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Keri, Emuophedaro Advocate for More Female ICT Professionals in Sector

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(L-r): Lynda Saint Nwafor, CTO, MTN Nigeria, receiving “Best Supporter of the Year” award from Ufuoma Emuophedaro, editor-in-chief and convener, Girls in ICT (Nigeria), at Girls in ICT Day 2015 held in Lagos during the week.
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Yemi Keri, managing director, Edo State ICT Agency and Ufuoma Emuophedaro, editor-in-chief and convener, Girls in ICT (Nigeria), joined Dr. Omobola Johnson, minister of Communication Technology and other leading voices in canvassing for more female information communication technology (ICT) professionals participation in developing the industry.

Every year on the fourth Thursday in April, the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) and the global technology community celebrate ‘Girls in ICT Day’, an awareness-raising initiative designed to promote tech careers and studies to a new generation of girls and young women.

International Girls in ICT Day is an opportunity for girls and young women to get an insight into ICT sector to consider ICT careers through open days at ICT institutions, meeting women role models, and even getting “hands on” experience in technology

At the fourth edition of the event organised by e-Business Life Communication Limited in Nigeria sponsored by MTN, MainOne, Vodacom, Huawei, Phase3 Telecoms, Smile Communications, successful women in ICT like Lynda Saint Nwafor, CTO, MTN Nigeria, Obafunke Atanda, senior manager, Product Portfolio, Vodacom Business Nigeria, Atsagbaede Joyce, CEO, Austangel Nigeria Ltd., while Dr. Omobola Johnson, minister of Communication Technology was represented by Efem Nkanga, her special (media) adviser, were on ground to inspire girls from both public and private schools in Lagos. 

Dr. (Mrs.) Omobola Johnson, minister of Communication Technology, called for the removal of barriers before women and girls in embracing Information Communication Technology (ICT).

Johnson said she strongly believes that ICT is an enabler with the significant potential to transform the lives of women and girls.

The Minister who was represented by her Special (Media) Adviser, Mrs. Efem Nkanga, described ICTs as powerful transformative tools that foster development and advancement of developing and advanced economies.

According to her, it is not just a useful tool for bridging the digital divide, but also a tool for enabling inclusive development at all levels.

While addressing the participants, Keri reminded them that the event to encourage the girls to be discreet in choosing careers in ICT hence the industry drives other sectors of the global economy, adding that government must not relent in leading courses that will spur women interests in the sector.

She said, “Apart from enlightening the participants on the why they should make career choices based on ICT related field, ICT remains the hope of the world economy; there, you will make money, create jobs, develop application to save human lives, the environment and add value in every facet of human existence”.

To other who have chosen career in fields outside ICT, Keri noted that “No matter whatever career you found yourself, technology is already playing key role there. If you are to select electives to complete your subjects, do not shy away from ICT related ones. If you look around the world today, the level of interactions, information shared in today’s world is powered by the ICT”.

She reminded the girls that they have capabilities to surpass the achievements of current leading women in ICT as technology is evolving daily.

On her part, Ufuoma Emuophedaro, editor-in-chief and convener, Girls in ICT (Nigeria), said it was regrettable researching findings which showed that “in Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) countries, female students now account for fewer than 20% of tertiary ICT enrolments, down from nearly 40% back in the 1980s, when computer science courses first appeared on university curricula. Only around 3% of total female graduates study ICT fields, compared with around 10% of male graduates”.

Emuophedaro said that the academic gender gap is reflected in the number of female ICT professionals, now estimated at just 20% across the OECD.

“In Europe, only 9% of app developers are female, only 19% of European ICT managers are women (compared with 45% women managers in other service sectors), and only 19% of ICT entrepreneurs are women (compared with 54% women in other service sectors), according to figures released by the European Commission”.

She said that with strong backing from the tech sector and national governments, ‘Girls in ICT Day’ has rapidly grown into a global movement, with an estimated 3,500 events organized in over 140 countries, reaching 111,000 girls, since the event became a fixture on the UN calendar five years ago.

ITU expects events in even more countries, reaching even more girls, this year, and will post information about activities around the world on its Girls in ICT Portal.

“ICTs are an exciting and rapidly-growing field, offering interesting, important and well-paid job opportunities,” said ITU Secretary-General Houlin Zhao. “A career in ICT allows girls to use their creativity, work in international environments, and participate in shaping our future. With 95% of all jobs now having a digital component, digital skills are no longer just an advantage, they’re essential.”

“At ITU headquarters, Emuophedaro confirmed, “Girls in ICT Day celebrations are this year focused around an event for around 115 Geneva school girls, along with a High-Level Panel debate featuring guest speakers including Maria Klawe of Harvey Mudd College in the US, which has achieved exceptional results in increasing female enrolment in tech studies (intervention by video), Telle Whitney, President & CEO of the Anita Borg Institute, and Judith Owigar, co-founder & President of AkiraChix in Kenya”.

