Telecom
AfriTECH 3.0: Digital Encode Hints How Emerging Techs Drive Cyber Trends
Digital Encode, a leading consulting and integration firm has said that in its 20 years of existence, it has been able to certify so many organisations with different kinds of certifications, ranging from high school certifications to carrying out payment card industry (PCI) data security standards (DSS) for companies within and outside Nigeria.
Digital Encode, which prides itself as the number one information technology assurance company in Africa, specializes in the design, management and security of business-critical networks, telecommunications environments and other information technology infrastructures.
Speaking during a Fireside chat with Joan Aimengheuwa, a senior Content writer with TechEconomy, at the Africa Tech Alliance (AfriTECH 3.0) Forum held at The Providence Hotel, Ikeja GRA, Olaifa Opeyemi, a Cybersecurity Consultant at Digital Encode Limited said the company known for solving multifaceted, complex enterprise network security and audit problems, will keep on working tirelessly to remain ready for the ever-evolving digital skills.
Responding to a question on cybersecurity trends in Africa, Opeyemi said there has really been an increase in cyber trends owing to sustained advancement in the digital space, emerging technologies, and the increasing emergence of new smart devices.
“There was a time of web applications. Now, it’s time for mobile applications. The more technology you introduce, the more trends you introduce out there. And then the more there are some bad people; they are trying to see how they can exploit that technology you put out there. So, there has been an increase in cybersecurity trends, ranging from ransomware to malware to other forms of attacks, business logic attacks, and all those kinds of trends that they could use or exploit.
“Even in social engineering, there is phishing, which has become very rampant. Aside from trends, there has also been an increase in this old cryptocurrency attack, which they often refer to as the crypto champion. Even though cryptocurrency has been in existence for quite a while, it became much known a few years back. So, these bad guys out there are already going to devise something called the crypto champion.
“Crypto champion is a tool that they use to first try to get access to your device. Then once they have access to your device, they install this particular solution and have you actually mine your cryptocurrency. And then you get the money from your cryptocurrency without your knowledge,” Opeyemi said.
On the positive developments in cybersecurity, she said that there has been an increase in data protection efforts in Nigeria, since the enforcement into law of the data protection bill by President Bola Tinubu, adding that in 2020 and 2021, South Africa and Egypt incorporated the PRP Highway, which is the protection of personal information. “Over the years, different countries in Africa have really been trying to enforce this data protection,” she further added.
Opeyemi stressed that security is not just about the company, but also about the staff in an organisation as well, noting that “if you have the technology, and you have your people aligned, whether it comes to security, you also need process policies to govern them. Policies in terms of making a change in the environment, making sure you make the change request.
“Before you create a password, make sure you follow the password policy. Before you do this, make sure you do that. So really, there are a lot of tracks there; – Ransomware, malware, social engineering, and even distributed denial of service. When it gets like this, there’s enough traffic, and they put down a service in the organisation.”
“Cybersecurity is really just about being there, the confidentiality of information, the integrity of information, and the availability of that information. Confidentiality of information is just that you have to ensure that you’re protecting whatever information you have for unauthorized access, which is what we want to ensure with cybersecurity.
“On Integrity, you’re protecting that information from unauthorized deportation. You don’t want someone who’s not supposed to have access to that file to have access. And on availability, if you’re a sponsor, you’re trying to make sure that your services are available to you. You don’t want things to ever be disrupted or hit anywhere,” Opeyemi further stated.
On how companies can protect their data, the cybersecurity consultant warned that in a case like DDoS, companies should insist on an application or network because of the heavy traffic associated with this kind of cybercrime, advising that there would be the need for traffic imagery.
“First, you need to have what I call traffic imagery. There are so many solutions out there that you can actually use in your organization, and it will help you to filter this traffic. So as traffic is coming to the system, whether it’s a system or an application, it helps to filter that suspicious traffic. And all these devices are actually, to some extent, smart.
“They see the traffic from a certain source, and then when they see such traffic, they don’t get suspicious. But then when they are seeing traffic from a source that they are not very used to, they will most likely rate it as suspicious, which is why sometimes when you now do your review, you find out that it’s not reading anything,” she said.
Opeyemi implored the government to intensify efforts at creating awareness on the need for cybersecurity consciousness and not just limiting itself to regulatory oversight and standardization, noting that creating cybersecurity awareness from the primary school level would go a long way to building a cybercrime-free nation.
Nigeria has exactly 156,662 active fixed wired internet subscriptions as of mid-2026.
This is a tiny fraction compared to mobile GSM networks, which dominate the market with over 154 million subscribers.
The fixed wired market primarily consists of homes and offices using direct physical cables like fiber optics.
Fixed wired services use physical cables, like glass fiber or copper wire, to bring internet directly into a building.
It is like a dedicated, private water pipe for your home. It provides very fast speeds, unlimited data, and is reliable.
