News
The PTF Collaboration Model Mitigating COVID-19 in Nigeria

By Chido Nwakanma
There is a long list of organizations and individuals that have been “supporting Nigeria’s emergency response to COVID-19”. Their assistance speaks to the various collaborations and partnerships behind the successful coordination and management of the country’s most significant health emergency in recent memory.

On the exhaustive list include the United Nations, the European Union, Bill and Melinda Gates, Jack Ma Foundation, the China Civil Engineering Construction Corporation, Nigerian Breweries, Nestle Nigeria, BUA Group, Dangote Foundation, the Chinese Chamber of Commerce and Tolaram Group, Me Cure Industries Limited, Flood Relief Fund, Tata Agro Chemicals, MTN Nigeria, Friesland Campina WAMCO.
The support from donors, private sector, individuals both in Nigeria and outside of the country are too many to detail.
However, this positive landscape of private and donor support to the COVID response was marred recently with controversy. Much drama attended the discovery of warehouses containing COVID-19 palliatives for citizens across several states in the wake of the #ENDSARS protests.
Disgruntled citizens, hoodlums, and even security officials scrambled for palliatives while unscrupulous individuals engaged in vandalism of properties.
These actions shocked well-meaning Nigerians, leading to many questions and many lessons for all parties. The key revelation was the unravelling of the collaboration model that secured the procurement and deployment of the palliatives in question.
The Coalition Against COVID-19 (CACOVID) is a private-sector task force partnering with the Federal Government, through the Presidential Task Force on COVID-19 (PTF), with the sole aim of supporting Nigeria’s COVID-19 response. They are a shining star in that exhaustive list of support to Nigeria.
CACOVID, following consultations with partners including the PTF, purchased food items and supplies for distribution by State Governments to citizens. It was the public face of a synergy that has worked well since Nigeria began its COVID-19 response with the establishment of a collaboration model to drive the efforts.
CACOVID garnered resources and expertise across industries to provide technical and operational support while funding and building advocacy through aggressive community-focused awareness campaigns.
In alignment with the PTF, CACOVID was instrumental in the construction of isolation and treatment centres as well as supporting Intensive Care Units and molecular testing laboratories across the country.
Most recently, they supported the re-opening of the Lagos and Abuja international airports with the establishment of the Nigeria International Travel Portal (NITP – www. https://nitp.ncdc.gov.ng) responsible for channeling all international travellers through a protocol of mandatory PCR testing, registration, self-isolation and retesting upon arrival to Nigeria.
CACOVID has worked closely with the PTF to deliver its programmes through a coordinated approach that is an exemplar of both government-to-private sector partnership.
PTF has replicated this model across the government and donor landscape. Through its Secretariat, it coordinates the efforts of the various MDAs and partners to avoid duplication of efforts and facilitate the seamless and targeting channelling of resources.
It works closely with the donor community and multilateral organisations such as the World Health Organisation, the UK Cabinet Office, the World Bank and various agencies in the United Nations System.
It got assistance on project management and governance from firms such as Price Waterhouse Coopers (PWC), Nigeria Economic Summit Group, eHealth, Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, and many more.
Another outcome of effective collaboration is the establishment of the COVID transparency trackers that foster the PTF’s mandated good governance and accountability frameworks. These are the Incidence and Response Tracker Dashboard developed by the Nigerian Economic Summit Group and the COVID-19 Resource Tracking Dashboard developed by the United Nations Development Programme.
PTF deployed the Incidence and Response Tracker Dashboard in support of the National COVID-19 Multi-Sectoral Pandemic Response Plan to publicize and track the resource requirements across all 36 states and the FCT.
They also bridge gaps that exist in three critical priority areas – testing; treatment and isolation; and contact tracing and tracking.
As a result of the PTF partnership model, the UN launched the One UN COVID-19 Response Basket Fund to complement efforts to mobilise resources in support of Nigeria’s pandemic response plan.
The Presidential Task Force on COVID-19 developed the program in partnership with the UN System. The Basket Fund serves as the centralized COVID-19 Financing and Investment Platform.
Different stakeholders (including UN, other multilateral and bilateral donors, as well as private sector donors, foundations and philanthropists) channel their financial support to the multi-sectoral efforts of the Presidential Task Force on COVID-19 Response. This enables transparency and accountability.
Chairman of the PTF and the Secretary to the Federal Government, Mr Boss Mustapha credits the PTF successes to its broad-based collaborations within government and across the private sector and donor community.
The PTF and its partners must continue and scale up the interventions in a transparent and proactive manner. They must also mitigate any gaps and failures within their partnership structures.
Specifically, the collaboration with CACOVID and the State Governments to ensure effective distribution of relief materials urgently and equitably to circumvent delays and provide much-needed economic support to the vulnerable.
Chido Nwakanma is a Marketing Communications expert
News
BoI, MTN Foundation Launch N1Bn Fund for Women Entrepreneurs

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.

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

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

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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