Telecom
Cybersafe Foundation Trains NITRA Members on Cybersecurity Awareness & Risks Mitigation
With billions of devices now online, new threats pop-up every second with more people becoming susceptible to attacks. To this end, Cybersafe Foundation, a cyber-security awareness organization in collaboration with the Committee of Chief Information Security Officers of Nigerian Financial Institutions (CCISONFI) have trained members of Nigerian Information Technology Reporters Association, NITRA, on cybersecurity awareness and vulnerabilities mitigation antics.
L-R: Bharat Soni – Chief Information Security Officer – Gtco Plc ; Confidence Staveley – Founder, Cybersafe Foundation ; Favour Femi-Oyewole – Group Chief Information Security Officer – Access Bank Plc; Dr. Obadare Peter Adewale – Chief Visionary Officer/ Co-Founder, Digital Encode; Igboa Abumere – Chairman Committee of Chief Information Security Officer of Nigerian Financial Institution (CCISONFI) at a capacity building workshop for ICT journalists in Lagos on Friday.
The training which took place on Friday, December 3, 2021 at Romey Hall, Awolowo Road in Ikoyi, Lagos, was themed: ‘NoGoFallMaga’.
The training was basically designed to raise awareness on emerging cyber security trends, hazards of cyber threats and assaults, as well as how to avoid them.
In their presentations, the experts said that cybersecurity threats and attacks are not going away and that the occurrence could become the next pandemic.
The experts highlighted the dangers of corporations, governments, and individuals refusing to build barriers and walls to protect their platforms, digital tools, and applications from cyber-attacks.
They, in various presentations, exposed participants to various cyber security concerns considered as digital pandemic.
On his part, Femi- Oyewole, Group Chief Information Security Officer, Access Bank, warned that cyber-attacks would be the next post-Covid pandemic saying that it is critical for businesses and people to begin building resilience and backups for their systems, platforms, and apps. She urged organisations to check their ability to bounce back should they suffer any attack.
“If anything happens to you, how quickly can you bounce back? Have you checked your resilience, do you have a backup”, she asked.
According to her, integrity, confidentiality, and availability of a good cybersecurity system must be put in place by organisations as part of their cybersecurity strategies.
Femi-Oyewole continued “You need to put necessary measures in place to quickly detect any breaches and remedy. Vulnerability is any flaw or weakness that can be exploited. There should be counter measures in place to prevent, minimize or report any breaches on time so that corrective measures can be taken up immediately”.
Bharat Soni, Chief Information and Security Officer, Gtco Plc, said organizations should work to mitigate cyber security challenges such as insider fraud, business email compromises, ransomware, and phishing.
He further explained that cyber threats and assaults have increased due to technological advancements, social-economic considerations, and insufficient criminal justice. He listed the most recent cyber security breaches as Twitter compromise 2020, Colonial Ransomware Attack 2021, and Cyber Breach of an Undisclosed Nigerian Bank 2021.
For him, social media has become a challenge to reporting cyber incidents as many people do not check the authenticity of news posted on these social media platforms.
Soni noted that this is why media collaboration is critical to cybersecurity awareness.
CCISONFI Chairman and the Chief Information Security Officer, Stanbic IBTC, Igboa Abumere noted that there is need for awareness despite the cybersecurity regulations. “We are highly regulated but we still need to know how to protect ourselves,” he stated.
Dr. Obadare Peter Adewale, Chief Visionary Officer/ Co-Founder, Digital Encode, enjoined ICT journalists to get equipped with knowledge of trends in the cybersecurity ecosystem. This he said, will empower the journalists to inform the public with accurate and factual cybersecurity information in their reportage.
The capacity building workshop also had in attendance Founder, Cybersafe Foundation, Confidence Staveley with over 30 ICT journalists and media entrepreneurs.
Google has launched its Search Live feature globally to over 200 countries, including Nigeria, where AI Mode is available, enabling voice-and-camera conversations in users’ preferred languages.
Powered by the new multilingual Gemini 3.1 Flash Live model, it delivers natural, real-time interactions via the Google app on Android or iOS—tap the Live icon under the Search bar.
Ideal for hands-free help, users can speak queries for audio replies, follow-ups, or web links. Camera integration adds visual context, like troubleshooting a shelving unit, or pairs with Google Lens for real-world chats.
From the app or Lens, Nigerians can now explore, learn, or solve tasks instantly, boosting everyday productivity worldwide.
Clean and reliable power for telecom networks in Ethiopia, Liberia, and Sierra Leone will be expanded following a $45 million investment by the International Finance Corporation (IFC) in IPT PowerTech.
The investment targets countries where limited power supply continues to slow digital connectivity and broader economic participation, the institution stated earlier this week.
To enable this expansion, the IFC is providing a $45 million corporate financing package consisting of an A-loan of $27 million and $18 million in blended finance.
The blended portion is sourced from the Canada-IFC Blended Climate Finance Programme and the IDA20 Private Sector Window Blended Finance Facility.
The initiative marks the IFC’s first direct infrastructure engagement in Liberia in a decade and in Sierra Leone in six years.
It will help scale solar- and battery-based power systems that reduce reliance on diesel and support greener, more resilient telecom networks.
By improving the quality and stability of power to telecom towers, the initiative will strengthen mobile coverage and ensure that households, schools, health centres, and small businesses can depend on consistent digital services, said the IFC.
The funding supports the modernisation, operation, and maintenance of 2 235 telecom sites across the three nations. More than 90% of these are located in off-grid or weak-grid locations.
With new solar and battery systems powering these sites, mobile networks will experience fewer outages and improved service quality.
Optimising the energy mix is estimated to reduce power costs for operators by up to 30% in Liberia, 26% in Sierra Leone, and 52% in Ethiopia.
This transition is also expected to cut emissions by more than 10 624 tonnes of carbon dioxide annually. Furthermore, the partnership will promote gender inclusion by expanding opportunities for women in technical, operational, and leadership roles within the sector, says the IFC.
This agreement reflects a shared vision for a greener telecom industry and empowers the company to scale its innovative energy platforms, according to Nabil Haddad, CEO of IPT PowerTech Group.
Reliable and affordable power for telecom networks is a cornerstone of Africa’s digital transformation, said Nathalie Kouassi-Akon, IFC regional director for West Africa and the Gulf of Guinea.
Through this partnership, the institution is supporting a scalable, private sector-led solution that enables mobile operators to reach underserved and fragile communities more sustainably, added Kouassi-Akon.
The project advances the World Bank Group and African Development Bank’s Mission 300 initiative, which aims to provide electricity to 300 million Africans by 2030.
Expedier has unveiled “Expedier for Business,” an online pro-banking platform to simplify global payments, multi-currency transactions, and financial operations for expanding companies.
Kingsley Madu
The tool centralizes payments, invoicing, payroll, and treasury into one secure dashboard, tackling challenges like fragmented systems and poor visibility that hinder international scaling.
Kingsley Madu, Co-Founder and CEO of Expedier, said: “African businesses are increasingly global… Expedier for Business was built to simplify how companies manage money across borders while maintaining visibility, control, and compliance.”
Key features include customizable dashboards for payments, invoices, and workflows; support for USD, CAD, GBP, EUR, and more; virtual cards; automated payroll/invoicing; currency swaps; and real-time tracking.
Security measures cover two-factor authentication, KYC/KYB verification, and team access controls.
As cross-border trade and remote work boom in Africa, the platform aids firms dealing with international suppliers, teams, and customers. It is now available for organizations scaling globally.
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