In contrast, mobile GSM uses radio waves transmitted from tall towers to phones, acting more like a sprinkler that sprays a signal across an entire neighborhood.
Because laying physical cables across cities is expensive and hard to do, these subscriptions are very rare.
However, the market has seen recent growth, driven largely by Fiber-to-the-Home (FTTH) services.
The top players are: MTN FibreX with 110,564 subscribers, which is roughly 88.7 per cent of the entire market.
SWIFTNG accounts for about 13,945 connections.
The others are ipNX and 21st Century Technologies which make up the number.
Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) says it is intensifying efforts to implement Nigeria’s planned 112 national emergency number following its approval by the National Economic Council (NEC).
NCC
The commission disclosed this during a meeting between Vice President Kashim Shettima and an NCC delegation led by the Chairman of its Governing Board, Chief Idris Ibikunle Olorunnimbe, at the Presidential Villa, Abuja.
Briefing the Vice President, Olorunnimbe said the NCC had already established about 35 Emergency Communications Centres (ECCs) across the country to support a unified national emergency response system.
He said the next phase of implementation would focus on closer collaboration with state governments and emergency response agencies to ensure the effective rollout of the initiative.
The development follows the recent approval by the NEC, chaired by the Vice President, for the adoption of 112 as Nigeria’s single national emergency number across all tiers of government and emergency response agencies.
The council also approved the establishment of a multi-agency implementation committee to be jointly coordinated by the Office of the Vice President and the NCC.
Olorunnimbe stressed that the success of the initiative would depend on the commitment of state governments to support and maintain emergency communications infrastructure, as well as the readiness of response agencies to promptly attend to distress calls.
“We need commitment at every level of all response agencies—from top to bottom—including the Nigeria Police Force, ambulance services across the states and, at the national level, the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA),” he said.
Responding, Shettima directed the NCC to develop a comprehensive roadmap for the nationwide implementation of the single emergency number in line with international best practices.
He also urged the commission to work closely with the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA), citing the agency’s experience in disaster management, relief and rehabilitation.
The Vice President assured the commission of the Federal Government’s commitment to sustaining the initiative, saying funding would be mobilised through the National Economic Council and partnerships with the private sector.
He also called for greater dedication from all emergency response agencies to ensure the success of the programme.
The adoption of 112 is expected to harmonise emergency communications across Nigeria by providing a single number through which citizens can quickly access police, fire, ambulance and other emergency services.
The initiative is also expected to replace multiple emergency contact numbers currently in use and improve coordination and response during emergencies.
Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) has said that it was strengthening collaboration with state governments and industry players to develop a transparent, cost-based pricing framework for sharing telecom ducts as part of efforts to speed up broadband expansion across Nigeria.
Ayuba Shuaibu, director of Policy, Competition and Economic Analysis, NCC, disclosed this at the Stakeholders’ Forum in Abuja.
Shuaibu said the initiative was designed to build consensus among all parties.
“The primary purpose of this forum is to ensure seamless synergy between the Commission and all stakeholders,” he said.
The director said the consultation was prompted by longstanding complaints over permits, levies and other charges imposed by different levels of government.
He said bringing together state commissioners, telecom operators, tower companies and representatives of the Nigeria Governors’ Forum had helped improve understanding of the issues.
“This engagement is a work in progress. We expect more input from stakeholders before presenting the outcome to the Nigeria Governors’ Forum,” he added.
Dr Helen Adeneye, commissioner for Innovation, Science and Technology, Kogi State. welcomed the consultation, saying Nigeria needs a harmonised policy that clearly defines the responsibilities of both the federal and state governments.
“We need a harmonised policy that allows states to collaborate better with telecom operators and creates a more business-friendly environment,” she said.
Dr Adeneye added that adopting the Dig-Once policy would establish a uniform pricing system and help resolve disputes over charges for telecom infrastructure deployment.
Chidi Ajuzie, chief executive officer, WTES Projects Limited, whose firm is conducting the consultancy study, said the proposed framework would introduce a common cost structure for duct sharing to support broadband investment and economic growth.
“The study is designed to create a uniform pricing model that will drive broadband growth, economic development and wider adoption across the country,” he said.
Ajuzie explained that the consultants had developed preliminary floor and ceiling prices to guide operators while allowing flexibility within the approved range.
He added that the recommendations remain open to industry input before the NCC finalises the framework.
The Dig-Once Policy is designed to reduce the cost and disruption of deploying broadband infrastructure by requiring fibre ducts to be installed whenever roads are constructed or rehabilitated.
The NCC is developing a cost-based pricing framework for sharing these ducts to promote fair pricing, reduce duplication of infrastructure and encourage investment.
The proposed model is expected to support the Federal Government’s broadband expansion targets while improving collaboration between telecom operators and state governments.
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