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Akure Agog for #NCSAkure2015, Speakers Make Case for Digital Nigeria
Nigeria Computer Society (NCS) 12th International Conference tagged #NCSAkure2015 commenced yesterday in Akure, Ondo State, providing opportunities for policy makers, public and private sector, IT practitioners and the academia to keep up-to-date with technology trends.
Declaring the Conference open, Professor David Adewumi, NCS President, said that the Conference was timely following renewed calls on both private and public sectors to intensity efforts in deepening Nigeria’s information technology sector for Inclusive development.
Adewumi said, aside NCS Conference 2015 serving critical purpose of activating and engendering the digital future of Nigeria, government and investors must show relentless effort to examine pertinent tech issues, new models for innovation acceleration, 21st century human capital, local content development, broadband access and cybersecurity.
“We are here to look at actionable initiatives that will be developed to advance the IT profession and industry and build an inclusive Digital Nigeria. We cannot continue to decry the state of insecurity in Nigeria if we have not tested technology; likewise other issues in the society.
The NCS President said that the theme of this year “Information Technology for Inclusive Development”, was more appropriate now in the country considering that development in all ramifications is pivoted in IT.
According to NCS, the fall of global oil prices and the refusal of most developed economies to buy the Nigeria crude oil due to either gloat in the global in the global market or alternative/cheaper sources have affected Nigeria’s economy too.
In a keynote address, Dr. Anu Gokhale, coordinator, Computer Systems Technology Program, Illinois State University, United States of America, highlighted the need to focus on education as part of measures to setting the nation’s IT approach right.
She gave STEM+C an acronym for Science, Technology, Engineering, Mathematics, plus Computing, as foundational approach to a knowledge based economy.
Gokhale maintained that Nigeria stands to benefit from the approach hence the leaders align with the global business and political leaders thinking by demanding that schools develop skills such as problem solving, critical thinking, communication, collaboration, and self-management, often referred to as ’21st Century skills’.
She also called for the employment of sophisticated data mining techniques to decipher information, and verify what’s learned by the students.
Speaking during the plenary session, Mr. Tope Aladenusi, cyber risk services leader, Deloitte Nigeria, said that issues around cybersecurity should be accorded priority at the national level.
He said that the intensity and impacts of Cybersecurity are due to heavy reliance on cyber; interdependence of industries and sectors of the economy; complexity and volume of threats; velocity of change; highly centralised operations which are potential for catastrophic physical and economic damages.
To enhance cybersecurity and resiliency of CII, he said that stakeholders must unite to identify specific CII; development and enforcement of a framework/standard for protection of CII and education and awareness must not be neglected.
He said that the national officers should not regard cybersecurity culture and resilience of critical information infrastructure (CII) as a destination rather an endless journey.
On his part, Mr. Martin Eigbike, Global Programs lead, Accenture Nigeria, and West Africa, said that smart city models and broadband availability are also on the front burner, seeking government’s attention and public sector ingenuity in developing systems for their actuality.
“Globally, the challenges of urbanisation and environmental change are driving cities to seek new solutions “, he asserted.
According to Eigbike, several cities around the world are using ‘intelligent’ and ‘point smart’ solutions to meet these challenges and Nigeria should not be any different.
“We define an intelligent City as, a ‘digitally-enriched sustain urban environment”, he said.
He said there are identifiable and broad range of intelligent and point smart solutions that are applicable across various aspects of the economy, such as media and communications; real sector; Financial sector; Public administration and energy.
He then called for the deployment of intelligent city solutions to aid humans in managing some conditions in the society. Such solutions, he said, include smart street lighting and signs; smart bus stops; smart parking; remote expert government services and smart metering.
DataPro Rating Agency has upgraded the long-term credit rating of Dangote Cement Plc to AA+ from AA, citing the company’s strong financial performance, market leadership and ability to meet its financial obligations despite Nigeria’s challenging economic environment.
In its latest rating report, the technology-driven credit rating agency also affirmed Dangote Cement’s short-term rating at A1, with a Stable Outlook. The ratings are valid until June 16, 2027.
DataPro said the upgrade reflects the cement maker’s sustained financial strength, resilient operating performance and dominant position in Nigeria and across Africa.
According to the agency, the assessment followed a comprehensive review of the company’s capital base, earnings, liquidity, corporate governance, regulatory compliance and the sustainability of its financial performance over the medium to long term.
It noted that Dangote Cement’s strong brand, leading market share, solid earnings, robust asset base and experienced management continue to strengthen its ability to meet financial commitments on time.
The agency also highlighted the company’s outstanding financial performance in 2025.
According to the report, Dangote Cement posted N4.31 trillion in revenue during the year, representing a 20 per cent increase from the previous year. Profit before tax more than doubled, rising 109 per cent to N1.53 trillion, driven by higher sales, improved operating efficiency, lower finance costs and a stronger capital structure.
