designed to ensure that technology deployment across public institutions aligns with national priorities while improving efficiency and accountability.
With the system now operational, government agencies are expected to adopt more integrated digital processes, allowing seamless data sharing and interoperability.
This is anticipated to reduce duplication, strengthen risk management, and translate policy objectives into measurable digital outcomes.
Over the past two and a half years, Nigerian technical experts worked closely with their Korean counterparts to develop the architecture framework, create reference models, and execute pilot programmes in key institutions.
These include the National Identity Management Commission, Nigeria Customs Service, Nigeria Immigration Service, and NITDA.
Officials say the NGEA represents a shift from fragmented digital efforts to a more coordinated, citizen-focused system.
The infrastructure is hosted by Galaxy Backbone Limited, providing a secure and reliable platform for nationwide deployment.
Looking ahead, NITDA is expected to work with government stakeholders to expand and sustain the system, while the Federal Ministry of Communications, Innovation and Digital Economy will provide policy guidance to ensure its adoption across the country.
E-Business
FG Shifting Focus to “Meaningful Connectivity” to Drive Inclusion – Minister

Bosun Tijani, minister of Communications, Innovation and Digital Economy, has said the government is shifting focus from expanding access to ensuring “meaningful connectivity” that drives economic growth and inclusion.

Bosun Tijani, minister of Communications, Innovation and Digital Economy
The minister made the statement on Friday while addressing stakeholders at the inauguration of board members of the Universal Service Provision Fund (USPF) in Abuja.
He said that although Nigeria had made significant progress since the introduction of GSM services, millions of people, particularly in rural and underserved communities, remain either unconnected or unable to fully benefit from digital services.
Dr Tijani highlighted ongoing investments in digital infrastructure, including plans to deploy 90,000 kilometres of fibre optic network and nearly 4,000 telecom towers nationwide.
He said initiatives under the USPF had improved access through projects such as rural connectivity and digital facilities in schools but stressed that the next phase must prioritise effective usage.
“It is not enough to connect a community. We must ensure that schools can teach with digital tools and that small businesses can access market opportunities,” he said, citing a pilot project in the Kura community where connectivity has enhanced access to communication, education and healthcare.
Aminu Maida, executive vice chairman, Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) also called for a shift towards meaningful connectivity, noting that while data usage had grown significantly, it remained concentrated in urban areas.
According to him, recent data shows that telecom usage has increased by about 160% over the past two years, largely driven by urban demand.
“When we drill down, we see that a lot of that growth is actually in urban centres. So, the gap between those who are not connected or not meaningfully connected is growing,” he said.
Dr Maida added that the trend underscored the need for the USPF board to intensify efforts to bridge both access and usage gaps across the country.
Both officials emphasised the importance of collaboration, sustainable investment models and improved digital literacy to ensure that connectivity translates into real economic benefits for Nigerians.
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