E-Business
Onyema, NSE Boss Says CWG is Alibaba of Nigeria
Oscar Onyema, chief executive officer, Nigerian Stock Exchange (NSE), has said that Computer Warehouse Group Plc (CWG) is capable of being the Alibaba of Nigeria, following the adoption of her subscription based business model, tagged CWG 2.0.
He made this known during a working visit of the NSE to CWG at the Company’s head office in Lagos on last week.
According to Onyema: “From their subscription businesses which they call CWG 2.0, to their legacy business which is more infrastructure based CWG has done quite well. We have been to their tier3 Datacentre, which supports multiple businesses. We have seen their contact centre, where they handle inbound calls. In all, it is professionally run. We are quite excited at the possibility of growth and how the Company might be the next Alibaba for Nigeria.”
Speaking about the performance of CWG since her listing last year, Onyema noted that “CWG has been a very good listed Company.
They have complied with the pre and post listing standards. They have been a good ambassador of what it means to be listed on the Nigerian Stock Exchange.”
“As you know, at the World Economic Forum annual meeting in May, WEF recognized CWG as one of the Global Growth Companies in the world. So, we are very excited about their performance in the ICT sector of the Stock Exchange. They are the biggest security in the sector, and we are very happy at what they are doing”, he added.
According to Onyema, the visit is in line with the practice of the NSE. He noted that the visit is paid to listed Companies by the Brokers’ Community so as to better understand their operations, which will in-turn equip brokers with the required information to advise clients, especially at the brokers level. “These visits are important in making sure that companies are on ground and running, and reflect what they represented to the investing public”, he said.
Similarly, Mr. Sam Ndata, doyen of Brokers, while speaking at the session explained the need for the visit. “We want to be sure that the Company is in existence and doing what they are supposed to do, and based on what we have witnessed, the Company is doing well and we are happy”, he said.
Speaking at the occasion, Austin Okere, chief executive officer, CWG plc, explained that the visit enabled the company to give a feedback of what had happened since she listed on the exchange in November last year.
“What this does is to establish a continuum. People want to know what we are doing with their money invested in the company”, he noted.
Speaking on the CWG 2.0 model, Okere drew a parallel between the initiative and that of the global ecommerce giant, Alibaba.
According to him “there is a parallel between Alibaba and our CWG 2.0 business model. In fact, in our own view, CWG 2.0 is creating the next Alibaba here in Nigeria. Just like Alibaba, we are also focused on SMEs.
If we look at Nigeria, there are 17.7 million SMEs. These are the companies to go to because this is a platform for them to connect with each other and grow to their full potential. With CWG 2.0, we are taking advantage of the pervasive broadband capacity to champion a subscription business model that is profitable, sustainable, repeatable and scalable.”
Okere also highlighted the benefits of listing on the Stock Exchange. According to him, the major benefit of listing is giving liquidity to the stock. “Listing CWG gave room for people interested in buying the shares of the company and be part of the success story”, he said. “Secondly, the listing has helped in adopting a global governance structure that will in-turn guarantee sustainability and succession. This also will help garner confidence from our stakeholders, who would rather partner with a company where all the facts are out there and whose future is guaranteed” he concluded.
Speaking on the potentials of the ecommerce business, James Agada, Chief Technology Officer, CWG Plc, pointed out that there is a larger market of smaller companies that produce much of what is used locally and is yet to be fully tapped. “So, the opportunity for us is much in terms of knowing what people need and getting to meet them” he said.
“We boast of about 17.7 million of such enterprises. If people can know what these enterprises do, then they can patronize them. So, there is that huge opportunity to make what these companies do known to so many of us, so that we can patronize them. There are certain things we inadvertently bring people down from oversees to do for us that there is someone who can fulfil it here that we don’t know. Our bid is to bring out such businesses. This is a peculiar challenge in Nigeria as in the other emerging markets where we operate. We attempted creative ways to tackle it, and this gave birth to our ecommerce platform under CWG2.0” he added.
At the close of the session, Mr. Ndata has this to say; our visit today will help us enlighten the investing public and other stock brokers who are not here that the company is well grounded and doing very well. If we did not visit today, we wouldn’t see the things we are seeing, even though we have heard a lot about the company.”