In addition, five special guest schoolgirls, sponsored by the US Mission (Geneva) and YWCA, and representing Chile, Myanmar, Nigeria, Papua New Guinea and South Africa, will be joining local schoolgirls for the day’s activities.

Key partners this year include the Novartis Foundation (Principal Sponsor), Lego Education (Content Partner), and the governments of Finland, Poland and the United States.

ITU Regional Offices around the world are also actively promoting Girls in ICT Day 2015, organizing events, partnering with other UN agencies, supporting organizers in their respective regions and hosting competitions.

Cisco, a major backer of Girls in ICT Day, is organizing events in more than 50 countries, aiming to reach over 3,000 girls, while Microsoft, a long-time advocate of ICT training through its DigiGirlz programme, is launching its annual Pink Cloud girls in ICT event on April 23rd as part of Milan’s World Expo. In ITU’s home country of Switzerland, ICT regulator OFCOM is organizing its first event at its headquarters in Biel-Bienne, also on April 23rd.

“I invite national governments to consider integrating basic coding skills into their national education curricula, alongside basics like reading, writing and arithmetic,” said Brahima Sanou, Director of the ITU Telecommunication Development Bureau, which organizes the annual event. “Girls and young women who learn coding, apps development and computer science will have powerful tools at their disposal to drive economic prosperity for themselves, and overall socio-economic development for their communities.”

 


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Trump Threatens More Strikes in Nigeria

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President Donald Trump has warned that the United States could carry out further military strikes in Nigeria if Christians continue to be killed, reigniting a sensitive debate over religious violence and foreign intervention in Africa’s most populous nation.

Trump Threatens More Strikes in Nigeria

President Donald Trump

Trump made the remarks in an interview with The New York Times, published on Thursday, while responding to questions about a US military strike carried out in Nigeria on Christmas Day.

At the time, the US military said the operation targeted Islamic State militants in north-west Nigeria and was conducted at the request of the Nigerian government.

Nigeria, however, described the operation as a joint counterterrorism effort, stressing that it was aimed at armed groups designated as terrorists and “had nothing to do with a particular religion”.

“I’d love to make it a one-time strike,” Trump was quoted as saying. “But if they continue to kill Christians, it will be a many-time strike.”

Pressed on comments by his own Africa adviser that extremist groups such as Islamic State and Boko Haram have killed more Muslims than Christians in Nigeria, Trump acknowledged that Muslims were also victims but insisted that Christians were being targeted disproportionately.

“I think that Muslims are being killed also in Nigeria. But it’s mostly Christians,” he said.

Trump has repeatedly raised alarms about the safety of Christians in Nigeria, beginning in late October when he warned that Christianity faced what he described as an “existential threat” in the country. He has accused Nigerian authorities of failing to adequately protect Christian communities and has openly threatened US military intervention if the violence continues.

Nigeria has firmly rejected claims of systematic persecution of Christians. The government maintains that the country’s security challenges are complex and largely driven by insurgency, banditry and criminal violence rather than religious targeting.

With a population of more than 230 million people, Nigeria is almost evenly divided between Christians, who are concentrated mainly in the south, and Muslims, who predominate in the north. Islamist insurgencies, particularly Boko Haram and its offshoots, have plagued parts of northern Nigeria for more than a decade, killing thousands and displacing millions.

Nigerian authorities have repeatedly pointed out that militant attacks have claimed the lives of both Muslims and Christians, arguing that framing the violence along religious lines oversimplifies the crisis and risks inflaming tensions.

Following Trump’s earlier threats, the Nigerian government said it was willing to continue cooperating with Washington in combating terrorism but rejected language suggesting that Christians alone were under threat.

The latest comments are likely to strain diplomatic relations further, as Nigeria balances its partnership with the United States against concerns over sovereignty, security cooperation and the portrayal of its internal conflicts on the global stage.


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OpenAI Launches ChatGPT Health

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OpenAI maker of ChatGPT is rolling out a health-focused feature to the generative artificial intelligence (AI) tool that’s used by nearly a billion users.

Named ChatGPT Health, the new feature aims to provide users with health and wellness information. This, as health is one of the most common ways people use ChatGPT, according to OpenAI.

In a blog post, Microsoft-backed OpenAI says de-identified analysis of conversations show that over 230 million people globally ask health and wellness-related questions on ChatGPT every week.

ChatGPT Health will also “securely” connect medical records and wellness apps to ground conversations with a user’s own health information, making responses more relevant and useful.

“Designed in close collaboration with physicians, ChatGPT Health helps people take a more active role in understanding and managing their health and wellness – while supporting, not replacing, care from clinicians.”

