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National E-commerce Policy and Benefits on Online Business Ecosystem

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By Lere Ojedokun

Increased adoption of technology among informal retailers, micro businesses and individuals coupled with the COVID-19 disruption, has made e-commerce a veritable transaction model in Nigeria.

With e-commerce systems now an important part of our daily life, B2B e-commerce platforms like Alerzo are also increasingly proving their significance as enablers of national socio-economic growth.

Statistics show the current market value of e-commerce in Nigeria is estimated at US$13bn, with a further projection to reach US$75bn by 2025, while the segment generates over 3 million jobs.

Hence, the recent disclosure by the Federal Government to formulate the National Policy on e-Commerce with a view to strengthening the regulation and protection of users of online transactions is a welcome development because of likely benefits to tech-based B2B e-commerce startups like Alerzo.

The National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA) had revealed recently that the government was working with relevant stakeholders to formulate the National Policy on e-Commerce which seeks to regulate and protect both the buyers and the sellers while transacting business online.

Oladejo Olawunmi, Director, Standards, Guidelines and Framework at NITDA, speaking at a Consumer Protection Forum with the theme, ‘Enabling the e-Commerce Services Driven Economy: Opportunities for Consumers, Challenges and Way Forward in Nigeria’ in Abuja, explained that the proposed policy was aimed at ensuring protection and safeguard of all players in the e-commerce space.

The impending policy is heart-warming because it further demonstrates the Federal Government’s acknowledgement of the contribution of the e-commerce system as a significant component of the Information and Communication Technology sector – the pivot of the national digital economy agenda.

The move also gives credence to the government’s resolve to strengthen the entire ICT sector to deliver more impact on the country’s social and economic landscape.

Much more, the policy is capable of benefiting hundreds of tech-based e-commerce startups in the country in that it could bolster the capacity of e-commerce operators such as Alerzo and others to increase their support for key sectors of the economy especially manufacturing, distribution and retail, and logistics value chains, as well as merchants.

Currently, Alerzo is a leading b2b e-commerce platform that is enabling thousands of informal retailers in the country to place order on Alerzoshop app and have goods delivered faster within a maximum of four hours, at no extra cost. The new policy when formulated would protect them and their customers who make and receive payments on AlerzoPay POS terminals.

Alerzo would also leverage the new policy to strengthen protection of retailers and customers that use its other digital services like Veedez, the company’s book-keeping and inventory management app. The sanctity of sensitive documents such as invoices shared online will be further enhanced.

Several other players that deploy technology or digital solutions like banks and fintech can leverage the policy to further improve user experience of services such as mobile/online and digital banking.

The policy can improve online transactions for large, small and medium companies and their customers, while merchants, wholesalers, retailers and partners such as supermarkets, spas, gas stations, restaurants, ride hailing firms can also strengthen user experience.

While the policy can foster the development of the e-commerce system on one hand, it will certainly impact national economic growth in the long run. By boosting the confidence of users of online platforms, encouraging online transactions as well as fostering financial inclusion and cashless economy, the government’s digital economy will be significantly enhanced.

The national e-commerce policy can impact government agencies dealing with online data collection by ensuring adequate security of the national data bank.

Times like these that incidences of data and identity theft and cyber security breach are becoming more concerning, the new policy will benefit Nigeria more. It will affirm the country as a data-secure destination and further demonstrates the commitment of the Federal Government to antitrust policy.

In a nutshell, when formulated and operational, the National Policy on e-Commerce will significantly impact a wide range of value chains including manufacturers/producers of goods; micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs), service providers, customers and the country at large.

Ojedokun is a communications and brand strategist.


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E-Business

Kaspersky Brings AI-driven Context to Cloud Workload Security

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Kaspersky has updated its Cloud Workload Security (CWS) offering, introducing AI-powered workload analysis, enhanced integrations and performance optimisations designed to help organisations better secure complex cloud and hybrid environments.

The latest update brings integration with OpenAI API in the Kaspersky Container Security (KCS) part of the offering, also resulting in the creation of a new Advanced Pro license within the product.

The new capability provides contextual descriptions of detected vulnerabilities and potential risks, helping accelerate investigations, reduce knowledge gaps and support faster decision-making.

Designed for modern DevOps and hybrid cloud environments, Kaspersky CWS provides centralised visibility across workloads, Kubernetes clusters and cloud platforms, while supporting runtime protection, shift-left security practices and regulatory compliance requirements.

AI-driven visibility and improved workload protection

The update allows organisations to enrich container image scanning results with automated explanations and risk context generated by third-party large language models integrated via OpenAI API. By transforming technical scan data into actionable insights, the feature helps teams prioritise remediation and streamline security operations.

Additional improvements include single sign-on (SSO) integration and multi-domain Active Directory support, enabling more seamless deployment across distributed enterprise environments.

To optimise performance, Kaspersky CWS now also enhances image scanning efficiency by skipping oversized images when needed and avoiding rescans of identical images within a predefined timeframe. Expanded security policy capabilities and UX/UI updates further simplify workload protection and policy management.

