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Zain Links South-South with Fixed Phones, Connects All

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Zain is offering the South-South Region residents – particularly students, travellers and those who live and work in places where access to traditional mobile phone is restricted – an opportunity to communicate with the launch of Fixed Phones in that area.

The newly launched Zain’s Fixed Phone or unmanned payphone in the region is also expected to increase the options available to customers and remove barriers to access to communication services including the need to own a mobile phone, which have prevented several people from enjoying the benefits of the ongoing telecom revolution in Nigeria.

The company became the first operator to introduce Fixed Phones in Nigeria when it rolled out the device in April 2008, at the Covenant University, Ota and Redeemer University, Mowe, both in Ogun State; and in various villages including Awgu and Ogwute in the South-East Region, and Ikom in South-South.

According to Imeh James, Zain Nigeria’s general manager, South-South Region, the Fixed Phone is designed to provide Nigerians in the area unrestricted access to telecoms services irrespective of their income level, social status, age, job, and location.

He said the introduction of the service further demonstrates Zain’s commitment to empowering all Nigerians to communicate, adding that the launch of Fixed Phone has opened a fresh opportunity for more Nigerians particularly youths, rural residents and low income earners in the region by offering them easy and convenient access to telephone service at an affordable rate.

Speaking at the commissioning ceremony in Benin City, Imeh said the introduction is also expected to boost businesses in the region by creating jobs for many youths in the area and reinforce family and business ties including helping traders keep tap on market prices and helping students stay in touch with their parents while at school.

Zain has deployed Fixed Phone in several cities and communities across Nigeria to improve access to telephone in both rural and urban areas particularly in Universities, Polytechnics, secondary schools, hospitals, camp grounds, among others.

Zain’s GSM Fixed Phones are wireless devices or terminals which are accessible to users all the time and do not require human control and use of mobile handset.

Users of the service do not need to own a mobile phone and can make a call on the Fixed Phone terminal with a special SIM card which has the attributes of a regular SIM card.

Calls can be made on the Zain Fixed Phone terminal by inserting the special SIM card into the device and dialling the numbers on the keys. Users can also send and receive SMS, retrieve voicemails, check credit balance, send and receive "Credit Me" and "Call Me Back" SMS (Value Added Services) on the Zain network.

The benefits of the service include ease of use, ability to monitor calls, elimination of the need to buy handsets, removal of the hassle of carrying phones, accurate and transparent billing, easy access to communication services, ability to call customers on other networks, opportunity to make and receive calls, send and receive SMS, credit, etc.

More so, users of Zain Fixed Phones can migrate to Zain’s offerings including its newly introduced "Tru Package," a stylish product designed to suit the lifestyle and aspirations of youths and the young-at-heart. With Zain Tru Package, phone users can bring down their call and SMS costs significantly, dropping call tariff to 21kobo on weekends and 25 kobo during week days and lowering SMS rate to N3 for up to 10 friends and family members who must be registered for the programme.

The company has recently extended its Fixed Phone rollout to the North Central and South-East regions of Nigeria.

 

"It is also deployed with those who reside or work in locations where access to phones are either limited or restricted, and those who would like to take advantage of the unique benefits of the service; in mind," he said.


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BoI, MTN Foundation Launch N1Bn Fund for Women Entrepreneurs

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Bank of Industry (BoI) and MTN Nigeria Foundation have launched a N1 billion Y’ellopreneur 3.0 Matching Fund to support women-owned businesses across Nigeria.

BoI, MTN Foundation Launch N1Bn Fund for Women Entrepreneurs

The fund was launched at the official unveiling of the BOI–MTN Foundation Y’ellopreneur 3.0 Matching Fund held in Lagos.

Dr Olasupo Olusi, managing director of BoI, said the initiative reflects a shared commitment to entrepreneurship and women’s empowerment.

Represented by Oluwatoyin Edu, executive director, MSMEs, Olusi, said the partnership has grown from a N100 million youth programme in 2018 to a N1 billion fund, financed equally by both institutions.

