General News
Africa Can End Capital Flight in Technology Space via NEPAD- Monaisa

Mokgethi Monaisa, consul-general, South African (SA) High Commission in Nigeria (since January 2012) believes that both countries share similar potentials and well-positioned to influence the continent’s economic developments.
Monaisa had worked as Ambassador for SA Embassy, Antananarivo; High Commissioner, SA High Commission, Cameroon; Ambassador, SA Embassy, Gabon and Director- Human Rights, Department of International Relations and Cooperation, Pretoria Area, South Africa.
To him, Africa shouldn’t have business importing technology from other continents. In this short interview with peter ugwu, at SAGE Software Day in Nigeria 2015, he also shares some insights into the unfortunate xenophobic incident in SA recently.
Nigeria & South Africa Economic Relationship
If we look back, we will remember that there is a bi-national commission between the two countries and normally what bi-national commission implies (at the top of agenda) is business and thus far there has been so many south African companies that have invested in Nigeria and there are also Nigerians business that are in a South Africa too.
The trade balance between the two countries is increasing but it favours Nigeria more, because South Africa imports a lot of crude from Nigeria and that is what tipped the scale in favour of Nigeria. And South Africa on the other hand exports consumer products into Nigeria.
The Trade figures are in the region of 45billion South Africa Rands (SA Currency). It is quite a huge Investment. So also our relations are not only at government to government level, industry to industry level, but also at people to people level.
Grey Areas in SA and Nigeria Bi-lateral Trades
I think there are vast manufacturing opportunities in Nigeria and that is the area which really has to be boosted.
Maybe, there could be a lot challenges that Nigeria is facing and these challenges could be based on Energy (Power) because when you drive industry you have to source plenty of electrical power and there are discussion in South Africa government also to try and boost manufacturing industry in Nigeria because we also want to be importing a lot of finished products from Nigeria and Nigeria also importing finished products from south Africa.
Also there is need for the refining of petroleum product in Nigeria which is another area that has to be boosted so as to be encouraging growth.
It is not good to be exporting a lot of our raw materials to other continents; and next thing, we don’t have to go and buy the finished product, so we need to redefine our own petroleum products.
And then we are looking forward to having more and more refined products being imported by Nigeria from South Africa.
Assessment on Level of Technology Evolvement in Africa Ecosystem
Some years ago our leaders on the continent conceived the idea of the New Partnership for Africa’s Development (NEPAD) and if we can all as, African countries implement NEPAD as proposed by our leaders I think that will go a long way to promoting technology in Africa instead of looking for technology solutions elsewhere.
We have a lot of brain-powers in Africa and we need to utilize them. And we have a lot of skills that we need to tap into too.
And we have in the Diaspora, Africans who are holding positions at certain industries abroad and we could bring them with those skills into the continent, and go into production and refines our product and NEPAD could be the vehicle to achieve that.
The aim or objective of NEPAD is to inter-trade and promote investment in the continent and also to stop cash flow outside of the continent.
While we don’t break ties with our friends abroad, either in Europe or America, we don’t wish to ‘de-capitalize’ but we wish to be equal.
They need to also come and import from us finished product so we should be dealing at the same level with them as equals.
Concern of Insecurity in the Continent
It is true we are growing and going through a tough time on the continent, we see a lot of terrorist activities now, and suddenly a lot of our countries are becoming targets of these activities.
Therefore, insecurity could be part of that but also we must remember that nobody will come from anywhere else to come and secure the continent for us.
We are the ones that will secure the continent, at the same time promoting investments, build infrastructure.
They will come and destroy that, but we should also have plans in place to rebuild and with that we can boost of stronger and improved results.
I think we need to concentrate on dealing with the insecurity. We need to be able to tell people outside the continent that they can count on Africa for investment. And we need to know that we are the one to secure the continent.
Aftermath of Xenophobia
South Africa has been safe for so many years for many Africans; that is why we find many Africans residing and doing businesses in South Africa. If South Africa was not safe then we won’t have found so many Africans in the country.
About the issue of xenophobia, xenophobia is evident all over the world, as every nation has its own brand of xenophobia.
And normally xenophobia is not a policy of any government. Xenophobia is always caused by a few people and it’s not a culture of any nation.
But you find that it is in a particular minority. You may find out that there are some tendencies like those in which most of them are driven by criminals.
For instance the last xenophobic incidences in South Africa, when you look at them, they were more of criminal elements driven by their own agenda because as much as there were lots of noise about it but when you sit down and recount, you will see that there were only one foreigner who died out of that and three South Africans.
The figures we know are seven and the other three who died were unrelated to the xenophobi. It was just that they happened during that time.
But the noise that was made you will think that people have been killed at random in South Africa and there was nothing like that. What also happen then was that some people post on social Media images that have no relevance to what was happening there.
For instance there were some other images that were picked up from what happened in Rwanda during the genocide.
And then the picture depicted scenarios there were not reflective of the happenings in South Africa then.
It was only a few people in Durban, Alexander and Johannesburg that was all; South Africa will always be safe.
Even if you look there were countries that sent planes to collect their citizens but how many did really go back home?
You can count them and those who left even came back. So they will always be lot of people going to South Africa then just that tells you that South Africa has never be unsafe for anybody.
South Africa’s Expectation from Buhari Led Government
To South Africans, we hope the new government will promote democracy, push human rights and all the tenets of good governance, because they are key issues; good governance, human rights and democracy.
So, we know that Nigeria has also demonstrated that it could be one of the strong homes of democracy.
The way the elections took place and also the fact that a sitting president could be unseated through the ballot box speaks a lot about the democracy in Nigeria and we expect that the new government of Nigeria will also follow those good steps of promoting democracy and good governance.
So, we say congratulations to Nigerians for smooth elections and congratulations for exercising their right to elect the government they want.
General News
Teenager Hacks Celebrities Whatsapps, Sells Adult Content in Delta

