News
Embrace .ng Domain for Cyber Security-NiRA
Nigeria internet Registration Association (NiRA) has renewed its bid to ensure more Nigerians and organization register and host their online presence on the .ng domain as efforts to ensure security of e- mails as well as reducing all the fraudulent traffic credited to Nigeria online.
The issue resonated at the 6th annual general meeting (AGM) of the Association held in Lagos on Wednesday, as the Association maintained that the domain is as secured as others across the world.
Similarly, Mary Uduma, NiRA’s president, reiterated that August, 2014 deadline for all Government Ministries, Departments and Agencies to migrate to the government domain of .gov.ng for all government internet activities and official businesses remains on course.
Uduma, who spoke with newsmen at the AGM held in Lagos, said that official email addresses ending in .gov.ng are much more secure than those addresses obtained from the freely available internet services.
She enunciated that most of the fraudulent mail traffics credited to Nigeria are actually not from the country but because there was no official domain and most of the MDAs use free domain, the email addresses could be easily hijacked and used fraudulently.
According to her, if the traffic emanating from Nigeria were contained in the secured government domain of .gov.ng, the activities of the internet criminals could be reduced to the barest minimum, as it is safer, adding that as most of the offices are in unsecured domain it is thus difficult to defend any allegation against Nigeria on fraudulent internet activities.
Uduma hinted that that more than “40,000 .gov.ng email accounts have been created for all principal officers, permanent secretaries, heads of paratstatals, directors and other management staff of various MDAs and new easy to remember domain names being created. This will allow affairs of the site to be run more securely within the national domain space.
NiRA targets up to 250,000 domains hosting for the year 2013, but, according to Uduma “The Migration recorded was impressive as over 5o% of the set target was achieved. She however noted that” The August deadline for all MDA to migrate is not changing.”
To however guarantee secured platform on the .ng domain and security on the internet space, various international training programmes were exposed to Nigerians even as Uduma mentioned Domain Name System Security Extension (DNSSEC) training for the internet body fix for Abuja.
According to the NiRA president, “The Domain Name System Security Extension (DNSSEC) training can strengthen trust in the Internet by helping to protect users from redirection to fraudulent websites and unintended addresses. The DNSSEC training coming up in July in Abuja is organised by NiRA for Nigerians”.
Corroborating Uduma’s views, Akinbo Adebunmi, acting chief operating officer (COO) of NiRA, said, they do more on sensitisation of Nigerians on the importance of registering locally accordingly, even as he stated that it is a means of overcoming the fear to migrate to the country code domain name
“The .ng platform is as secured as any international platform, so we encourage all Nigerians to register their names, company or business names, emails and websites on the .ng. Since its introduction in April last year, the .ng has brought the recognition of the international body, Internet Corporation For Assigned Names And Numbers (ICANN).
“We intend to have road shows, exhibitions and award of excellence as well as have 100,000 Nigerians registered to mark the centenary anniversary of the country, as a way of creating awareness to the general public.” Akinbo said.
The United Kingdom’s Minister for Africa, Lord Collins of Highbury, has concluded a three-day visit to Nigeria, aimed at reinforcing the UK-Nigeria Strategic Partnership.
He reaffirmed the UK Government’s strong commitment to deepening trade and investment ties between the United Kingdom and Nigeria.
During his visit, Lord Collins met with senior Nigerian government officials, business leaders, civil society representatives and United Nations agencies.
These engagements underlined the UK’s long-term drive to support Nigeria’s prosperity and stability while deepening bilateral cooperation for transformative growth across our shared priorities.
A key highlight of the visit was Lord Collin’s bilateral meeting with Nigeria’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, Yusuf Tuggar, in which both parties reaffirmed their unwavering commitment to strengthening economic ties and promoting regional security. The Minister was joined by the UK’s Trade Envoy to Nigeria, Florence Eshalomi MP.
Lord Collins also met with Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, Hon. Benjamin Kalu, and discussions focused on opportunities to strengthen engagement between UK’s parliament and Nigeria’s National Assembly and the importance of furthering women’s participation in politics.
Speaking on his visit, the UK Government’s Minister for Africa, Lord Collins said: “Nigeria and the UK share a rich, ambitious relationship: one that is deeply rooted in respect.
“Our Strategic Partnership is at the forefront of this, and my visit has focused on how our countries can continue deepening our cooperation on key issues such as trade and investment to drive economic growth and deliver prosperity for us all.”