“Today, we are pleased to deepen this collaboration with the launch of the N1 billion Y’ellopreneur 3.0 Matching Fund.

“This programme aligns strongly with BoI’s 2025–2027 strategy for enterprise development and economic transformation,” he said.

Olusi said 1,000 women entrepreneurs would receive structured training, while 200 women-led MSMEs would access loans of up to N5 million each.

The BoI boss added that the programme targets sectors including agro-processing, light manufacturing, fashion, energy, waste management and digital services.

Mrs Mosun Belo-Olusoga, chairman of MTN Nigeria Foundation, said the initiative highlighted women’s critical role in economic development.

According to her, the foundation now treats women’s empowerment as central to nation-building, rather than a corporate social responsibility obligation.

Belo-Olusoga said over 5,700 women had been trained, with the programme designed to bridge economic gaps limiting women’s participation.

“This fund provides equipment financing, enabling women to transition from small-scale operations to industrial-level businesses,” she said.

She stressed the need for greater awareness, especially in rural communities, to ensure inclusiveness.

Mrs Odunayo Sanya, executive director of the foundation, said the initiative combined capacity building with access to capital.

Sanya said beneficiaries would undergo a five-week training programme by Pan-Atlantic University Enterprise Development Centre, ending with business growth plans.

She said the foundation aimed to build 30,000 female-led businesses in five years, with 10,000 expected to receive funding.

“We believe this partnership with BoI opens the door to scaling women-owned businesses through working capital and equipment financing,” she said.

Mrs Ibijoke Sanwo-Olu, wife of Lagos State governor, described the initiative as timely in tackling unemployment and unlocking women’s economic potential.

Represented by Mrs Oyinlola Agoro, she said equipping women with skills, mentorship and planning tools is vital for resilient enterprises.

Sanwo-Olu commended earlier phases, which trained over 5,700 women and supported 122 beneficiaries with equipment.

“This shows that when women are empowered, families thrive, communities prosper and the economy grows stronger.

“The N1 billion matching fund will deepen financial inclusion and promote women-led enterprises,” she said.

She reaffirmed her commitment to initiatives promoting women’s empowerment, economic independence and inclusive development.


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NSIA Sign MoU with UK’s Asset Green Ltd to Develop $496M Integrated Dairy Livestock Production Platform in Nigeria

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L-r: Rod Bassett, Asset Green Ltd Director & Agrium Capital Ltd CEO; Albrecht Frischenschlager, Group CIO, United Green Group; Aminu Umar-Sadiq, MD and CEO NSIA; and Tayo Ajayi, Vice President Head Climate & Sustainability investments. at the signing ceremony in London this week
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The Nigeria Sovereign Investment Authority (NSIA) has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with UK‑based Asset Green Ltd to advance the development of a large‑scale integrated dairy livestock production and processing platform set to transform Nigeria’s dairy industry and strengthen national food security.

Signed on Tuesday in London ahead of the State Visit, the MoU outlines the framework for collaboration and the project‑development cost commitments leading up to the formal shareholders’ agreement.

This initiative represents one of the most ambitious integrated dairy investments ever undertaken in Nigeria. It will combine 20,000 hectares of climate‑smart, regenerative crop and forage production with a modern 10,000‑milking cow dairy operation, supported by a state‑of‑the‑art processing plant capable of producing fresh milk, milk powders, butter, cream, and up to 15,000 metric tonnes of infant formula annually.

Designed to reduce Nigeria’s reliance on imported milk powder, the project will modernise agricultural practices, improve nutrition, and integrate up to 10,000 rural households into the supply chain through inclusive out‑grower schemes. Once operational, the platform is expected to generate over US$620 million annually and create 2,500 direct and 5,000 indirect jobs nationwide.

British Deputy High Commissioner, Jonny Baxter, said: “Over a decade ago, the UK provided pivotal support to Nigeria in establishing the NSIA, offering legal and financial expertise that helped lay the foundation for its successful launch and strengthening its governance and credibility.

“That early institutional investment has paid dividends, helping to build a resilient Nigerian institution capable of creating jobs and driving transformational, long‑term development.