Delta State Police Command has revealed how a 17-year-old boy allegedly hacked into celebrities’ WhatsApp accounts and sold explicit adult content to classmates.

This was disclosed in a viral video shared by comedian Otaghware Onodjayeke, popularly known as I Go Save, during a security awareness programme where he spoke with Temi Agbede-Zuokumor, divisional police officer (DPO) of Ugborikoko Division, Uvwie Local Government Area of Delta State.
The DPO explained that the case came to light after a routine check of a student’s phone, which first raised suspicion.
Agbede-Zuokumor disclosed that the student’s mother had initially claimed the phone belonged to his sister, but further inspection revealed otherwise.
“The woman looked very modest, so I asked her if she was from Deeper Life. She said no. I then asked why her son took a phone to school, and she claimed it belonged to his sister,” she narrated.
The DPO expressed that the development triggered her suspicion, prompting officers to examine the phone’s contents.
“Something told me to check the phone. When we did, we discovered that everything on the device belonged to the boy,” she said.
She added that the phone contained over 80 foreign numbers, including Australian contacts, alongside numerous explicit materials.
“We saw several foreign numbers, over 80 Australian lines, and the phone was filled with pornographic content,” she said.
The police officer further disclosed that the suspect allegedly sold explicit materials to his classmates, who referred to him as “boss.”
“We also saw chats with his classmates asking if he had explicit content to sell. They were calling him ‘boss’ in school,” she added.
According to her, investigations also revealed that the teenager had hacked into WhatsApp accounts belonging to prominent individuals and used them to solicit money.
“We discovered he had access to WhatsApp accounts of some celebrities, which he used to demand money from unsuspecting victims,” she said.
Speaking during the session, comedian I Go Save recounted a similar experience, describing how he was once contacted by a suspected fraudster impersonating Elon Musk, Forbes world richest man.
“That was how someone impersonating Elon Musk messaged me, saying he was stranded and needed a recharge card,” he said.
“I was surprised and asked which network he used. The person later sent an Opay account,” he added.
The police warned parents and school authorities to be more vigilant, stressing the growing concern of cyber-related crimes among young people.
General News
SERAP Asks Tinubu to Probe Alleged N2.9Bn Fraud In NIGCOMSAT, NNRA

Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP) has urged President Bola Tinubu to direct Bosun Tijani, minister of Communications, Innovation and Digital Economy, as well as the management of the Nigerian Communications Satellite Ltd (NIGCOMSAT) and the Nigerian Nuclear Regulatory Authority (NNRA), to account for and explain the whereabouts of an alleged ₦2.9 billion in missing or diverted public funds.

