General News
NITDA Launches Trustmark Seal to Strengthen Nigeria’s Digital Economy
Federal Government has unveiled the Nigerian Digital Trustmark Seal, a cybersecurity initiative aimed at enhancing trust, transparency, and safety across Nigeria’s digital ecosystem.
The launch, which coincided with Cybersecurity Awareness Month, was announced during a press conference organised by the National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA) in Abuja.
The event drew participation from key stakeholders including the National Association of Chambers of Commerce, Industry, Mines and Agriculture (NACCIMA), the Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ), media representatives, and digital economy experts.
Speaking at the event, Director-General of NITDA, Kashifu Inuwa, CCIE, said the initiative was designed to verify the authenticity of online platforms, businesses, and organisations, thereby protecting consumers from fraudulent and cloned websites.
“The digital economy has been Nigeria’s fastest-growing sector for almost five years, surpassing oil and gas in GDP contribution,” Inuwa said. “However, as we digitise, challenges emerge.
“Technology is a double-edged sword. While good actors use it to drive efficiency, bad actors exploit it to cause harm and erode public trust.”
He explained that the Digital Trustmark Seal was co-created by NITDA, NACCIMA, and GIZ to serve as a visible indicator of authenticity.
The seal will be displayed on verified websites, enabling citizens to easily distinguish between genuine platforms and malicious ones often used for scams and identity theft.
“This initiative is designed to build trust within our digital ecosystem. Every company, e-commerce platform, business, and government organisation will have a Trustmark seal on their website to ensure authenticity,” he added.
Inuwa noted that the project aligns with President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda, which prioritises rebuilding public trust through inclusive governance and promoting transparency in the digital space.
He emphasised that the initiative encourages collaboration between the public and private sectors to jointly design and implement solutions that make Nigeria’s digital environment safer and more trustworthy.
“This initiative will also work closely with the private sector. They are the main drivers of adoption, and it won’t be a challenge because, for them, it helps build reputation and customer confidence,” Inuwa said.
“For citizens, it builds confidence and trust that when they interact and transact online, they are dealing with authentic websites and providers,” he added.
Representing NACCIMA, Mr Suleiman Adebayo Audu, an Advisor to the Association, commended NITDA and GIZ for initiating the project, describing it as “a timely and impactful effort” that will improve business confidence and international perception.
“Many genuine Nigerian businesses lose customers due to a lack of trust. This seal will help restore credibility and make Nigerian SMEs more competitive globally. NACCIMA will work with our state chambers to sensitise members and support them through the verification process,” Audu said.
Mr Chinedu Albert, a consultant with GIZ, reaffirmed the organisation’s support, noting that the initiative aligns with GIZ’s broader mission of promoting safe, inclusive, and transparent digital ecosystems across Africa.
“Trust is the foundation of every digital transaction. Without it, progress slows down. Our role is to provide technical expertise and international best practices to ensure the seal serves all, including women-led businesses and startups,” Albert said.
In his remarks, Director of NITDA’s Cybersecurity Department, Dr Mohammed Lawan, described the initiative as a significant milestone in establishing a robust digital trust infrastructure for Nigeria.
“Trust is the currency of the digital economy. This seal will serve as a verifiable digital signature, reducing fraud and enhancing Nigeria’s reputation globally,” Lawan said.
He announced that NITDA would soon roll out stakeholder engagements, capacity-building workshops, and sensitisation programs to drive nationwide adoption of the Digital Trustmark Seal.
The event concluded with a call to action for all stakeholders, including the media, to play a vital role in amplifying awareness and reshaping Nigeria’s image on the global stage.
Lagos Chamber of Commerce and Industry (LCCI) has urged the Federal Government and the National Pension Commission (PenCom) to suspend the proposed increase in Nigeria’s mandatory pension contribution from 18 per cent to 21 per cent, warning that the policy would raise the cost of doing business, threaten jobs and undermine enterprise sustainability at a time of mounting economic pressures.
Dr. Chinyere Almona, director general of the LCCI, said while strengthening retirement security remains an important policy objective, increasing mandatory pension contributions by three percentage points would impose additional financial burdens on businesses already grappling with high borrowing costs, persistent inflation, foreign exchange volatility, rising energy prices and multiple taxes.
According to the chamber, the proposed increase comes at a period when many businesses, particularly micro, small and medium-sized enterprises (MSMEs), are struggling to remain profitable amid Nigeria’s challenging operating environment.
The LCCI noted that Nigeria’s existing mandatory pension contribution rate of 18 per cent comprising 10 per cent by employers and 8 per cent by employees is already broadly aligned with the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) average of 18.8 per cent.