“The NSIA and Asset Green partnership is a powerful example of how that groundwork continues to deliver impact – a full‑circle moment that reflects the long-term economic cooperation between the UK and Nigeria and the shared commitment to deepening sustainable, private‑sector‑driven growth.”

NSIA Managing Director & CEO, Aminu Umar‑Sadiq, said: “NSIA is pleased to partner with Asset Green on this transformative investment. With a project size of almost US$500 million, this is one of the most ambitious initiatives aimed at strengthening Nigeria’s food and nutrition security in a generation.

“By combining climate‑smart farming, advanced processing capacity, and inclusive out‑grower participation, we are laying the foundation for a modern, competitive dairy sector that reduces import dependence, creates meaningful jobs, and delivers long‑term value for Nigerians.”

Asset Green Ltd Director & Agrium Capital Ltd CEO, Rod Bassett, said: “This partnership between NSIA and Asset Green is the business and investment innovation required to unlock the potential of the agriculture sector in Nigeria, with the development of such a future (dairy) food system.

“The foundation of the approach is one of collaborating with NSIA and their shared vision and purpose to establish a platform to catalyse the development of such a national strategic priority. We are incredibly proud to partner with Nigeria’s premier investment institution.

“The development of greenfield projects have consistently played a major role in our history, establishing industries or nurturing young businesses that are able to deliver catalytic transformation.

This US$500 million greenfield investment in Nigeria’s dairy industry allows for the development of advanced and necessary infrastructure spanning the full production and supply system to enhance local production, reduce the reliance on the huge imports of dairy goods into Nigeria, deliver environmental services and strengthen national food sovereignty and nutritional resilience.”

 


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Kaspersky Discovers Infostealers Mimicking Claude Code, OpenClaw and Other AI Developer Tools

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In March 2026, Kaspersky Threat Research has identified a new malicious campaign targeted at developers looking for installation instructions for Claude Code, a development agent created by Anthropic. When searching for “Claude Code download”, sponsored advertisements appear at the top of the search results.

One of these ads redirects users to a malicious webpage that closely imitates the official installation documentation for Claude Code. As a result, users are tricked into installing malware which harvests sensitive information including credentials, crypto wallet data, browser sessions, and other confidential files. Similar malicious campaigns mimic other popular AI tools, including OpenClaw.

The fake documentation page is visually identical to the legitimate one and is hosted on the website-building and hosting platform Squarespace. Because the page precisely copies the original instructions, users may not notice the difference when copying and executing installation commands.

However, instead of installing the developer tool, the commands deliver malware to the victim’s system. Depending on the operating system, the malicious commands deploy different infostealers:

.  Windows systems receive Amatera, an information-stealing malware that collects data from user directories, web browsers, and cryptocurrency wallets before sending the stolen information to a remote server. Amatera has previously been observed in campaigns using the ClickFix distribution technique and is operated under a Malware-as-a-Service (MaaS) model.

 .  macOS systems receive AMOS, another infostealer previously documented in several malware campaigns targeting Apple devices. It has been described by Kaspersky before.

Kaspersky researchers also identified similar malicious campaigns targeting other popular AI tools, including OpenClaw and Doubao. Using the same approach, attackers registered multiple domains and distributed files containing the Amatera infostealer while disguising them as legitimate downloads for these tools.

“The campaign poses significant risks because AI development tools such as Claude Code and OpenClaw are widely used not only by hobbyists and automation enthusiasts but also by professional developers working in large organisations.

If infected, victims may unknowingly expose source code from active projects, confidential corporate data, authentication credentials, and private accounts. This makes such campaigns particularly dangerous for businesses whose developers rely on AI-assisted coding tools,” comments Vladimir Gursky, cybersecurity expert at Kaspersky.

In December 2025, Kaspersky detected that attackers spread a macOS infostealer using Google Ads. A specially generated chat interface designed to resemble a ChatGPT tutorial pretended to guide users through installing the Atlas Browser. The malicious instructions appeared to be hosted on a legitimate site associated with OpenAI, helping attackers gain users’ trust.


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