News
CIS Unveils Honour Roll, Seeks Funding Support
The Chartered Institute of Stockbrokers (CIS) has unveiled Roll of Honour for 57 companies and 24 individuals that supported its acquisition and renovation of a new corporate headquarters even as it is seeking grants and other forms of financial support from the market regulators.
As part of its strategic positioning for enhanced training and certification of securities professionals in Nigeria, the Institute has acquired and renovated a state-of -the art Office at highbrow Ikoyi axis of Lagos.
Welcoming guests at the unveiling of the Roll of Honour and inauguration of Special Facilities in the new Head Office, the President and Chairman of the Council, Mr Olatunde Amolegbe appreciated all institutions and individuals that contributed towards acquisition and renovation of the new Secretariat and appealed for others’ support.
Amolegbe explained that the Institute needed more funds to enable it operate optimally, given its strategic roles of capacity building, certification and advocacy.
“As the training and certification body within the Capital Market, our Institute requires sustainable financing that goes beyond members’ annual subscription. I therefore, request that our regulators take a second look at the funding structure within the capital market with the objective of accommodating the CIS in the structure.
“By this, an arrangement could be made that provides CIS with annual grants from the various regulatory bodies and platforms within the market. This will no doubt enhance the Institute’s ability to discharge its statutory roles optimally, ”Amolegbe said.
In his goodwill message, the Director-General, Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), Dr Lamido Yuguda explained that the Institute played crucial roles in Nigeria and its influence in the market had continued to grow.
Yuguda who was represented by the Commission’s Director of Monitoring, Mr Isyaku Tilde, noted that the Institute had through its training, produced seasoned professionals who had contributed in many ways to the development of the market.
“I am confident that with the acquisition of this new secretariat, the Institute will be more efficient and better empowered to effectively and efficiently perform its duties and responsibilities.
“The CIS plays an important role in the Nigerian Capital market and over the years. Its influence on the market has continued to grow. In particular, the CIS, has through its training programmes produced seasoned professionals who have in several ways contributed to the development of the market and the improvement of standards and practices, ”said Yuguda.
Mr Oscar Onyema, the Group Chief Executive Officer, NGX, stated that NGX, The Nigerian Exchange Limited would continue to support the Institute in various capacities, given the relevance of stockbrokers to the nation’s economic growth and development.
The Special Guest of Honour and Nigerian oldest practising stockbroker, Otunba Olasubomi Balogun in his remarks said his establishment of the first Nigerian wholly owned Stockbroking Company, CSL Securities had continued to endear him into the capital market operations and pledged to remain committed to the ideals of the Institute.
Corroborating him, Professor Ndi Okereke- Onyuike, the former Director General of NGX, who is also a stockbroker urged stockbrokers to be proud of the profession saying they are the heart of the market and without stockbrokers, securities exchanges cannot thrive.
Commenting on the Institute’s Honour Roll, Amolegbe said: “As most of you are aware, the Chartered institute of Stockbrokers (CIS), for the first 25 years of her life inhabited different rented apartments all over Lagos; from the sub-urban slum of Mushin to the busy commercial hub in Lagos Island. The last of our rented offices was the Bookshop House on Broad Street, where we were paying a significant percentage of our revenue as rent every month.
“We received grants, donations and contributions from various corporate bodies and individuals in support of this noble project. Today, history is being made as we set to unveil a Roll of Honour on some of these distinguished individuals and corporate entities”,
INTERPOL’s African Cyberthreat Assessment Report 2026 revealed that Artificial intelligence accounts for 55 per cent of reported cybercrimes across Africa and making attacks faster, more sophisticated and increasingly difficult to detect.
The report warns that the continent’s rapid digital transformation, marked by more than 1.1 billion mobile subscribers in 2025, is being matched by an equally rapid evolution in cybercrime, while fragmented legislation and limited AI readiness among law enforcement agencies continue to weaken responses.
The 40-page assessment, based on survey data from 36 African member countries, said cybercrime has shifted from isolated criminal activity to an industrialised, borderless ecosystem powered by AI.
According to the report, East Africa has become a hotspot for mobile money fraud and ransomware attacks targeting critical infrastructure, while business email compromise (BEC) and romance scams are widespread across Central and West Africa.
Southern Africa, it noted, has become an attractive target for international cybercriminals due to its high level of internet connectivity.
The report also highlighted the growing financial impact of cybercrime across the continent, revealing that losses have more than doubled since 2024, rising from 192 million dollars to 484 million dollars.
It attributed the increase largely to AI-enabled scams, credential harvesting and automated social engineering attacks.
INTERPOL said online scams remained the most commonly reported form of cybercrime in 2025, with criminals exploiting mobile money platforms, social media and AI-generated content to deceive victims.
It added that 72 per cent of surveyed countries reported the existence of scam centres, with the highest concentration recorded in Southern and West Africa.
The report further identified digital sextortion and online harassment as persistent threats, driven increasingly by AI-generated deepfakes and synthetic media.
According to data from TrendAI, one of INTERPOL’s partners, about 600,000 sextortion incidents were detected during the reporting period.
Business email compromise schemes have also become more sophisticated, with AI being used to generate highly convincing email communications.
