Telecom
COVID 19: NITDA DG Tasks ICT Startups on Disruptive Technologies

Mallam KashifuInuwa Abdullahi, director general, National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA), has tasked Nigerian Startups to prepare for more innovative ideas while the world is fighting Coronavirus pandemic which is ravaging the economy.
The DG made this call on Thursday while addressing participants via Video Conferencing during a ‘Virtual Demo Day: COVID-19 Innovation Challenge’ organised by Venture Platform Hub.
According to the DG, COVID 19 is going to change the entire technology and economic activities in the world, and industries around the globe will be disrupted with many innovations.
He said COVID-19 has made a significant impact on digital technology and there is need for Nigerian StartUps to be on alert because the change is inevitable.
“Things are not going to be the same after the pandemic. The world economic order is going to change.
“A lot of industries are going to be disrupted. Startups should be ready to embrace the inevitable change,” he said.
The DG opined that, “as at January this year, the global market valuation of unicorns is more than $2trillion.
“I said unicorns, means a privately owned company worth one billion U.S. dollars or more. Once a company has gone public (IPO) or has been acquired, it is no longer termed as a Unicorn. I believe you can grow your startups to become a unicorn.
“You can grow your startup to become a unicorn within short period by following the playbook successful startups had followed.
“It is a 3 simple rules; firstly, they begin with a plan to disrupt an existing industry; secondly, they inject capital to grow as rapidly as possible and; thirdly they tolerate high risk in a rush to conquer and dominate market segment.
“As Africans, our young and digitally native population is a competitive advantage. In addition, our market is still untapped.
“There are 615 unicorns in the world, 43% is in the USA (265), 33% in China (204) only 3 unicorns are in Africa; two in South Africa and one in Nigeria”.
He further stated that Health and pharmaceuticals sector is the number 7th in global unicorn market valuation. It’s worth around $99.11 billion, and COVID-19 is going to widen the market share, and it’s an opportunity for startups to create and capture value from the pandemic.
He said, “Nigeria’s startup landscape has been slowly coming of age with innovative and entrepreneurial ideas. As the startup numbers flourished over the last few years, so does the need for bigger investors and venture capitalists.”
He also urged the Startups to turn the COVID-19 frustration into delight by coming up with innovative ideas that can create value for them and Nigeria in general, as well partner with Federal Government and Ministry of Communications and Digital Economy under the leadership of Dr Isa Ali (Pantami) who is levelling the playing field for startups to thrive.
Telecom
MTN Mulls Establishment of Fintech Firm in Nigeria, Others

MTN Uganda is seeking input from stakeholders on a plan to structurally separate its mobile money service, MoMo, from its core telecoms business.
According to the company, the proposed change will be discussed at the upcoming extraordinary general meeting on July 2.
If approved, the telco’s fintech business will be run by a new company controlled by MTN Group Fintech Holdings B.V. and a trust benefiting minority shareholders following a merger.
Additionally, the restructuring also aligns with MTN Group’s ambition 2025 strategy which aims to unlock value, attract new investors, and strengthen regulatory compliance by creating standalone fintech entities in Uganda, Ghana, and Nigeria.
The company’s fintech division has over 13 million customers, with an 18.4% revenue increase in the first quarter of 2025, driven by 19.0% growth in mobile money services, 19.8% growth in transaction volumes, and a 31.4% increase in transaction value.
Reports say the decision is part of the telco’s compliance with the National Payment Systems Act 2020, which mandates mobile money businesses to operate as standalone entities, and to align with MTN Group’s regional fintech strategy.
MTN Uganda, which is led by CEO Sylvia Mulinge, highlighted that the implementation of the proposed transaction will be subjected to a number of conditions and regulatory procedures.
“The implementation of the proposed transaction shall be subject to a number of conditions, including the company and MTN MoMo receiving all required regulatory approvals and no-objections and complying with any regulatory conditions,” said MTN Uganda in notice.
Telecom
Netflix Expands European Presence with €1 Billion Investment in Spain

Netflix has announced plans to invest more than €1 billion in Spanish film and television productions over the next four years, reinforcing its commitment to Spain as a key creative hub in Europe.
The announcement was made by co-chief executive Ted Sarandos at an event held at Netflix’s production studios near Madrid, celebrating the company’s 10-year presence in the country.
Sarandos emphasized that the investment would contribute significantly to Spain’s economy, create jobs, and enable the streaming platform to produce more local content. He was joined by Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez in unveiling the initiative.
Netflix first established its international production studios in Madrid in 2019, following the success of the Spanish-language hit series Money Heist.
Since then, its 22,000-square-meter facility has become one of Netflix’s major production centers within the European Union.
The company currently supports over 20,000 jobs in Spain, highlighting the nation’s growing influence in global entertainment.
The investment reflects Netflix’s ongoing strategy to expand its presence in European markets through original content and local talent.
Telecom
ngCERT Issues High Alert to Nigerians Using Android Phones

Nigeria Computer Emergency Response Team (ngCERT) has raised alarms over a new wave of advanced cyberattacks targeting Android mobile phones through a malware campaign dubbed Tria Stealer.
The malicious software is designed to infiltrate Android devices, hijack messaging accounts, intercept One-Time Passwords (OTPs), to steal sensitive personal and financial data.
According to ngCERT, Tria Stealer spreads primarily through deceptive tactics, such as fake event invitations distributed via popular messaging platforms like WhatsApp and Telegram.
Unsuspecting users are enticed to download an infected (APK) file, often disguised as a harmless system application, to evade detection.
Once installed, Tria Stealer requests extensive permissions, including access to SMS, call logs, and app notifications.
It immediately commences data harvesting activities, sending stolen information to a Command and Control (C2) server operated via Telegram bots.
This trojan spreads through fake links, usually disguised as wedding or event invites, and tricks users into downloading malicious APK files
“Account takeover of messaging platforms. Impersonation of victim for fraudulent money transfer requests. Compromise of banking and financial applications. Identity theft and credential harvesting.”
In plain terms, if your phone is compromised, the consequences could be catastrophic.
Your financial apps are vulnerable, your reputation could be ruined by impersonation and even simple personal messages could be twisted into tools for scams.
Here’s what users should be doing now:
Don’t download apps outside the official Play Store.
Be suspicious of random invites or links, even from people you know.
Turn on 2FA for everything—banking, emails, social platforms.
Get a reputable antivirus and keep it updated.
If you run an organisation, you should already be taking this seriously.
ngCERT’s guidance says you should raise awareness, monitor mobile devices, and not let your team click on unverified links.
“Deploy network monitoring for suspicious outbound connections to known C2 domains,” it said, meaning, keep an eye on every digital door in and out.
This isn’t one of those cases where you wait to see if it affects you. By the time you realise it, it may already be too late.
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