Enhanced protection across cloud environments

The new release also updates Light Agent components, now leveraging the latest versions of Kaspersky Endpoint Security for Windows (version 12.12) and Kaspersky Endpoint Security for Linux (version 12.4) to improve overall security and integration capabilities.

“As AI adoption accelerates across industries, organisations are increasingly relying on containerised environments – placing additional pressure on security teams.

“To help ease this burden, we introduced AI integration within Kaspersky Cloud Workload Security that enables security professionals, including those just beginning their journey in container security, to make faster decisions and gain deeper insight into potential risks and vulnerabilities,” comments Anton Rusakov-Rudenko, Senior Product Marketing Manager, Cloud & Network Security at Kaspersky.

“Combined with performance optimisations and expanded integration capabilities, the solution helps organisations to protect cloud environments more efficiently while maintaining operational resilience.”

 


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SARS Denies Being Hacked by Nullsec Nigeria, Hacker Group

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South African Revenue Service (SARS) has dismissed claims that its systems were breached, following allegations by a hacker group that it had compromised the tax authority’s digital infrastructure.

SARS Denies Being Hacked by Nullsec Nigeria, Hacker Group

The controversy emerged after Nullsec Nigeria, a threat actor  also known as Anonymous Nigeria, claimed to have breached both SARS and the State Information Technology Agency (SITA).

The hacktivist group allegedly posted links to download what it claimed was compromised data on the Breached hacker forum on Saturday, 23 May 2026, sparking concerns over a possible cyberattack targeting government systems.

However, SARS said it had conducted a thorough investigation into the claims and found no evidence that its systems had been compromised.

“SARS continuously monitors its systems for any suspicious activity and has conducted a thorough investigation in response to these reports. These claims are false and unsubstantiated,” the revenue service said in a statement.

“At this stage, there is no evidence that SARS’s systems have been compromised. SARS wishes to reassure the public regarding the integrity of its systems.”

The tax authority stressed that safeguarding taxpayer information remains one of its core responsibilities and forms part of its broader efforts to maintain public confidence in South Africa’s tax administration system.

SARS said the “protection of taxpayer information and the security of its digital platforms” is treated as “sacrosanct”.

The agency also urged South Africans to avoid sharing unverified claims and instead rely on official channels for accurate information.

“Members of the public are urged to verify information before sharing and not to circulate unverified claims or rely on information from unofficial sources,” SARS said.

At the same time, SARS warned taxpayers to remain vigilant against phishing scams and fraudulent messages falsely claiming to be from the tax authority.

For guidance on identifying scams and phishing attempts, SARS directed the public to its official online resource page: SARS scams and phishing guidance

SARS said it would continue monitoring its digital environment and communicate any developments through official platforms should the need arise.


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E-Business

Pope Calls for ‘Disarming’ of AI, Warns of “New Forms of Slavery”

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Pope Leo XIV called Monday for the “disarming” of artificial intelligence in his long-awaited manifesto on the rapidly developing technology, and warned of “new forms of slavery” behind its rise.

Pope Calls for ‘Disarming’ of AI, Warns of “New Forms of Slavery”

Leo, warned against “a race for ever more powerful algorithms and larger datasets, driven by the desire to secure geopolitical or commercial dominance”.

He presented his first encyclical, “Magnifica Humanitas” (Magnificent Humanity) in person at the Vatican, alongside AI experts including Christopher Olah, co-founder of US giant Anthropic.

Anthropic is embroiled in a legal battle with the US military after opposing the use of its technology for lethal autonomous warfare and mass surveillance.

At the presentation, Olah said AI companies operate “inside a set of incentives and constraints that can sometimes conflict with doing the right thing”.

He welcomed input from outside actors like the Catholic Church, to “push events in a better direction” saying that “the questions raised by AI are bigger than the AI research community”.

In the encyclical, Leo also sounded the alarm over AI-directed weaponry, saying it was “not permissible to entrust lethal” decisions to tech.

Leo has repeatedly clashed with the White House over the Iran war and its use of religion to justify conflict.

The “just war” theory — espoused recently by the Trump administration — was “outdated”, Leo wrote, adding that “no algorithm can make war morally acceptable”.

AI could be worth up to $4.8 trillion by 2033, a 25-fold increase in a decade, while concentrating its profits in the hands of a limited few, according to the United Nations.

“Disarming AI means freeing it from the mentality of ‘armed’ competition,” the pope wrote.

“To disarm does not mean rejecting technology, but preventing it from dominating humanity,” Leo wrote.

AI should be “human-friendly”, accessible to all, and open to discussion and debate, he added.

The head of the world’s 1.4 billion Catholics has made the hot-button issue a cornerstone of his papacy by dedicating to it his first encyclical — a document that lays the basis for Church teaching and longer-term debate.

The manifesto references a range of cultural giants, from Greek philosopher Plato to Beethoven and his Ninth Symphony, even citing a character from JRR Tolkien’s “The Lord of the Rings”.

“Magnifica Humanitas” was signed on May 15, the 135th anniversary of an 1891 encyclical by Leo XIII, which laid the foundations of the Church’s social doctrine during the Industrial Revolution.

 

 


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