“Today, we have confirmed that CWG is working and doing more to make money for the investing public. Now, we can advise our clients on the status and vision of the Company as an investment choice”, he concluded.
Thereafter, one of CWG Plc’s business heads, Mr. Femi Ibine led the participants on a facility tour –CWG’s Training centre, Infrastructure center, Customer Experience center, Data center, Satellite dish farm and software development center
Nigeria’s data protection industry has grown into a N16.3 billion ecosystem within three years of formal regulation, according to the Nigeria Data Protection Commission (NDPC).
Olufemi Ibitayo, head of Finance Management and Control, NDPC, announced the milestone at the Regional Data Governance Exchange in Nairobi, Kenya, where he represented Dr Vincent Olatunji, national commissioner and chief executive officer, NDPC.
Presenting Nigeria’s progress, Ibitayo said the country’s strong regulatory framework and the establishment of an independent data protection authority have strengthened confidence in the digital economy and enhanced Nigeria’s reputation as a destination for foreign investment.
The Regional Data Governance Exchange, organised by the Data Governance in Africa Initiative and hosted by the Office of the Data Protection Commissioner in Nairobi, brought together African data protection authorities to strengthen institutional capacity, deepen collaboration and promote peer learning on data governance. Photo: NDPC
He said the Commission’s “Compliance First, Not Punishment” approach encourages organisations to meet their obligations through dialogue and voluntary compliance, while ensuring effective regulatory oversight.
Ibitayo added that the NDPC is developing regulatory technology solutions, a regulatory sandbox and a data privacy innovation laboratory to further strengthen Nigeria’s data governance ecosystem and support future growth.
United Nations Commission on International Trade Law (UNCITRAL)
The ongoing UNCITRAL session has brought together delegates from Nigeria, Australia, China, Ghana, France, the United States and other member states to develop harmonised legal frameworks aimed at facilitating secure, trusted and efficient cross-border digital commerce. Photo: NDPC
Meanwhile, Olatunji reaffirmed Nigeria’s commitment to global data governance during a meeting with Nigeria’s Permanent Representative to the United Nations, Ambassador Jimoh Ibrahim.
He made the remark on the sidelines of the ongoing United Nations Commission on International Trade Law (UNCITRAL), where Nigeria is participating alongside delegates from several member states to advance harmonised legal frameworks for secure and trusted cross-border digital commerce.
The NDPC boss highlighted the Commission’s achievements since its establishment, noting that strategic institutional reforms have positioned Nigeria as a leading voice in the global data protection ecosystem.
He said the country’s data protection framework has continued to earn international recognition, adding that the Commission remains committed to promoting trusted data governance as a driver of digital transformation, economic growth, innovation and sustainable development in line with the Renewed Hope Agenda of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.
During the meeting, Ambassador Ibrahim commended the Commission’s progress since the enactment of the Nigeria Data Protection Act 2023 and called for the establishment of a comprehensive national data bank to support evidence-based policymaking, research and national development.
National Identity Management Commission (NIMC) has said thet more than 136 million Nigerians and legal residents have been enrolled in the National Identity Database (NIDB).
In a statement on Tuesday, Kayode Adegoke, head of corporate communications, NIMC, said Abisoye Coker-Odusote, chief executive officer (CEO) of the commission, announced the milestone during a courtesy visit to the ministry of budget and economic planning.
In April 2025, NIMC said over 117.36 million Nigerians had been enrolled as of February 28, 2025.
The visit was part of the commission’s ongoing stakeholder engagements with ministries, departments and agencies (MDAs) on the implementation of the NIMC Act 2026.
Presenting the new Act, Coker-Odusote said the legislation repeals and replaces the 2007 NIMC Act, modernising Nigeria’s digital identity ecosystem by positioning the national identification number (NIN) as the country’s foundational identity under the “one person, one identity” policy.
She said the law also establishes NIMC as the root certificate authority for the national digital infrastructure and introduces stronger data protection and cybersecurity measures, as well as digital credentials.
“The Federal Government remains committed to enrolling and issuing NINs to all Nigerians and legal residents within the shortest possible time,” Coker-Odusote said.