According to OpenAI, health information is often scattered across portals, apps, wearables, PDFs, and medical notes making it hard to see the full picture, and people are left to navigate a complex healthcare system on their own.

“ChatGPT Health builds on these so responses are informed by your health information and context. You can now securely connect medical records and wellness apps – like Apple Health, Function, and MyFitnessPal – so ChatGPT can help you understand recent test results, prepare for appointments with your doctor, get advice on how to approach your diet and workout routine, or understand the trade-offs of different insurance options based on your healthcare patterns.”

According to the company, ChatGPT Health is designed to support, not replace, medical care, adding that it is not intended for diagnosis or treatment. “Instead, it helps you navigate everyday questions and understand patterns over time – not just moments of illness – so you can feel more informed and prepared for important medical conversations.

“To keep your health information protected and secure, Health operates as a separate space with enhanced privacy to protect sensitive data. Conversations in Health are not used to train our foundation models. If you start a health-related conversation in ChatGPT, we’ll suggest moving into Health for these additional protections.”

OpenAI adds that access to ChatGPT Health has started with a small group of early users to learn and continue refining the experience, adding that users with ChatGPT Free, Go, Plus, and Pro plans outside of the European Economic Area, Switzerland, and the UK are eligible.

“As we make improvements, we plan to expand access and make Health available to all users on web and iOS in the coming weeks.

“Medical record integrations and some apps are available in the US only, and connecting Apple Health requires iOS.”


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Kaspersky Shares AI Cybersecurity Predictions for 2026

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Kaspersky experts outline how the rapid development of AI is reshaping the cybersecurity landscape in 2026, both for individual users and for businesses. Large language models (LLMs) are influencing defensive capabilities while simultaneously expanding opportunities for threat actors.

Deepfakes are becoming a mainstream technology, and awareness will continue to grow. Companies are increasingly discussing the risks of synthetic content and training employees to reduce the likelihood of falling victim to it. As the volume of deepfakes grows, so does the range of formats in which they appear.

At the same time, awareness is rising not only within organisations but also among regular users: end consumers encounter fake content more often and better understand the nature of such threats. As a result, deepfakes are becoming a stable element of the security agenda, requiring a systematic approach to training and internal policies.

Deepfake quality will improve through better audio and a lowering barrier to entry. The visual quality of deepfakes is already high, while realistic audio remains the main area for future growth.

At the same time, content generation tools are becoming easier to use: even non-experts can now create a mid-quality deepfake in just a few clicks. As a result, the average quality continues to rise, creation becomes accessible to a far broader audience, and these capabilities will inevitably continue to be leveraged by cybercriminals.

Online deepfakes will continue to evolve but remain tools for advanced users. Real-time face and voice swapping technologies are improving, but their setup still requires more advanced technical skills. Wide adoption is unlikely, yet the risks in targeted scenarios will grow: increasing realism and the ability to manipulate video through virtual cameras make such attacks more convincing.

Efforts to develop a reliable system for labelling AI-generated content will continue. There are still no unified criteria for reliably identifying synthetic content, and current labels are easy to bypass or remove, especially when working with open-source models. For this reason, new technical and regulatory initiatives aimed at addressing the problem are likely to emerge.

Open-weight models will approach top closed models in many cybersecurity-related tasks, which create more opportunities for misuse. Closed models still offer stricter control mechanisms and safeguards, limiting abuse.

However, open-source systems are rapidly catching up in functionality and circulate without comparable restrictions. This blurs the difference between proprietary models and open-source models both of which can be used efficiently for undesired or malicious purposes.

The line between legitimate and fraudulent AI-generated content will become increasingly blurred. AI can already produce well-crafted scam emails, convincing visual identities, and high-quality phishing pages.

At the same time, major brands are adopting synthetic materials in advertising, making AI-generated content look familiar and visually “normal.” As a result, distinguishing real from fake will become even more challenging, both for users and for automated detection systems.

AI will become a cross-chain tool in cyberattacks and be used across most stages of the kill chain. Threat actors already employ LLMs to write code, build infrastructure, and automate operational tasks.

Further advances will reinforce this trend: AI will increasingly support multiple stages of an attack, from preparation and communication to assembling malicious components, probing for vulnerabilities and deploying tools. Attackers will also work to hide signs of AI involvement, making such operations harder to analyse.

“While AI tools are being used in cyberattacks, they are also becoming a more common tool in security analysis and influence how SOC teams work. Agent-based systems will be able to continuously scan infrastructure, identify vulnerabilities, and gather contextual information for investigations, reducing the amount of manual routine work.

“As a result, specialists will shift from manually searching for data to making decisions based on already-prepared context. In parallel, security tools will transition to natural-language interfaces, enabling prompts instead of complex technical queries,” adds Vladislav Tushkanov, Research Development Group Manager at Kaspersky.

 


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