E-Business
Pantami Urges Nigerian ICT Players to Embrace New Technologies
Dr. Isa Ibrahim Panatami, Minister of Communications and Digital Economy, has challenged all stakeholders in the Nigerian ICT sector to transform their businesses by embracing new technologies and leveraging opportunities offered by African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA).
This he said will engender expansion and growth of their businesses and by extension our national economy with a resultant effect of more jobs, wealth and improved standard of living for the majority of our people.
Dr. Pantami gave the charge while delivering his keynote address at the 2019 edition of the Local Content Roundtable and Tech Fair sponsored by FinTrak Software held in Abuja.
The event is an annual platform to promote products and services of local players in the Information & Communications Technology sector with the theme: Patronage of Nigerian Software in the Context of AfCFTA and the Local Content Policy.
When implemented, he said AfCFTA will open new markets and provide more opportunities to Nigerian ICT players, specifically Software Companies, assuring that Nigeria will do its best to speedily ratify the Agreement in order to fully operationalize it.
‘‘I challenge all stakeholders in the Nigerian ICT sector to transform their businesses by embracing new technologies and leveraging opportunities offered by African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA). Nigeria will do its best to speedily ratify the Agreement in order to fully operationalize it.
‘‘While there have been discussions on the pros and cons of this agreement on the Nigerian economy, we firmly believe that the impact will be largely positive for the software sub-sector of the Nigerian ICT industry.
It is on record that several Nigerian software products are already being exported and used in other African countries, so AfCFTA is bound to open new markets and provide more opportunities to the Nigerian software companies.
‘‘This will inevitably result in the scaling up of these companies, which will result in more job opportunities and inevitably contribute to increasing the ICT sector contribution to the national GDP.’’
On his part, the Minister said the ministry had instituted the Local Content in ICT Policy by developing and launching the ‘Guidelines for Nigerian Content Development in ICT” In December 2013.
‘‘Thereafter, the Office for Nigerian Content Development in ICT (ONC) was strategically created under the National Information and Communication Development Agency (NITDA) to drive the policy and ensure nationwide adherence with a specific focus on four (4) main areas of ICT Services, Software, Human capital, and Hardware.
‘‘The ONC was charged with growing the Indigenous ICT industry at a level of making a double-digit contribution to Nigeria’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP). This was to be achieved by ensuring that local ICT companies were supported to participate significantly in the various ICF sector value chain.
‘‘During my tenure as the Director-General and Chief Executive at NITDA, we revisited an existing government circular which directed all Federal Public Institutions to obtain clearance from NITDA before embarking on any IT project.
We subsequent” issued the “Guideline on IT project Clearance” to assist in the harmonization of IT projects being implemented by Federal public institutions, with a view to achieving cost reduction in IT projects executions, eliminating duplication and ensuring the development of the local IT market through increased patronage by government.
Earlier in his address, Bimbo Abioye, the GMD, FinTrak Software, said the focus of the meeting was to expose the solutions that had been tested in private sector of the economy to the public sector and ensure that we begin to patronize solutions that were developed in Nigeria to strengthen our capacity, stem the tide of foreign exchange outflow and provide employment for teeming Nigerians.
Abioye lamented the insatiable quest for foreign software by both private and public sectors over the years, which he said had led to the loss of billions of naira annually thus enriching foreign nations and providing employment for their nationals.
He said this culture and practice were perpetrated because of our tendencies not to believe in ourselves and trust what we produce or do as Nigerians.
According to him, ‘‘there are blames on all sided for these as the get rich quick of fellow Nigerians and corruption I high places and production of substandard and poorly supported solutions.’’
Pan-African digital rights organisation Paradigm Initiative (PIN) has warned that violent extremist groups are increasingly exploiting digital platforms to recruit, radicalise and manipulate young people across the Sahel region.
The organisation raised the concern in a new policy brief titled “Digital Frontlines: Countering Online Radicalisation and Violent Extremist Narratives in the Sahel.”
According to the publication, extremist groups are shifting from traditional recruitment methods to digital platforms, including social media, encrypted messaging applications, short-form video platforms and online financial incentives, to target vulnerable populations.
PIN noted that unemployed youths and people facing insecurity and limited economic opportunities are particularly susceptible to online recruitment campaigns.
The organisation said that although governments have intensified efforts to combat violent extremism, responses to the digital dimension of the threat have failed to keep pace with rapidly evolving online tactics.
It argued that addressing online radicalisation requires more than surveillance and restrictive measures, recommending investments in digital literacy, stronger community resilience, improved early-warning systems and credible counter-narratives.
PIN also urged governments to work closely with technology companies and civil society organisations to disrupt extremist recruitment while protecting citizens’ digital rights.
The report further highlighted the growing convergence between organised crime and violent extremist groups, noting that online propaganda increasingly promises financial rewards, belonging and purpose to vulnerable young people.
According to the organisation, this trend underscores the need for policymakers to prioritise prevention alongside conventional security responses.
Speaking on the findings, Moussa Waly SENE, Programmes Officer for Francophone Africa at Paradigm Initiative, described the digital space as a new frontline in the fight against violent extremism.
“As more young Africans come online, stakeholders must ensure that digital platforms remain spaces for opportunity, innovation and civic participation, not recruitment grounds for violent extremist groups. Protecting digital rights and protecting vulnerable communities should be mutually reinforcing objectives,” he said.
