E-Business
EchoVC Localisation Helped Hotels.ng Secure $1.2m Funds- Essien

Mark Essien, founder and chief executive officer of Hotels.ng, Nigeria’s largest hotel booking website, has attributed the Startup’s growth to the availability of local venture capitalist- EchoVC Pan-Africa Fund.
Essien disclosed this in Lagos while speaking to ICT journalists on the efficacies of local companies investing on technology driven small businesses.
He said that hotels,ng which commenced operations in 2012 got its first $225,000 funding in 2013, but the fortunes were boasted by the ability of EchoVC to coorperate with foreign investors, giving an assurance of the viability of the market.
He said, “As at 2013 we $225,000 which was enough to build and take the company through the first stages of growth. In 2014, we were ready to go the next stage, that is, to internationalise and start extensive marketing. We tried to raise another fund, which was very difficult to do, because there were very few and still are very few people that are investing in hotel-technology business in Nigeria.
“The process was so hard and distracting, because you are trying to build the company and same time talking to people to invest. I was able to get another international investors who were willing to invest $700,000 with a clause that there should be a local venture capitalist also willing to invest. That makes a lot of sense, because they are brining funds; not around in the country, so they needed someone to talk to in a constant level.
“That was how EchoVC came in. They gave us $500,000 leading to a total of $1.2million and the combination was what we relied on to scale the business. Now, we are expanding operating in Ghana, Senegal and 50 staff strength. In 2015, we recorded some growths both in revenue and customer base”.
Speaking further on the need for more high net worth individuals, companies and the government to invest on local startups, the Hotels.ng boss said, “Being able to work with a firm like EchoVC which is about 20minutes drive from our office; to discuss teething problems and analyses, it is tremendous and valuable to a startup. It is one of the key drivers of companies like ours, because most of the people working with us will sooner or later go and build their companies.
“From the 50 people we have, we envisage that 30 new companies can emerge through them. When you have people investing in the first company there is a likelihood to create multiplier effect. The works been done now by funds like EchoVC are what will bring about the massive growth in the startup business in the country”.
On the Company’s success story so far, he said, “When I started it was just an idea that people could book hotels online. No body, at the time, had done that across West African countries. But it was there in other countries and why wouldn’t it work here.
“Along the line, I started in Calabar, going round hotels, taking pictures of their hotels. Between then and now, we have been able establish an inventory of about 7,000 hotels. So, people are booking 7,000 hotels online. The change in the hospitality industry is dramatic. Before now, it was usually by word of mouth; asking people where to locate hotels. But today, you search online in any town”.
In terms of revenue, he said that at the beginning, it wasn’t a business, “now, we are making enough revenue to support 50 people”.
E-Business
Microsoft Server Hack Likely Solo Actor, Thousands at Risk

A widespread cyberattack targeting Microsoft’s (MSFT.O) server software used by thousands of government agencies and businesses for internal document sharing was likely orchestrated by a single actor, a cybersecurity researcher said on Monday.
Microsoft issued an alert on Saturday warning of “active attacks” on on-premise SharePoint servers.
The company clarified that SharePoint Online, part of the Microsoft 365 cloud suite, was not affected by the exploit, which is considered a “zero-day” vulnerability due to its previously undiscovered nature.
“Based on the consistency of the tradecraft seen across observed attacks, the campaign launched on Friday appears to be a single actor. However, it’s possible that this will quickly change,” Rafe Pilling, director of Threat Intelligence at Sophos, a British cybersecurity firm.
That tradecraft included the sending of the same digital payload to multiple targets, Pilling added.
Microsoft said it had “provided security updates and encourages customers to install them,” a company spokesperson said in an emailed statement.
It was not clear who was behind the ongoing hack. The FBI said on Sunday it was aware of the attacks and was working closely with its federal and private-sector partners, but offered no other details.
Britain’s National Cyber Security Centre did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
The Washington Post said unidentified actors in the past few days had exploited a flaw to launch an attack that targeted U.S. and international agencies and businesses.
According to data from Shodan, a search engine that helps to identify internet-linked equipment, over 8,000 servers online could theoretically have already been compromised by hackers.
Those servers include major industrial firms, banks, auditors, healthcare companies, and several U.S. state-level and international government entities.
“The SharePoint incident appears to have created a broad level of compromise across a range of servers globally,” said Daniel Card of British cybersecurity consultancy, PwnDefend.
“Taking an assumed breach approach is wise, and it’s also important to understand that just applying the patch isn’t all that is required here.”
E-Business
Flaw in Microsoft SharePoint Sparks Global Cybersecurity Concern

