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Here are the Most Wanted Malwares in Nigeria- Check Point
Check Point Nigeria has identified three major most wanted malware in Nigeria, they include Roughted, Ramnit and Locky.
Rommy Okonkwo, country manager, Check Point Nigeria, disclosed this to Nigeria CommunicationsWeek, described Roughted as large scale Malvertising used to deliver various malicious websites and payloads such as scams, adware, exploit kits and Ransomware.
“It can be used to attack any type of platform and operating system, and utilizes ad-blocker bypassing and fingerprinting in order to make sure it delivers the most relevant attack,” he said.
The second malware he identified as Ramnit, which is a worm that infects and spreads mostly through removable drives and files uploaded to public FTP services.
“The malware creates a copy of itself to infect removable and permanent drivers. The malware also functions as a backdoor, allowing the attacker to connect to the infected machine and communicating via C&C servers. The first variant, discovered in 2010, didn’t have many capabilities beyond a basic ability to integrate itself into an infected machine. In 2011 it was modified by malicious actors to have the ability to steal web session information, giving the worm operators the ability to steal account credentials for all services used by the victim, including bank accounts, corporate and social networks accounts,” he added.
Locky the third malware is a Ransomware Trojan that targets the Windows platform. “This malware sends out system information to a remote server and receives an encryption key to encrypt files on the infected system. The malware demands that the payment to be made in the form of Bitcoins digital currency. To survive a system reboot, it adds a Run key Registry entry”.
Okonwo noted that Check Point’s latest Global Threat Index has revealed a massive increase in worldwide Locky attacks during September, with the ransomware impacting 11.5% of organisations globally over the course of the month.
“From the Index, Nigeria’s risk ranking improved from August to September, dropping 4 places – now sitting at number 13 on the list of all countries,” he added.
He said that the ranking is not necessarily indexed on Check Point solutions. “As a global vendor, you probably cannot operate efficiently without collaborating with the likes of Microsoft Vmware, Google, Amazon, etc. The same way the world is becoming a global village, likewise businesses are collaborating. Security vendors are gradually coming together to thinker on collaborating in the sense that where you cannot provide services I take it from there. That is exactly what has amounted to that drop today. Because Check Point is playing her role, Google does its part, Microsoft also.
“You also cannot take away the fact that you have to be a leader in your sector. I have to be a leader for us to conquer. It is more like a game of leaders; continuous innovations, researches, updates; all of this is what accounted for the decline.
“The bad eggs are innovating too, but you have to be few steps ahead of them. You need to put in a lot of resources for training, global marketing campaign, talk shows, publicity; this is exactly what we are doing. We are engaged in a lot of investments in R&D, personnel, expanding our reach; virtually, we are getting to the remote places, because we have seen it is a global fight. We have companies running efficient businesses; we need to reach out to them. Otherwise they will fall victims of attacks,” he stated.
The Chartered Institute of Bankers (CIBN) and the Association of Corporate Communication and Marketing Professionals in Banks (ACAMB) have enjoined banks to further deepen and prioritize financial inclusion, women’s empowerment and sustained growth through strategic mandates and frameworks, aimed at closing the financial gap and empowering more small, and medium enterprise (MSME) owners.
Both organisations made this call during a courtesy visit to the newly invested 24th President and Chairman of Council of the Chartered Institute of Bankers of Nigeria (CIBN), Dr. Dele Alabi, Ph.D, FCIB, as part of plans to congratulate him on his investiture as well as seek a stronger alliance between both bodies.
The visit followed Alabi’s investiture where he unveiled his “IMPACT” Vision, themed “Consolidating Our Local Impact, Enhancing Our Global Relevance.”
The vision rests on six pillars: Inclusion across geographic, gender, and generational lines; Membership growth and quality; Professionalism and ethics; Accountability; Competencies and skills development; Technology, automation, and innovation. Other areas of shared interest, include women empowerment, financial inclusion and literacy, as well as MSME clinics, all of which are top on his agenda.
Alabi explained that under him, the institute will be prioritising financial inclusion and women empowerment, because of its realisation that women are often the primary financial managers and caregivers in families. Access to savings, micro-credit, and insurance acts as a safety net during crisis and allows them to significantly improve living conditions.