SERAP also called on Lateef Fagbemi (SAN), attorney general of the federation and minister of justice, and relevant anti-corruption agencies to investigate the alleged diversion of funds, including those documented in previous Auditor-General reports.
In a letter dated April 11, 2026, and signed by Kolawole Oluwadare, deputy director SERAP, said: “These allegations, involving critical public institutions, represent a grave violation of the public trust and a fundamental breach of Nigeria’s anti-corruption laws and international obligations.”
The group further urged the Federal Government to direct NIGCOMSAT to disclose the shareholders and beneficial owners of a company that allegedly received ₦465 million in “unauthorised investment” from the agency.
SERAP said, “Anyone suspected to be responsible should face prosecution as appropriate, if there is sufficient admissible evidence, and any missing or diverted public funds should be fully recovered and remitted to the treasury.”
The organisation gave the government seven days to comply, warning that it may initiate legal action if its demands are not met.
It also stated that accountability in both agencies is critical, given their strategic roles, saying: “Accountability in NIGCOMSAT and NNRA is critical given their strategic roles in Nigeria’s digital economy and national safety systems. Mismanagement in these agencies not only wastes scarce public resources but also threatens national development, technological progress, and public safety.”
SERAP added: “Ensuring accountability is therefore essential to protecting both Nigeria’s present and its future.”
It warned that failure to address the allegations would continue to erode public trust, stating: “These allegations, if left unaddressed, will continue to undermine public confidence in government institutions, weaken Nigeria’s anti-corruption framework, and deprive citizens of resources needed for development.”
The allegations were drawn from the Auditor-General’s report published on September 9, 2025, which examined financial activities in NIGCOMSAT and NNRA and raised concerns over possible mismanagement of public funds.
According to the report, NIGCOMSAT failed to account for over ₦465 million used for an “unauthorised investment” in Gicell Wireless Ltd, made without approvals from the Minister of Science and Technology and the Accountant-General of the Federation.
It also noted that “there was also no evidence that a competent Investment Analyst performed investment appraisal,” while the investment agreement raised concerns over valuation and exchange rate assumptions.
The Auditor-General further stated that “NIGCOMSAT made ineligible, irregular and wrong payments of over ₦3 million to staff,” and that “the payment was made without due process and any documents on what the payments were meant for.”
It also flagged an irregular rent payment of over ₦4.3 million, noting that although a refund was requested, “there was no evidence that the consultant refunded the money.”
It added that NIGCOMSAT “failed to remit over ₦507 million of its internally generated revenue to the Consolidated Revenue Fund,” while also failing to account for over ₦6 million for undelivered store items.
The report further stated that “there was also no evidence of how the transferred funds were spent or utilised,” referring to an irregular ₦84.78 million transfer from a Remita account to a special project account.
On NNRA, the report alleged that ₦4.35 million was spent on training without evidence that it took place, while ₦16.7 million was paid for ICT equipment without approval.
It also stated that ₦33.4 million was spent on items that were never supplied, and that “there were no documents to support” several payments for operational activities.
The Auditor-General further noted that NNRA “failed to retire over ₦6.5 million of cash advances granted to staff,” and that ₦2.05 million paid for foreign training had no evidence of participation.
It also stated that ₦1.95 million collected through Remita was not recorded in the agency’s cashbook, leading to concerns of revenue understatement.
SERAP said the findings point to “a systemic pattern of financial mismanagement, opacity, and corruption within an agency entrusted with advancing Nigeria’s digital and communications infrastructure,” adding that NNRA’s lapses also raise serious concerns about compliance with safety and financial regulations.
General News
IHS Nigeria Renovates, Upgrade Facilities at the National Museum Lagos

IHS Nigeria, part of the IHS Holding Limited (“IHS Towers”) group, one of the largest independent owners, operators, and developers of shared communications infrastructure in the world by tower count, has partnered with the National Commission for Museums and Monuments to renovate and upgrade facilities at the National Museum, Lagos.

Commissioned by the Honorable Minister of Art, Culture, Tourism and the Creative Economy, Hannatu Musawa, the project is a significant step towards restoring and improving critical facilities at the museum complex, while supporting the long-term preservation of Nigeria’s cultural assets and heritage.
The project has improved the overall aesthetic appeal of the museum site and featured extensive restoration of the museum’s main gallery. The restored gallery incorporates the installation of modern display and lighting systems, air‑conditioning units, a solar inverter system to enhance energy efficiency, and surveillance cameras to aid safety, security and operational performance across the facility. These renovations and upgrades follow on from IHS Nigeria’s sponsorship of the museum’s efforts to digitize Nigeria’s cultural heritage and launch Nigeria’s first digital museum of antiquities at www.museum.ng.
Mohamad Darwish, CEO, IHS Nigeria, commented, “Having seen the rich historical and cultural heritage housed in this national museum complex, we believed it was important to go a step further after supporting the development of the digital museum, to also improve the aesthetics, security and structural integrity of the main physical complex. This aligns with our broader commitment to sustainable infrastructure development and the preservation of Nigeria’s history.
“I am proud of these renovations and that visitors, including tourists, researchers and art enthusiasts, can visit the museum to be immersed in Nigeria’s rich history in an environment that is safe, beautiful and welcoming.
“The artifacts can also now be better preserved, protected and presented in a way that celebrates the history they represent. I thank the National Commission for Museums and Monuments for this ongoing partnership which continues to exemplify the power of a collaborative effort in driving innovation, fostering national pride, and enhancing the creative economy.”
Olugbile Holloway, Director General, National Commission for Museums and Monuments, commented, “On behalf of the National Commission for Museums and Monuments, I wish to express our deepest gratitude to IHS Nigeria for their generous support of the restoration of the National Museum, Lagos. This landmark gesture goes far beyond bricks and mortar — it is a profound commitment to preserving the soul of our nation.
“The National Museum Lagos is home to some of Nigeria’s most treasured antiquities, from the ancient terracotta of the Nok civilization to the magnificent bronzes of the Benin Kingdom and the classical works of Ife.
“To restore this institution is to restore our collective memory. We thank IHS Nigeria for choosing to renew not just infrastructure, but the heritage, identity, and the hope of our people. Their support ensures that generations of Nigerians yet unborn will walk through these halls and encounter the full greatness of who we are and where we come from.”
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