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Cisco Increases TelePresence Footprints in Nigeria

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Cisco, the worldwide leader in networking has installed Cisco TelePresence exchanges in its Lagos office.
The Cisco TelePresence solution unveiled last week offers a live, face-to-face experience that enables people from different offices and cities around the world to meet virtually using the power of the network.
This marks the second major deployment of Cisco’s TelePresence solution in Nigeria following the announcement, in April 2010, that MTN Nigeria had become the first service provider in Nigeria to offer public Cisco TelePresence rooms in three locations- the Southern Sun Hotel in Lagos, the Sheraton Hotel in Abuja and the Le Meridian Hotel in Port Harcourt.
Den Sullivan, chief technology officer, for Cisco Emerging Markets in a Telepresence Press conference to demonstrate the technology which connected the Cisco Lagos office, Brussel and London said: “The deployment of Cisco TelePresence technology can now be increased significantly throughout the sub-Saharan African region with the arrival of submarine cables, which now offer high bandwidth at attractive prices. Cisco’s vision is to be the leading enabler of ICT and broadband acceleration in emerging markets through innovative, scalable, high-value technology offerings and solutions.”
He said the Cisco TelePresence solution will not only transform the way business is conducted in Africa but also help make vital services like healthcare and education more accessible to those who need them most.
The Cisco office in Nigeria has been installed with the Cisco TelePresence System 3000 Series designed for large group meetings, creating an environment for up to six people to meet in one location and to be “virtually” joined by six additional people, for a total of 12 meeting participants. It is suitable for customer engagements, presentations to groups, supply-chain dealings, press briefings, operational or engineering reviews, negotiations, regular team meetings, and other gatherings. 
Richard Edet, general manager for Cisco Nigeria said the Cisco TelePresence solution will have a transformational impact on all sectors of the Nigerian society from healthcare and education to safety and citizen inclusion.
“Health care professionals, for example, will soon be able to collaborate more easily, regardless of location, thereby improving both the timeliness and the quality of care delivered and patients will be able to access physicians and specialists from remote locations. Likewise, for educational establishments, Cisco TelePresence will help transform the learning environment, providing a means to bring education to remote locations and also connect with colleges, institutions and tutors from around the world. With the adoption of TelePresence, Nigeria is set to mark its 50 years of independence milestone by becoming a truly smart and connected nation,” Edet said.
With Cisco TelePresence meeting,  participants can share content, create high-quality video recordings of events, consult with experts, and deliver powerful personalized services, all using the network for an immersive in-person experience.

Setting up a Cisco TelePresence meeting is as simple as making a phone call, and when participants sit down at the conference table in a Cisco TelePresence room, other participants appear to be sitting across the table, in life size, no matter where they are in the world.
Cisco Telepresence integrates three 65-inch plasma screens and a specially designed table that seats six participants on one side of the virtual table. The system, which features cameras, a lighting array, microphones, and speakers, all tuned to optimize the experience, supports life-size images with ultra-high-definition video and spatial audio. A multipoint meeting using Cisco TelePresence System 3000 can support up to 48 locations on a single call.
For businesses in West Africa, Cisco TelePresence technology will bridge geographical divides, by enabling highly secure virtual meetings with multiple locations inside or outside the corporate firewall. Ultimately, the solution will help to save costs and boost productivity by reducing travel and will facilitate a greener company environment by reducing its carbon footprint.
The ‘real-life’ meeting experience provided by Cisco TelePresence technology is delivered through ultra-high-definition video that reveals subtle facial expressions conveying nonverbal reactions. Spatial audio allows the transmission of every nuance of the conversation and enables participants to interact as they would in person.
Cisco has worked closely with JustStandout Limited, an alternative power solutions and energy consulting company to guarantee uninterrupted power supply even during power cuts.


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Access Holdings, Coronation Partner Tate Modern to Spotlight Nigerian Modernism

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Access Holdings Plc and Coronation Group have partnered with Tate Modern to commemorate World Art Day with a virtual session highlighting the global significance of Nigerian modernism.

Access Holdings, Coronation Partner Tate Modern to Spotlight Nigerian Modernism

Access Holdings

The event, titled “In Conversation with Osei Bonsu: Inside Nigerian Modernism,” featured a virtual tour of the Nigerian Modernism exhibition and discussions on the evolution of modern art in Nigeria.

The session brought together staff members across both organisations, reflecting growing institutional engagement with arts and culture as a driver of societal development.

Speaking at the event, Chief Communications and Marketing Officer of Coronation Group, Ngozi Akinyele, emphasised the role of art in shaping identity and national development.

She said that beyond financial capital, cultural and intellectual capital are essential in defining a nation’s prosperity and inspiring dialogue.

Akinyele noted that both organisations were committed to democratising access to art, ensuring it is accessible to a wider audience rather than a select few.

The discussion also featured insights from Tate Modern Curator, Osei Bonsu, and art expert Daniel Wallis, who examined the development of Nigerian modernism and its global relevance.

Bonsu said Nigerian modernism represents an independent reimagining of global art, rooted in the country’s diverse cultural heritage and expressed through unique visual languages.

According to him, the movement challenges narrow, Eurocentric definitions of modernism and highlights the richness of African artistic expression.

The session further underscored the growing international recognition of Nigerian art, particularly through exhibitions at Tate Modern.

Participants also reflected on the visit of Bola Ahmed Tinubu to the exhibition, described as a milestone in promoting Nigeria’s cultural heritage globally.

In his closing remarks, Chief Communications Officer of Access Holdings, Amaechi Okobi, reaffirmed the organisation’s commitment to advancing African narratives on the global stage.

He said the collaboration with Tate Modern aligns with broader efforts to promote dialogue, preserve cultural identity and support the creative sector.