DataPro said the AA+ long-term rating indicates low credit risk and reflects excellent financial strength, business profile and operating performance relative to its rating benchmarks.
It added that the A1 short-term rating signifies good credit quality and shows that the company has a strong capacity to meet its short-term financial obligations as they fall due.
The rating agency, however, noted that the credit rating has a maximum shelf life of 12 calendar months in line with international best practice and should be used only as a reference, not as an offer to trade in securities or as a substitute for investors’ independent judgement.
Xora Finance has announced it will no longer consider job applicants from Nigeria.
Xora Finance is a digital bank founded by Joren Lundgren, in February 2026 and allows users to deposit and earn interest on their XRP cryptocurrency.
Lundgren, founder, in an announcement on X (formerly Twitter), cited an ongoing pattern of misconduct, such as dishonesty and theft, from previous Nigerian hires as the reason for the decision.
This sudden blanket ban came just days after the company’s official career page was aggressively recruiting remote workers for marketing and content roles.
The announcement generated heavy backlash online, with many people upset that a blanket rule punishes honest job seekers.
Some lawyers have said that victims of Ponzi schemes have legal remedies, although recovering lost funds and prosecuting perpetrators remain major challenges.
A Ponzi scheme is an investment fraud that pays existing investors with funds collected from new participants rather than from actual profits.
Operators lure victims by promising high returns with little to no risk.
The scheme inevitably collapses when the flow of new investors slows down.
Some lawyers who spoke to News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) separate interviews with on Sunday, said that victims could pursue civil actions to recover their money.
Mr Chibuikem Opara, a lawyer at Justification Chambers, Ikeja,said many Nigerians continued to fall victim to Ponzi schemes in spite of repeated warnings.
Opara said it was wrong to attribute participation in Ponzi schemes to a lack of investment opportunities, noting that promoters often exploit investors’ greed through promises of unrealistic returns.
“What you cannot take away is the fact that many Nigerians have fallen and continue to fall victim to these schemes every time,” he said.
According to him, victims may individually or collectively institute civil actions against the beneficiary company for breach of contract or refund arising from failure of consideration.
Opara said victims could also unite to seek an order from the Federal High Court to wind up the beneficiary company.
He, however, noted that such efforts might yield little benefit if perpetrators had already siphoned the funds and left behind an empty shell.
The lawyer said available remedies largely depended on the actions of relevant authorities, adding that recipient accounts could be frozen to facilitate fund recovery and support winding-up proceedings.
Opara said regulators and law enforcement agencies often became aware of Ponzi schemes only after substantial losses had occurred.
According to him, victims frequently failed to report suspicious schemes early enough to enable timely intervention.
He added that funds are sometimes moved outside the country before authorities become aware of the fraud.
Opara also cited inadequate information and the deceptive nature of the schemes as major obstacles to investigation and prosecution.
“Most times, everything about the schemes is made to appear elusive, just like the profits promised to victims,” he said.
Also speaking, Mr Vincent Aminu of A.F. Aminu and Co. advised that victims of investment scams should report such cases to appropriate law enforcement agencies on time.
Aminu said victims could petition the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) or file reports with the police.
He said that after investigation, prosecutors could bring charges against suspects under relevant fraud-related laws, including provisions of the Criminal Code and the Advance Fee Fraud and Other Fraud Related Offences Act.
Beyond criminal prosecution, Aminu said .victims could pursue civil actions to recover their money
According to him, such actions may be based on breach of contract, unjust enrichment, or fraudulent misrepresentation, depending on the circumstances.
He added that victims could petition the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), which could investigate illegal operators, shut down unauthorised platforms, and freeze assets.
He identified the anonymity of online fraudsters as one of the biggest challenges confronting investigators.
According to him, many operators concealed their identities through fake digital profiles and technologies that made tracking them difficult.
Aminu also noted that victims who delayed taking legal action risked losing opportunities for redress.
He added that prolonged court proceedings often delayed justice for victims.
“Many fraud-related cases take years before the court reaches a verdict, thereby delaying justice for victims,” he said.
Also, Mr Chris Ayiyi of Ayiyi Chambers, Apapa, described Ponzi schemes as a gamble that benefited early participants at the expense of later investors.
Ayiyi said some early entrants received returns on their investments, thereby encouraging others to join the schemes.
He said the schemes eventually collapsed, leaving late investors to bear the losses
The lawyer called for a complete ban on Ponzi schemes or sustained public enlightenment campaigns against them.
He urged the National Assembly to enact laws that would strengthen regulation and provide greater protection for investors.
According to him, stronger legal safeguards are necessary in a country operating a capital-based economy.
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