She added that NIMC is ready to collaborate with the ministry of budget and economic planning to leverage the NIN for economic planning and national development initiatives.
Speaking during the visit, Abubakar Atiku Bagudu, the minister of budget and economic planning, reaffirmed the federal government’s commitment to the implementation of the NIMC Act 2026.
Bagudu described the legislation as “a transformative milestone” that would strengthen Nigeria’s digital identity ecosystem and accelerate national planning and development.
He commended the NIMC director-general and the commission’s leadership for their efforts in securing the passage of the legislation, noting that it provides “a solid legal foundation for a trusted, secure, and inclusive national identity management system”.
The minister, however, said the true measure of the Act’s success would lie in its implementation and the benefits it delivers to Nigerians.
“The true measure of the Act’s success will lie in its effective implementation and the tangible benefits delivered to citizens,” he said.
Bagudu also called for stronger collaboration across the federal, state and local governments to build public confidence in the national identity system and eliminate the duplication of identity databases across government institutions.
He said the NIN should serve as Nigeria’s single, universally accepted identity standard, supporting efficient service delivery and good governance.
On June 26, President Bola Tinubu signed the NIMC Act 2026 into law, repealing the commission’s 2007 establishing Act.
At the time, Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo, minister of interior, said the legislation would strengthen Nigeria’s legal framework for digital identity management, cybersecurity and secure digital authentication, while reinforcing the NIN as the country’s foundational identity credential under the “one person, one identity” principle.
Plateau State Public Complaints Commission (PCC), an agency of the state established to investigate complaints of abuse of office, administrative injustice and other forms of official misconduct is allegedly collecting personal information from members of the public through its website with no privacy policy.
According to investigation by Foundation for Investigative Journalism (FIJ), PCC is falling short of a key transparency requirement under Nigeria’s data protection laws.
FIJ found on Tuesday that PCC collects personal information from members of the public through its website despite providing no privacy policy explaining how that information is collected, processed, stored or protected.
The commission serves as the state’s ombudsman, receiving complaints free of charge against public institutions and private organisations on issues including wrongful dismissal, victimisation and administrative negligence.
Yet, while its online complaint portal requests personal information such as names, phone numbers, email addresses, subject lines and complaint details, visitors are given no privacy notice explaining what becomes of that information after it is submitted.
The omission means visitors are not told why their information is being collected, how long it will be retained, the legal basis for processing it or the rights available to them as data subjects.
WHAT IS THE POSITION OF THE LAW?
The guidelines issued by the National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA) are explicit: every government website is required to have a privacy policy.
Section 10.4 (i, ii) of the NITDA guidelines mandates all government websites to exercise diligence when collecting personal details or information about visitors on their websites.
The requirement is intended to ensure transparency and accountability in the handling of personal information, allowing visitors to understand why their data is collected, how it will be used and the safeguards in place to protect it.
Similarly, the Nigeria Data Protection Act (NDPA) 2023 requires data controllers to provide privacy notices to individuals before, or at the point of, collecting their personal information.
Such notices are expected to disclose, among other things, the purpose for collecting the data, the legal basis for processing it, the period for which it will be retained and the rights available to data subjects.
Section 27 of the NDPA states:
(1) Before a data controller collects personal data directly from a data subject, the data controller shall inform the data subject of the – (a) identity, residence or place of business of, and means of communication with the data controller and its representatives, where necessary;
(b) specific lawful basis of processing under section 25(1) or 30(1) of this Act, and the purposes of the processing for which the personal data are intended;
(c) recipients or categories of recipients of the personal data, if any;
(d) existence of the rights of the data subject under Part VI;
(e) retention period for the personal data;
(f) right to lodge a complaint with the Commission in accordance with section 46 (1) of this Act; and
(g) existence of automated decision-making, including profiling, the significance and envisaged consequences of such processing for the data subject, and the right to object to and challenge such processing.
Without a privacy policy, visitors have no way of knowing the commission’s data-handling practices or the safeguards, if any, in place to protect the personal information they submit through the website.
At press time, the Plateau State Public Complaints Commission’s website had no privacy policy.
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