The event reinforced a shared commitment by Access Holdings, Coronation Group and Tate Modern to elevate African art globally and ensure Nigerian cultural narratives continue to shape international conversations.


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NDPC Issues Critical Advisory as Hackers Target Nigeria’s Key Digital Systems

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Nigeria Data Protection Commission (NDPC) has issued a regulatory advisory to data controllers and processors across the country following what it described as escalating threats to Nigeria’s data security architecture.

NDPC Issues Critical Advisory as Hackers Target Nigeria’s Key Digital Systems

NDPC

In a statement signed by Babatunde Bamigboye, lead of Legal, Enforcement and Regulations, the commission said its technical assessment revealed that some shadowy threat actors were engaged in coordinated operations targeting financial systems and critical digital infrastructure in Nigeria.

The commission urged public institutions to comply with the presidential directive of Bola Ahmed Tinubu, which emphasises the strategic importance of data in national development.

According to the NDPC, the President had declared that “data is the new oil,” stressing the need for Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) to rigorously capture and safeguard information in line with the Nigeria Data Protection Act, 2023.

The commission therefore advised all data controllers and processors to urgently strengthen their technical and organisational measures to protect personal data and ensure compliance with the law.

It listed key measures to include the appointment of trained and certified Data Protection Officers, implementation of comprehensive privacy policies and information security standards, as well as conducting Data Privacy Impact Assessments.

Other measures recommended by the NDPC include deployment of robust identity and access controls such as Multi-Factor Authentication, adoption of zero-trust security architecture, prompt remediation of system vulnerabilities, and continuous patch management.

The commission also emphasised the need to secure cloud infrastructure, application programming interfaces (APIs), databases and access credentials, alongside real-time monitoring, logging and threat detection systems.

Further recommendations include encryption and secure credential handling, regular vulnerability assessment and penetration testing of critical systems, as well as routine backup and resilience testing.

The NDPC warned that organisations that fail to implement appropriate data protection measures in accordance with the Nigeria Data Protection Act, 2023 risk legal liabilities.

It reiterated its commitment to providing regulatory support to organisations while ensuring the protection of personal data and strengthening institutional resilience across all sectors.


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Africa’s Forex Market in 2026: Key Trends Every Trader Should Watch

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The forex market across Africa is witnessing more participants and more regulatory attention than it did just a few years ago. This growth is part of a bigger picture: Sub-Saharan Africa is expected to expand by 4.3% in 2026, while global forex turnover already hit an estimated $9.6 trillion daily in April 2025. However, there’s more to it than macroeconomic figures.

Africa's Forex Market in 2026: Key Trends Every Trader Should Watch

The trends reshaping the market are happening from within. Here are six worth paying close attention to.

1. Trading Has Moved to the Phone

The number of people accessing the market via mobile phones exceeds those accessing it via traditional bank systems. GSMA states that in Sub-Saharan Africa alone, there are more than 1.1 billion registered mobile money accounts.

The International Monetary Fund states that digitalisation and increased usage of the internet are changing payment systems in the Sub-Saharan Africa region.

Mobile access changes traders’ behavior. It lowers the barrier to entry and speeds up deposits and withdrawals. Therefore, brokers who can provide a quality mobile trading experience will have a huge advantage.

2. Regulators Are Watching

The market is becoming more structured and more transparent. In South Africa, the FSCA regulates market conduct for financial institutions. In Kenya, the Capital Markets Authority regulates capital markets and maintains a licensing system that includes online forex brokers.

Nigeria’s SEC has publicly warned that online retail forex trading can be subject to abuse when unregulated. It also provides tools for investors to check operators’ registrations.

As a result, in 2026, more traders are likely to favour brokers that can show clear licensing, transparent operations, and stronger investor safeguards.

3. Volatility Varies by Country

A common mistake is perceiving the African market as one entity. In reality, according to RegTech Afrika, there are 21 countries out of a total of 54 that have a chance of seeing their currencies depreciate in 2025, with some of them losing value by as much as 6% or more.

A trader watching the rand, naira, shilling, or cedi, regional headlines needs more than regional headlines. Country-level macro data, central bank moves, and the US dollar will still play a major role.

4. Cross-Border Payment Infrastructure Is Quietly Improving

Platforms like PAPSS are helping make payments across African countries faster and easier to complete in local currencies. According to official announcements of PAPSS, it has become operational in 18 countries across Africa, with its latest launch in Algeria in 2025. It has also become operational in Kenya through a partnership with KCB Group, as well as in Rwanda through a partnership with Bank of Kigali.

Step by step, Africa is becoming a more financially connected continent.

5. Execution Quality Is the New Standard

Data from the BIS shows that in April 2025, three-quarters of FX trades were intermediated by the global centers of the United Kingdom, the United States, Singapore, and Hong Kong. Therefore, the best liquidity and best prices are still linked to global conditions.

For local markets, this raises the bar. Forex traders are becoming increasingly aware that tight spreads, while important, mean little without reliable prices and execution. Brokers like JustMarkets that can bring all of these elements together are in a much stronger position than competitors.

6. Education as a Necessity

Regulatory disclosures from major global brokers illustrate how tough it is to trade without proper knowledge. According to publicly available disclosures, between 70% and 80% of retail investor accounts lose money when trading CFDs.

Forex traders who understand risk management and which financial news to follow have a better chance of surviving the market. Brokers who invest in education are more likely to be seen by traders as valuable partners rather than mere facilitators.
The Market Rewards the Prepared

Africa’s forex market in 2026 is shaped by volatility, stricter rules, and mobile-first trading. The traders who combine market knowledge with the right tools and the right broker will find real opportunity here, while those who don’t adapt will find the market increasingly unforgiving.


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