A Microsoft SharePoint server software flaw is causing widespread concern across the global cybersecurity landscape, exposing thousands of organisations to hackers exploiting a new vulnerability.
This critical vulnerability exposes government agencies, universities, and energy firms who are at risk of cyberattacks. The flaw, now being actively exploited by unidentified hackers, allows attackers to gain deep, remote access to on-premise SharePoint servers.
The U.S. Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) has confirmed that the vulnerability can enable malicious actors to access internal files, change configurations, and even execute remote code, effectively giving them high-level control over compromised systems.
Microsoft has also acknowledged the breach and released a security patch aimed at stopping the ongoing attacks. The firm urged users to apply the patch immediately, saying it is working to roll out additional protections, according to a statement reported by Bloomberg.
Despite these efforts, cybersecurity researchers warn that systems may remain vulnerable if attackers have already infiltrated networks, stolen authentication keys, or implanted persistent backdoors before patches were applied.
The United States hosts the highest number of these vulnerable systems, followed by the Netherlands, the United Kingdom, and Canada.
The Washington Post reported that the breach has already impacted a range of institutions, including U.S. federal and state agencies, academic institutions, energy companies, and a telecommunications firm in Asia.
This latest incident adds to a growing list of cybersecurity challenges facing Microsoft. In March, the company revealed that Chinese state-backed hackers had targeted its cloud-based services to infiltrate both U.S. and international organisations.
Last year, the U.S. Cyber Safety Review Board sharply criticised Microsoft’s internal security culture as ‘inadequate’ after a separate breach compromised its Exchange Online mail systems and exposed communications of high-level officials.
E-Business
NIMC Enrolls 122m for NIN, Cuts Extortion by 40 Percent

National Identity Management Commission (NIMC) has said that it has reduced incidents of extortion and unofficial charges in the identity enrolment process by over 40 per cent.

Abisoye Coker-Odusote, director general of NIMC,
Abisoye Coker-Odusote, director general of NIMC, who disclosed this at an event in Lagos at the weekend, attributed the drop to improved transparency in fee structure at the commission.
The CEO was represented by Lanre Yusuf, director, Information Technology and Identity Database, NINC.
The workshop, organised by the identity regulator in partnership with the Guild of Corporate Online Publishers, focused on repositioning Nigeria’s digital identity landscape and combating misinformation.
According to Coker-Odusote, the sharp reduction in illicit charges is a direct result of reforms introduced by NIMC to curb racketeering and unauthorised payments, which have for years plagued the national identity registration process..
“Enrolment for the National Identification Number remains free. We have standardised modification and authentication fees, and these are publicly disclosed. Our enforcement of a transparent fee structure has resulted in a 40 per cent drop in extortion and unofficial charges,” the regulator said.
She explained that prior to her assumption of office, complaints about exploitative fees at enrolment centres were widespread, fuelling public distrust in the system.
However, she noted that the commission had since prioritised transparency and stakeholder accountability, ensuring that Nigerians no longer have to pay above the legally mandated fees. “We are addressing deep-rooted issues that once undermined public confidence in the enrolment process,” she said.
The NIMC chief added that the commission had introduced digital tools to reduce human interference in the registration process.
These include the NINAuth mobile app, the Self-Service NIN Enrolment and Modification app, and Contactless Biometric Solutions, all designed to make the system more efficient, secure, and user-friendly.
Coker-Odusote also reiterated the commission’s commitment to inclusion, stressing that no Nigerian should be left behind in the country’s digital identity transformation.
According to her, over 7,167 front-end enrolment agents and partners have been revalidated and retrained to serve the public professionally, with strict monitoring mechanisms now in place.
In addition, NIMC has deployed grievance redress officers across all 36 states to handle complaints from Nigerians about enrolment centres and agents, with a 24/7 toll-free line available to report any misconduct.
The reforms are part of broader efforts by the Commission to build a unified, secure, and people-centred digital identity system that facilitates access to government services, financial inclusion, social protection, and national planning.
Coker-Odusote called on media partners to support the Commission in disseminating accurate information, countering misinformation, and raising awareness about the benefits of digital identity.
“We are asking our partners in the media to help us combat fake news and promote transparency in the identity ecosystem. We need to ensure every Nigerian understands their rights and knows that their identity is key to accessing opportunities and services,” she said.
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