Among its recommendations, the policy brief called for stronger regional cooperation to tackle cross-border online extremist networks, rights-respecting content moderation and greater accountability by digital platforms.
It also advocated expanded digital literacy programmes to strengthen resilience against online manipulation and community-led initiatives that empower young people to identify and reject extremist narratives.
The organisation further urged policymakers to develop security measures that balance national security objectives with the protection of privacy, freedom of expression and access to information.
E-Business
Kaspersky Reveals a New Malicious Framework Targeting Cryptocurrency Users with the Use of OkoSpyware
At its recent annual Cyber Security Weekend for the Middle East, Turkiye and Africa (META) region, Kaspersky Global Research and Analysis Team (GReAT) shared insights about the new OkoBot campaign targeting cryptocurrency users.
The new sophisticated framework employs TookPS to exfiltrate seed phrases and uses a new OkoSpyware module to monitor Chromium-based browsers and deploy various malware strains, including the Rilide stealer.
It has already targeted hundreds of victims across over 25 countries, with the highest number of affected end users recorded in Brazil, Vietnam, Canada, Mexico and Turkiye. According to Kaspersky experts, the threat remains active and primarily poses a risk to cryptocurrency users.
In January 2026, experts from the Kaspersky Global Research and Analysis Team (GReAT) identified multiple attacks involving a previously unknown malware capable of capturing the contents of cryptocurrency wallet windows. Dubbed Okobot, the new sophisticated malware framework comprises more than 20 malicious payloads and implants designed to perform a wide range of functions, including collecting local files, executing remote commands, downloading arbitrary browser extensions, stealing cryptocurrency wallets, harvesting seed phrases and credentials, recording video and carrying out other malicious activities.
One of the new implants used in the campaign is a loader that modifies browser memory to load and hide malicious extensions. OkoBot also includes a new OkoSpyware module, which captures keystrokes and the video stream of a target application’s window.
Currently available information does not allow the campaign to be attributed to any known crimeware actor with high confidence. However, the techniques and infostealer involved are widely used by Russian-speaking threat actors, and technical analysis has also revealed code artifacts in Russian.
The initial infection typically occurs through two main vectors: ClickFix attacks, in which threat actors use social engineering to trick users into running malicious code, and malware distributed via GitHub under the guise of legitimate software. During the investigation, researchers identified one such case involving a fake installer for SQL Server Management Studio (SSMS), a widely used Microsoft database management tool.
The malicious framework includes SeedHunter, a malware component that monitors active system processes and injects an implant into Trezor Suite, Ledger Wallet, and Ledger Live, – official applications used to manage cryptocurrency assets. When it detects a connected Trezor or Ledger hardware wallet, it triggers the hooked functions to display a hard-coded phishing page aimed at stealing the user’s seed phrase, using a distinct layout for each wallet type.
“The OkoBot campaign has been active for more than a year and remained ongoing as of July 2026. The observed infection vectors strongly suggest that developers are among its primary targets. Of particular concern is the malware’s continued evolution, which indicates that the framework is being actively maintained. As distribution efforts persist, the campaign has the potential to reach more users and expand into additional countries in the near term,” says Dmitry Galov, Head of the Russia and CIS unit at Kaspersky Global Research and Analysis Team.
Afri Invoice, one of Nigeria’s leading accredited e-invoicing service providers, has announced plans to recruit more than 100 professionals nationwide to strengthen support for the Nigeria Revenue Service’s (NRS) mandatory e-invoicing compliance programme.
The recruitment campaign, is aimed at expanding the company’s workforce to meet the growing demand for digital tax infrastructure and help businesses transition smoothly to the country’s evolving e-invoicing regime.
According to the company, the new positions will be spread across Nigeria’s six geopolitical zones to ensure businesses receive timely, localised support as they adapt to the new tax compliance framework.
The vacancies cut across several key departments, including Information Technology (IT), Marketing and Digital Marketing, Audit, Legal, Human Resources and multi-site office operations.
Afri Invoice said applicants are expected to possess relevant professional experience, particularly in managing operations across multiple locations and supporting organisational growth.
The company explained that the latest recruitment drive builds on a similar exercise conducted last year, which significantly expanded its operational reach and increased its capacity to onboard clients nationwide.
With the NRS intensifying the implementation of mandatory e-invoicing, Afri Invoice said it is investing in additional manpower to ensure uninterrupted service delivery, efficient client onboarding and expert technical support for businesses of all sizes.
Speaking on the expansion, the Founder and Chief Executive Officer of Afri Invoice, Mark Odenore, said the company remains committed to helping Nigerian businesses comply with the new tax regulations through innovative technology and professional support.
“As the national drive toward comprehensive e-invoicing gathers momentum under the Nigeria Revenue Service, our mission is to ensure that Nigerian businesses have a reliable, accredited partner to navigate this transition effortlessly,” Odenore said.
He added that recruiting more than 100 professionals across the country’s geopolitical zones would significantly strengthen the company’s ability to provide quality technology solutions and customer support nationwide.
Interested and qualified candidates have been encouraged to submit their applications through Afri Invoice’s official careers portal.
Afri Invoice is an accredited e-invoicing service provider that offers digital solutions designed to simplify financial processes, improve tax transparency and support businesses in complying with national tax regulations while enhancing supply chain and financial management.
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