The report said Africa-based threat actors are increasingly targeting victims in Europe and North America using cyber infrastructure spread across multiple jurisdictions.
INTERPOL warned that the absence of real-time information sharing between banks, telecommunications companies and law enforcement agencies has created significant vulnerabilities in tackling financial cybercrime.
It said cybercriminals are no longer relying solely on stolen credentials but are now creating AI-generated synthetic identities by combining genuine personal information with fabricated details.
These synthetic identities, the report noted, have been used to bypass biometric verification systems, open bank accounts, obtain mobile loans and register SIM cards under false identities.
Neal Jetton, Director of INTERPOL’s Cybercrime Directorate, described cybercrime as one of the most significant criminal threats facing Africa.
“Cybercrime has emerged as one of the most significant criminal threats to the region. AI is automating every stage of a cyberattack from reconnaissance and phishing to extortion and evasion.
“However, we see that when countries work together, cybercriminal infrastructure can be identified, disrupted and dismantled,” he said.
Despite the growing threat, the report highlighted progress in strengthening cybersecurity across the continent.
It disclosed that 17 African countries enacted or amended cybercrime legislation in 2025, while Senegal launched an online reporting platform to improve responses to online offences affecting children.
The report also noted that regional capacity-building initiatives are helping to improve long-term cyber resilience.
INTERPOL said four major cybercrime operations conducted in 2025, Operation Serengeti 2.0, Operation Contender 3.0, Operation Sentinel and Operation Red Card 2.0, resulted in more than 1,500 arrests, the seizure of hundreds of electronic devices and the recovery of over 100 million dollars.
To address the growing threat, the report recommended the adoption of standardised digital forensic capabilities, stronger cross-border collaboration, greater investment in AI literacy for law enforcement personnel and formal public-private partnerships to improve cybercrime prevention, detection and response.
The African Cyberthreat Assessment 2026 forms part of INTERPOL’s African Joint Operation against Cybercrime initiative, funded by the United Kingdom’s Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, with data contributions from Fortinet, Mastercard, the Shadowserver Foundation, S2W and TrendAI.
Nigerian students will soon design, assemble, test and fly drones as part of their university education, following a partnership between Miva Open University and Abuja-based defence technology company Terra Industries.
The collaboration comes as Nigeria intensifies efforts to develop indigenous capabilities in advanced manufacturing and defence technology, with both organisations seeking to strengthen Africa’s pipeline of deep-tech talent.
The partnership will see students gain hands-on experience in drone engineering and related technologies through dedicated labs and industry collaboration.
The partners will establish robotics, drone and virtual reality laboratories across Miva’s study centres, beginning with a pilot facility in Abuja.
Students will also gain access to industry-led workshops, research opportunities, internships and mentorship in artificial intelligence, robotics, cybersecurity and autonomous systems.
According to the partners, Terra’s engineering teams will work alongside Miva faculty to integrate hands-on hardware training into academic programmes, exposing students to real-world engineering challenges and building industry experience before graduation.
Nathan Nwachuku, co-founder and CEO of Terra Industries, said Africa’s technological future depends on developing engineers capable of building solutions for local challenges.
“The engineers who will build Africa’s future must learn by building. This partnership creates opportunities for students to work with the technologies shaping modern security, infrastructure and autonomous systems,” said Nwachuku.
Miva Open University said the initiative forms part of its commitment to experiential learning, adding that students will have the opportunity to “design, test and fly drones as part of their academic experience”.
The partnership builds on Terra’s expanding role in Nigeria’s defence technology sector. Earlier this year, the company signed a joint venture with the Defence Industries Corporation of Nigeria to localise the production of drones, robotics systems and cybersecurity infrastructure, supporting efforts to strengthen domestic manufacturing and reduce reliance on imports.
Atte Ayodeji, a Nigerian computer scientist,has developed an artificial intelligence algorithm capable of detecting, counting, grouping and generating healthy hair follicles during hair transplant procedures, an innovation that earned him the Best Innovative Technology award.
Atte Ayodeji
Ayodeji also graduated with a Distinction in his Master of Science (MSc) in Computer Science from Birmingham City University on Friday, adding another milestone to an impressive academic year.
Beyond his award-winning hair transplant innovation, the Nigerian researcher developed a system and framework on Explainable Artificial Intelligence (XAI) as a professional responsibility in the diagnosis of lung cancer.
His dissertation received a silver award at the PGXPO2026 Winter, further highlighting the impact of his research in applying artificial intelligence to healthcare.
Sunday Dare, special adviser on Media and Public Communication to President Tinubu, celebrated Ayodeji’s achievements in a post on X, recalling how he first met him in 2019 during his National Youth Service.
“In 2019 when I became a Minister of the Republic, I met a young man of medium height, genteel with penetrating eyes: Atte Ayodeji. His words rarely come out and he could easily be passed by unnoticed. But I noticed him especially when my SA Kemi Areola brought him to me asking my approval for him to do his Youth Service in my office. I approved. From then on he was unstoppable. His brilliance shown and he developed skills beyond his frame.”
Highlighting Ayodeji’s recent accomplishments, Dare congratulated him saying, “Congratulations Atte. I am proud of you!”
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