It argued that raising the contribution to approximately 21 per cent would place Nigeria above several comparable economies, including the United Kingdom, where mandatory contributions stand at 8 per cent; the United States at 12.4 per cent; Kenya at 12 per cent, subject to earnings caps; and South Africa, where there is no equivalent mandatory private-sector pension contribution.
The chamber warned that implementing the proposed increase would significantly raise employment costs for employers, discourage new recruitment, constrain wage growth and place disproportionate pressure on MSMEs, which account for a substantial share of employment in Nigeria.
According to the LCCI, the higher payroll obligations could also reduce Nigeria’s competitiveness as an investment destination, encourage non-compliance with pension regulations and push more businesses into the informal sector.
“A stronger pension system cannot be built on weaker businesses,” the chamber stated, stressing that economic sustainability and business growth remain critical to expanding pension coverage over the long term.
The LCCI therefore called on the Federal Government to defer the proposal until a comprehensive Nigeria-specific actuarial and economic impact assessment is conducted to determine its implications for businesses, workers and the broader economy.
It also urged policymakers to engage in extensive consultations with organised private sector groups, labour unions and other key stakeholders before implementing any changes to the country’s pension contribution framework.
According to the chamber, the government’s immediate priority should be restoring business confidence, preserving existing jobs, encouraging investment and expanding the formal economy, which it described as the most sustainable pathway to improving retirement savings.
As an alternative to increasing contribution rates, the LCCI advised PenCom to focus on developing more innovative investment instruments capable of generating stronger returns on pension assets.
The chamber said improving investment performance would enhance contributors’ retirement savings without imposing additional financial obligations on employers and employees already facing difficult economic conditions.
Nigeria and the African Development Bank (AfDB), on Sunday, called for stronger African ownership of the continent’s vast mineral resources and advocated greater data sovereignty, regional collaboration and strategic financing to ensure Africa derives more economic value from its natural assets.
They spoke at the Ministerial Forum on Critical Minerals, Value Chain and Beneficiation: Pathways for African Transformation, organised by the African Development Bank in Abidjan, Côte d’Ivoire.
Speaking at the forum, the Minister of Solid Minerals Development, Dr. Dele Alake, urged countries to embrace data sovereignty, regional collaboration and strategic financing to ensure mineral wealth translates into sustainable economic growth across Africa.
Alake urged ministers from Africa’s mineral-producing nations to pursue greater regional cooperation rather than isolated national strategies, arguing that coordinated action would enable the continent to derive greater value from its abundant mineral resources.
Alake said Africa must move beyond exporting raw minerals and adopt practical measures to secure full control of its natural assets through value addition and local processing.
He said: “While the mantra of value addition has ushered in an era of economic independence for mineral-producing nations, we need concrete actionable strategies to take charge and be in full control of our natural assets to ensure total economic freedom.”
The minister, who chairs the Africa Mineral Strategy Group (AMSG), said Nigeria had continued to champion a common continental agenda on mineral development through collaboration with more than 30 member countries focused on promoting value addition.
He also advocated greater African control over mineral resource data, describing the continent’s long-standing dependence on the Australia-based Joint Ore Reserves Committee (JORC) reporting standard as outdated.
Alake added, “For the overall interest of the continent, and to efficiently and effectively safeguard its resources, Africa should take charge of the coding mechanisms utilised to assess its mineral assets.”
He urged African countries to adopt the Pan African Resource Reporting Code (PARC), developed by the Africa Minerals Development Centre (AMDC), saying the framework would promote transparency, consistency and ethical reporting while reflecting Africa’s unique geological and environmental realities.
Alake further proposed the establishment of a West African minerals processing hub and corridor stretching from Lagos to Dakar, modelled after the Lobito Corridor, to reduce infrastructure costs, encourage collaborative investment and enable participating countries to specialise in processing specific minerals.
According to him, the regional model would lower financial burdens on individual countries while promoting shared risks, increased trade and stronger value chains.
He also lamented the low level of intra-African trade, which he said stands at about 16 per cent, compared to roughly 60 per cent in Asia and 70 per cent in Europe.
In his remarks, AfDB President Dr. Sidi Ould Tah, described Africa’s mineral sector as a paradox, noting that despite the continent’s vast mineral endowment, it has yet to achieve corresponding gains in Gross Domestic Product (GDP) or attract sufficient Foreign Direct Investment (FDI).
Tah said Africa must overcome the disconnect between its enormous natural wealth and its limited global economic influence by strengthening financing mechanisms and developing integrated mineral value chains.