The Minister held discussions with United Nations representatives on the ongoing reform of the UN system, its implications for Nigeria and how the reform can effectively support those most in need, particularly in Northeast Nigeria, whilst also contributing to global humanitarian efforts.
Lord Collins also met with civil society leaders to discuss electoral integrity and governance reforms, reinforcing the UK’s commitment to democratic values and community empowerment.
He later visited Nigeria’s Anti-Kidnap Fusion Cell: a key security initiative supported by UK expertise through the National Crime Agency and the Integrated Security Fund, which plays a vital role in enhancing local safety and combating serious crime.
Also commenting on the visit, the British High Commissioner to Nigeria, Dr Richard Montgomery, said: “Driving growth is central to the UK’s foreign and development policy. Lord Collins’ visit to Nigeria underscores the UK’s unwavering commitment to deepening our shared prosperity through expanded trade and investment. We are proud to stand alongside Nigeria as it forges a resilient and dynamic economy.”
This visit underscores the UK’s enduring partnership with Nigeria – built on mutual respect, shared goals, and a vision for a prosperous future for both nations.
News
PalmPay Launches CSR Initiatives to Empower Women, Foster Financial Literacy in Northern Nigeria
In a strategic move to expand financial inclusion in Nigeria, leading mobile banking platform, PalmPay has launched a series of CSR programs across Kano and Kaduna. The CSR initiative named “Passing the Baton” represents the brand’s commitment to passing on knowledge and providing the resources individuals and businesses need to achieve financial independence and drive economic empowerment.
This initiative is a bold move by PalmPay to bridge the opportunity gap in the North by providing financial literacy training and micro-business branding support to 5,000 women-owned businesses in Kano and Kaduna. This strategic initiative reaffirms PalmPay’s commitment to inclusive development and economic empowerment, particularly in underserved regions.
“At PalmPay, we believe that real financial inclusion must be far reaching and cover the grassroots,” said Chika Nwosu, Managing Director of PalmPay. “Our new CSR program is focused on supporting gender equity by equipping women with the knowledge, tools, and visibility they need to thrive as entrepreneurs in their communities.”
Through this initiative, beneficiaries will receive free health insurance, hands-on training workshops, enhanced store branding to boost visibility, and branded merchandise to strengthen their business presence.
The initiative is part of PalmPay’s broader strategy to extend its innovative solutions, expand its footprint in Northern Nigeria, while building sustainable partnerships with local stakeholders for long-term impact.
In a show of support, His Royal Highness, the Emir of Kano, Dr. Muhammadu Sanusi II, has endorsed the initiative, calling on other stakeholders to join forces with PalmPay in ensuring the North benefits fully from the growing digital economy. PalmPay has received commendation from community stakeholders, as the initiative aims to serve as a model for similar projects across other northern states.
As PalmPay continues to scale across Nigeria, the company remains committed to bridging the financial inclusion gap and empowering underserved groups, particularly women and youth, through its innovative solutions and impact initiatives.
Uche Uzoebo, SANEF CEO Makes Case for More Financial Inclusion Strategies Targeting Women
Survey Reveals Marketing Leaders See Strong Potential in gTLDS Despite Knowledge Gap
UK Minister for Africa Visits Nigeria to Deepen Strategic Partnership
Hydrogen, Lagos State Touch Thousands of Business Owners with “Healthy Heart, Healthy Business” Outreach
ACAMB Champions Bankers Wellness with Aerobics Fitness Session
E-Financial2 days agoSEC Alerts Public on Silverkuun, Trending Dubious Investment Schemes
Telecom2 days agoGlo, Huawei, Communications Ministry Bring Digital Services to Abuja Village
General News2 days agoTripoint Travels Hosts Pre-GEC Brunch for Nigerian Delegates Ahead of Global Entrepreneurship Congress 2025
News2 days agoPalmPay Launches CSR Initiatives to Empower Women, Foster Financial Literacy in Northern Nigeria
E-Financial2 days agoAfrica Cross-border Payments Set to Hit $1 trillion by 2035
Telecom2 days agoExperts @ ABoICT 2025 Warn of Digital Disaster Risks in Nigeria Without AI Governance
E-Financial2 days agoSANEF, CIBN Partner to Expand Agency Banking Certification
General News1 day agoUche Uzoebo, SANEF CEO Makes Case for More Financial Inclusion Strategies Targeting Women