Wema Bank Plc has launched the upgraded version of its flagship digital banking platform, ALAT by Wema. Designed as the next phase in digital banking, the upgraded version of ALAT delivers a smarter, faster, and more intuitive experience, reinforcing Wema Bank’s leadership in technology-driven financial services.

Tagged ALAT: The Evolution, the upgraded version represents a significant advancement in how customers interact with their bank.

It enables seamless banking through intelligent features such as voice banking (called SAW), which allows customers to carry out banking activities using natural voice commands, reducing friction and improving accessibility.

It also introduces Tap and Pay for quick, secure, and convenient contactless transactions, alongside uptime prediction that enhances transparency, reliability, and confidence around service availability.

Together, these innovations are designed to simplify everyday banking while anticipating customer needs in real time, reinforcing Wema Bank’s commitment to trust, efficiency, and customer-centric digital experiences.

While announcing the upgraded version of the ALAT Banking app, Moruf Oseni, Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of Wema Bank, said, “ALAT: The Evolution is more than an upgrade. It is a clear demonstration of our commitment to redefining digital banking in Africa.

“By understanding the future of banking and listening closely to our customers, we have upgraded ALAT by Wema to a digital banking platform that is smart, intelligent and dependable. This evolution reinforces our promise to deliver innovation that genuinely enhances how people live, work, and transact everyday.”

He added that migrating to the upgraded app is seamless. “Existing customers can simply visit the Google Play Store or Apple App Store to update their existing ALAT app and sign-in with their existing login details (All their account information and transaction history remain intact on their profile and they will also gain access to new features that make banking faster, more intuitive, and more reliable).

For new customers, all they have to do is visit the Google Play Store or Apple App Store to download ALAT by Wema app and click the Get Started icon to onboard seamlessly.

Speaking on the technology in the upgraded ALAT by Wema, Olusegun Adeniyi, Chief Digital Officer at Wema Bank, explained, “With ALAT: The Evolution, we set out to enhance not just functionality but the overall banking experience.

“By integrating voice banking, contactless payments, and predictive reliability, we are delivering a platform that is built on powerful technology and responds intelligently to customer needs. This upgrade reflects our long-term digital vision to create a digital bank that is adaptive, intuitive, and consistently available.”

Built on speed, intelligence, and user-centric design, ALAT: The Evolution redefines everyday banking through intuitive features such as voice-enabled transactions, contactless payments, and predictive service reliability. Designed to anticipate customer needs in real time, the platform delivers a smarter, more seamless, and dependable digital banking experience that reflects Wema Bank’s vision for the future of finance.

With the upgraded version of ALAT, Wema Bank continues to strengthen its position as a digital-first institution, delivering innovative solutions that empower individuals and businesses to bank with confidence in an increasingly digital economy.

As Nigeria enters a new phase of tax administration, a locally developed technology platform, Kaanta AI, has been launched to help Nigerians have a better understanding of their tax obligations.

Kaanta AI is a WhatsApp-based, AI-powered tax assistant designed to provide simplified tax guidance to traders, small and medium-sized businesses, professionals, and individuals.

The platform arrives at a time when tax reforms and compliance requirements are becoming more prominent in public discourse.

Rather than relying on complex online portals or technical language, Founder and Chief Technology Officer, Oluwaferanmi Oladepo, at the launch of the innovation, explained that Kaanta AI operates entirely on WhatsApp, allowing users to ask tax-related questions, receive explanations, calculate taxes, and understand available reliefs using text, voice, or handwritten notes.

The service also supports local languages, including Yoruba, Igbo, Hausa, and Pidgin, expanding access beyond English-speaking users.

With the new tax law taking effect on January 1, 2026, analysts expect increased public confusion and misinformation. However, Oladepo assured Nigerians that Kaanta AI positions itself as a verification and guidance tool, offering instant responses to tax-related questions and concerns.

He described the platform as a response to a long-standing gap in tax education, sayin,: “Tax should not feel scary or confusing. Kaanta AI is built to help Nigerians understand what applies to them and make informed decisions, using clear and accessible language.”

According to the tech guru, in addition to basic explanations, the platform provides tax calculations and insights on tax reliefs, noting that the company also plans to introduce professional tax services, including filing support for small businesses and larger organisations. Kaanta AI operates a freemium model, with basic guidance available at no cost and advanced services offered through paid plans.

According to Tobiloba Olanipekun, Product and Growth Lead, the platform was designed around how Nigerians already communicate.

Olanipekun said: “WhatsApp is where people naturally ask questions and seek help. We wanted Kaanta AI to feel like a conversation, not a lecture. Anyone from a market trader to a young professional can ask questions freely and get clear answers.”

He added that the long-term goal is to improve tax education and compliance culture across the country, adding that: “With tax becoming part of everyday conversation in Nigeria, we aim to guide people with clarity rather than confusion.”

Kaanta AI is now available to users nationwide. As tax reforms take centre stage in 2026, the platform is expected to play a role in helping Nigerians navigate the changing tax landscape.

Kaspersky analysed phishing and scam campaigns observed from January through September 2025 and found that 88.5% of attacks globally sought credentials for various online accounts.

Another 9.5% targeted personal data such as names, addresses, and dates of birth, while 2% focused on bank card details.

According to data from Kaspersky, over 38 million phishing links were clicked in Africa in the previous year (from November 2024 to October 2025) – all of which were detected and blocked by Kaspersky solutions.

Not everyone uses protective solutions on their devices however, and phishing remains one of the most prevalent cyber threats, with attackers luring users to fake websites where they unwittingly surrender their login credentials, personal information, or bank card details.

Kaspersky research shows that most phishing pages transmit stolen information via email, Telegram bots, or attacker-controlled panels, before it enters underground resale channels.

Data stolen through phishing is rarely used only once: credentials from multiple campaigns are consolidated into data dumps and sold on dark web markets, in some cases for as little as $50. Buyers sort and verify the data to check whether accounts remain active and reusable across different services.

According to Kaspersky Digital Footprint Intelligence, average 2025 prices ranged from $0.90 for global Internet portals to $105 for crypto platforms and $350 for online banking access. Personal documents such as passports or ID cards sold for about $15 on average, with pricing influenced by account age, balance, linked payment methods, and security settings.

As datasets are enriched and combined, attackers can build detailed digital profiles that may later support targeted attacks on executives, finance staff, IT-administrators or individuals with valuable assets or personal documents.

“Our analysis shows that credentials account for nearly 90% of phishing attempts. Once collected, logins, passwords, phone numbers, and personal details are aggregated, checked, and resold, sometimes years after the initial theft.

Combined with new information, even old credentials can enable account takeovers and targeted attacks against both individuals and organisations.

By leveraging open-source intelligence and old breach data, attackers can craft highly personalised scams, turning one-time victims into long-term targets for identity theft, blackmail, or financial fraud,” said Olga Altukhova, senior web content analyst at Kaspersky.