Telecom
ATCON Seeks FG’s Intervention to Tackle Critical National Infrastructure Challenges
Association of Telecoms Companies of Nigeria (ATCON), has called on the federal government to rise up to the challenges affecting the distribution and maintenance of critical national infrastructure across the country, in order to nip such challenges in the bud.
Ikechukwu Nnamani, president of ATCON
Ikechukwu Nnamani, president of ATCON, made the call in Abuja recently, while presenting a technical paper at the National Stakeholders Summit on Protecting the Integrity of Nigeria’s National Critical Infrastructure, Monuments and Business Assets.
He called on the federal government to ensure that all pending bills and policies necessary to secure the assets of Nigeria, that are before the National Assembly, be passed without further delay.
According to him, “Nigerian cannot therefore afford not to put in place all the building blocks to address the current challenges facing the country in the area of critical national infrastructure, monuments, and business assets. The time has come to sign and give effects to all pending bills and policies necessary to secure the assets of Nigeria.”
Nnamani listed the key challenges being faced in the area of Nigeria’s Critical Infrastructure to include: Uneven spread of critical infrastructure across the country; Vandalism and theft of national infrastructure; Lack of cooperation by many states and local governments with private sector to enable implementation of much needed infrastructure; Destruction of infrastructure as a result of security unrest in parts of the country; Lack of human capital and Lack of adequate funding.
He also listed the key challenges facing Monuments and Artifacts to include: Lack of maintenance culture; Lack of proper inventory and identification; Theft and vandalism and Need for creations of new monuments and artifacts.
He then listed the challenges facing Business Assets to include: Lack of timely protection from security organs during crises; Lack of public utility and infrastructure leading to high cost of business and Lack of ideal long-term financing options.
He said the summit would present a veritable platform and the will to address the identified challenges.
Nnamani explained that the efforts by the office of the National Security Adviser (NSA) in developing policies and guidelines to protect the critical infrastructure were right steps in the right direction.
“The latest edition of Nigeria’s National Security Strategy (NNSS) 2019, captured and emphasised the urgent need for safeguarding these assets. Key components of the strategy document include the objectives of identifying, classifying and prioritising Critical National Assets and Infrastructure (CNAI) and to determine appropriate levels of protection required for each CNAI or groups of CNAI; enhance the resilience of CNAI to hazards; and minimize the effect of attacks or disasters on CNAI,” Nnamani said.
SHELT, a leading cybersecurity-as-a-service provider, has earned inclusion in the 2025 MSSP 250, the annual ranking of the world’s top 250 Managed Security Service Providers (MSSPs) by MSSP Alert, a CyberRisk Alliance publication.
SHELT
The list evaluates firms on business performance, service breadth, and industry impact, spotlighting those excelling in growth, operational excellence, and advanced managed security amid rising cyber threats. Selection criteria include annual recurring revenue, profitability, workforce expansion, business growth, and the depth of managed security offerings.
SHELT’s recognition underscores its investments in scalable security operations, threat intelligence, and tailored managed services across multiple regions, enabling clients to navigate complex risk landscapes effectively.
“Being recognised in the MSSP 250 is a meaningful milestone for our team,” stated Youssef Abillama, CEO of SHELT. “It validates our focus on building practical, resilient security services that help organisations manage risk and respond effectively to today’s evolving cyber threats.”
The company hailed the honour as testament to its teams’ dedication and expertise worldwide, reaffirming commitment to enhancing capabilities and delivering trusted cybersecurity solutions.
Meta Platforms, owner of Facebook, has appointed Dina Powell McCormick, a former adviser to President Donald Trump, as its new president and vice chairman, bolstering its leadership amid aggressive AI and infrastructure expansion.
Dina Powell McCormick
The announcement, made on Monday, positions Powell McCormick – who recently stepped down from Meta’s board after eight months – to guide overall strategy, including multi-billion-dollar investments in data centres and global partnerships.
A Goldman Sachs veteran with 16 years in senior roles and prior stints as deputy national security adviser under Trump and in the Bush administration, she brings deep finance and international ties to the role.
Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg hailed her as “uniquely qualified” for the company’s next growth phase, while President Trump praised the move on Truth Social as a “fantastic choice”.
The hire signals Meta’s efforts to strengthen White House relations, following recent dinners with Trump and U.S. investment pledges worth hundreds of billions
X, the social media platform formerly known as Twitter, has suspended the @Twitter account, replacing its profile with a standard notice citing violation of platform rules.
Musk
The action, which occurred on Sunday, January 11, left users encountering the handle greeted by a bold “Account Suspended” message on a black screen, with no details provided on the specific rules broken or the duration of the suspension.
The development has sparked widespread confusion and nostalgia among users, given that Elon Musk rebranded Twitter to X in July 2023, approximately six months after acquiring the platform for $44 billion in late 2022.
The @Twitter handle had remained dormant since before Musk’s takeover, serving as a legacy remnant of the platform’s original branding, and its suspension appears to mark the final erasure of the Twitter name amid X’s ongoing efforts to combat spam, impersonation, and rule violations.
X’s official statement on the suspended page simply reads: “X suspends accounts that violate our rules,” without offering an appeal process or further explanation, unlike standard user suspensions.
Public reactions on social media ranged from humorous laments of “RIP Twitter” to speculation that the move resulted from automated moderation or a deliberate cleanup of legacy trademarks.
xAI’s Grok AI described it as a purposeful retirement of outdated elements rather than a genuine infraction, while neither Elon Musk nor X spokespeople issued any comment as of Monday morning.
This incident underscores the evolving identity of the platform under Musk’s ownership, which also saw a domain shift to x.com in 2024, further distancing it from its Twitter roots.
Industry observers note that while the suspension aligns with X’s stricter enforcement policies, the lack of transparency has fueled debates on consistency in applying rules to high-profile legacy accounts.
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