He added that CIBN would be happy to drive joint knowledge sharing and exchange sessions with CBN and ACAMB across various platforms. “Educating the public through public awareness programmes, with ACAMB as the rallying point, is central to what we do,” he noted.
ACAMB President, Jide Sipe, who led the delegation, spoke in unison with the CIBN president, as he noted that, closing the inbalances in financial access help economies grow faster, reduces inequality, and encourages greater civic participation by all.
Lagos State has become the first sub-national government in Nigeria to establish a comprehensive Greenhouse Gas Registry, a move aimed at strengthening climate governance, improving emissions accountability and accelerating the state’s transition to a low-carbon economy.
The Lagos State Greenhouse Gas Registry (LGHGR) was unveiled at the Central Business District, Alausa, Ikeja, at a ceremony attended by Prof. Akin Abayomi, commissioner for Health, members of the State Executive Council, representatives of the Federal Ministry of Environment, development partners, TPHG Technologies, the diplomatic and business communities, academics, civil society organisations and the media.
Describing the initiative as a landmark achievement in the state’s environmental sustainability drive, Dr. Babatunde Ajayi, general manager of the Lagos State Environmental Protection Agency (LASEPA), said the Registry marks a defining moment in Lagos’ climate action journey and reflects Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu’s commitment to building a resilient, climate-smart and environmentally sustainable economy.
According to Ajayi, the digital platform will enable the state to accurately measure, monitor, report and verify greenhouse gas emissions across key sectors, providing credible data to guide environmental policies and climate interventions.
He said the Registry would strengthen evidence-based decision-making, improve transparency and accountability, support national and international climate reporting obligations, unlock carbon market opportunities and boost investor confidence in Lagos’ environmental initiatives.
Ajayi also commended TPHG Technologies for providing the technical expertise that made the pioneering project possible.
Delivering the keynote address, Prof. Abayomi described the Registry as a major milestone that positions Lagos at the forefront of climate governance and emissions accountability in both Nigeria and Africa.
He noted that climate change has evolved into a significant public health and governance challenge, stressing that access to reliable emissions data would enable the state to formulate evidence-based policies, attract climate financing, strengthen resilience and accelerate its transition to a low-carbon economy.
Providing insights into the technical framework of the project, Dr. Mofoluso Fagbeja, lead consultant and chief executive officer, TPHG Technologies, explained that the Registry was developed from the greenhouse gas inventory jointly undertaken by LASEPA and TPHG Technologies in 2022, using 2019 as the baseline year for emissions assessment.
He said the platform is designed to close critical emissions data gaps, particularly within the industrial sector, while supporting effective climate policy implementation, emissions management and sustainable development.
Fagbeja also disclosed that the greenhouse gas inventory estimated that poor air quality contributes to about 35,000 premature deaths annually in Lagos, underscoring the urgent need for stronger emissions control measures and cleaner environmental practices.
In a goodwill message, Balarabe Abbas Lawal, minister of Environment, represented by Mrs. Adenaike Olunimpe Oludunni, federal controller of Environment in Lagos, commended Lagos State for pioneering the initiative, describing it as a significant contribution to Nigeria’s climate commitments.
He said the Registry aligns with the country’s Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) under the Paris Agreement and supports the Federal Government’s Energy Transition Plan, while reaffirming the ministry’s commitment to deeper collaboration with Lagos State on climate governance and environmental sustainability.
A recently released Henley Passport Index 2026, showed that Nigerian citizens can travel to at least 20 destinations outside the African continent where entry is allowed either visa-free, with a visa on arrival (VOA) at no extra cost, or via an e-visa.
This expanded access opens doors for Nigerian travellers to experience countries in the Caribbean, Asia, and beyond with greater ease.
Below is a comprehensive guide to countries outside Africa which Nigerian passport holders can visit without a traditional visa.
Visa-Free Countries outside Africa for Nigerian Passport Holders:
Barbados
Cambodia – Visa on arrival
Comoros Islands – Visa on arrival
Cook Islands
Dominica
Fiji
Haiti
Iran – Visa on arrival
Kiribati
Lebanon
Maldives – Visa on arrival
Micronesia
Montserrat
Niue – Visa on arrival
Palau Islands – Visa on arrival
Samoa – Visa on arrival
St. Kitts and Nevis
Timor-Leste – Visa on arrival
Tuvalu
Vanuatuul
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