The forum concluded with the adoption of the Abidjan Declaration, which commits African countries to coordinate policies on critical minerals, regional infrastructure development, value-chain expansion and capital mobilisation.
Under the declaration, the African Development Bank pledged to deploy its financing instruments, technical expertise and capital mobilisation capacity to support mineral-producing countries, reduce investment risks, finance strategic infrastructure and accelerate the development of competitive and sustainable mineral value chains.
A statement by the Special Assistant on Media to the Minister of Solid Minerals Development, Lara Owoeye-Wise, said the declaration also urged African countries to strengthen national and regional capacities capable of attracting investment, financing viable projects and creating quality jobs through local value addition.
The forum brought together more than 20 ministers responsible for mining, energy, industry, natural resources and the green economy, alongside representatives of the African Development Bank, the African Export-Import Bank (Afreximbank), the U.S. Export-Import Bank and mining companies from Germany, Canada and the United States.
Participants reaffirmed that stronger African cooperation, regional processing infrastructure, strategic financing and greater control over mineral resources remain essential to transforming the continent’s mineral wealth into broad-based and sustainable economic development.
Prof. Chukwuma Soludo, governor, Anambra State, has approved an indefinite ban on graduation ceremonies in kindergarten, primary and secondary schools across the state as part of efforts to reduce the financial burden on parents.
Prof. Chukwuma Soludo, governor, Anambra State,
The directive was confirmed by Dr. Law Mefor, commissioner for Information and Value Reformation, in a statement issued on Friday.
According to the commissioner, the government deemed it necessary to clarify the policy following public inquiries and concerns over the scope of the ban.
Mefor explained that the directive applies to all graduation-related ceremonies in both public and private schools across the state.
He said the ban covers events described as graduation, passing-out, crossover or any other ceremony organised to mark the completion of kindergarten, primary or secondary school levels.
The government said the decision was taken to discourage unnecessary financial obligations often imposed on parents through elaborate school celebrations.
The commissioner clarified that students completing Senior Secondary School (SS3) are exempt from the directive.
However, he stressed that graduation ceremonies for SS3 students are not compulsory and may only be held without imposing any financial burden on students or their parents.
According to him, schools choosing to organise such ceremonies must ensure that no levies, compulsory contributions or hidden charges are demanded from parents.
Mefor warned that the state government would not hesitate to sanction any school that violates the directive.
He said schools found organising prohibited graduation ceremonies or imposing illegal charges on parents risk severe penalties, including possible closure.
The commissioner urged school proprietors and administrators to comply fully with the directive in the interest of parents and the education sector.
The state government said the policy is part of broader efforts to make education more affordable and eliminate unnecessary expenses associated with school activities.
Many parents have previously complained about the increasing costs of graduation ceremonies, including compulsory levies for gowns, entertainment, souvenirs and other related expenses.
The government expressed optimism that the directive would ease the financial pressure on families while encouraging schools to focus more on academic excellence than ceremonial activities.
See Verified 20 Countries Nigerian Passport Holders Can Travel Visa-Free
NPC Opens 131 Births, Deaths Registration Centres in Anambra
Lagos Chamber Opposes 21 Percent Pension Contribution, Warns of Job Losses
Subscribers, Telcos Warn FCCPC over Airtime Lending Enforcement
NCC, REA Partner to Cut Telecom Costs with Renewable Energy
NRC, Ponzi Scheme Collapses Resulting Loss of Billions of Naira
EFCC Busts NIS Visa Overstay Racket, Uncovers N700m in an Account
Tokenization, Blockchain Technology will Transform Financial Institutions – IMF
From Scarcity to Scale: What Africa Can Learn from India’s Agricultural Transformation
Spotify partners Afro Nation Portugal to expand African music experience
Telecom3 days agoGSMA Supports Abuja Declaration on Meaningful Connectivity for Africa, Joins Partners to Launch ATLAS Umoja
E-Business3 days agoHURIWA, CLO Protests Bill Asking Social Media Firms’ to Open Shops Nigeria
Telecom3 days agoAirtel Secures Another 10-year Spectrum Renewal in Nigeria
Telecom3 days agoMTN Nigeria Warns Customers Against Fake ‘One Month Free Data’ Promotion
News3 days agoNigeria, Israel Strengthen Research, Technology Collaboration
Broadcasting3 days agoGlo Sponsored African Voices to Feature Netflix’s “The Polygamist” Stars
E-Financial3 days agoMoniepoint as a Key Driver in Expanding Financial Access for Businesses in Nigeria
General News3 days agoAnambra Govt Bans Graduation Ceremonies in Anambra Schools