Telecom
ESET Security Day 2021: Stakeholders Call for Increased Attention on Cyber Threats to Businesses
Enterprises are facing increasing threats which call for improved security tools that can be smoothly integrated into increasingly complex and diverse networks and critical infrastructure, and on the other, rapidly mounting competency from malicious actors.
Olabanji Soledayo, the marketing and retail sales manager at ESET Nigeria
This was the unanimous view of speakers at ESET Security Day 2021 held in Lagos recently.
The experts believe that to further address this in a comprehensive manner, businesses must deploy Endpoint Detection and Response (EDR) to ensure their entire platform is now secured.
The speakers also opined that both government and private sector operators must not neglect to secure the third-party data in their possession and should comply with data protection regulations.
Mr. Olufemi Ake, Managing Director, ESET West Africa (Anglophone countries), said that the conference held since 2011 aimed to educate subscribers and partners in West Africa on most issues that are currently trending around cybersecurity threats.
“We also viewed ESET Security Day 2021 to get closer to our subscribers and prospective customers. We also learned from them as they shared experiences in the corporate world in respect to security”, he said.
Speaking on ESET’s strides to protect its users from the rampaging cyber traitors, he said that with one billion users protected by ESET it is a great testament to the robust solutions and legacies products the company has built over the three decades ago.
“We have over a billion users that we secure globally currently. If you consider the fact that we have an agreement with Google to secure the backend of Chrome, you can deduce that with the number of Google Chrome users that amounts to over half a billion. So, we make bold to say that we have over one billion people that trust us to secure their devices. We are excited about this.
While addressing the customers in the West African region cutting across individuals, government, and private sector, he said that it is imperative for them (customers) to comply with privacy and security regulations.
“Like one of our speakers said, there has been debate about security and compliance, which one comes first. I would say that security should be considered first. Obviously, if you are not secured you can’t comply with set rules. All businesses in Nigeria and West Africa in general should value the third-party data in their domain. They should be responsible for securing the data. It is not just about making profits; it is also about preventing losses through direct leaks or through third-party subscribers who trust them to share their data with them.
This goes to show the need for encryption, multi-factor authentication, etc., to ensure the loose ends are protected.
Speaking on ‘Compliance: Staying Ahead and Undistracted’, Daniel Adaramola, a cybersecurity risk management expert, defined Information security as the protection of an organization against threats.
He said that while compliance to regulatory standards is important, however, the key driver of information security is the need to protect against constant threats to an organization.
“Regulatory compliance is done when the third party is satisfied. Information security is a carrot as it motivates the company to protect itself. There are also questions as to whether cybersecurity should be driven by government bodies.”
“Well, on one hand, they need to be involved in the protection of critical national assets. If those assets are down, it portrays grave danger to the economy and the nation at large. For instance, if the telcos are down, no connectivity, and the aviation sector, it means no flight to depart or arrive in the country. It is a huge economic sabotage.”
“Same time, there are areas where the private sector should be given the opportunity to thrive”, Adaramola explained.
Fowler Oriyomi, a cybersecurity risk consultant, talked about Managing Hybrid Systems in an Enterprise Environment, noting that as companies race to the cloud to improve efficiencies, reduce costs, and foster flexibility and agility, they are creating a patchwork of different cybersecurity protocols.
Oriyomi, who doubles as the Head of IT at Dangote, described the modern post-COVID company as “one million-armed octopus in thousands of locations and every arm is a digital access point that can be compromised by script kidders, social hackers, professional criminal hacking organisation or even nation-state actors”.
He aligned with the school of thought that “only by managing security in all those million access points can a company ensure safety – and avoid becoming another ransomware story on national news”.
He listed hybrid cloud operational concerns as include growing cyber threats, on-going regulatory push like the Nigeria Data Protection Regulation (NDPR), compliance related issues, inability of security to keep up with the pace of change in application, amongst others.
Speaking on IT security regulatory compliance, Oriyomi said that expectations have grown in the past two years and have impacted companies’ operations.
He however said that compliance is good for organisations to maintain standards. “These regulatory compliances attract fines and quite a number of organisations wouldn’t want that. It is GDPR in Europe, NDPR in Nigeria, POPI Act in South Africa and the regulations keep coming. And if you look at the clauses carrying fines there is no company that would want to fall into that.
Also speaking, Habeeb Adebisi, a senior digital security associate at Co-Creation Hub, advised organizations to intensify their cybersecurity defense approach.
He said it is regrettable that most people, including businesses, ignore security advisories and end up paying huge penalties as research finding indicates 90% of Organisations in Nigeria have suffered breaches.
“Our mandate is to ensure technology works in African society. We look at the West and see how technology is improving life and such is lacking here. So, along the line we discovered that one area people tend to ignore until it is late is security. For this reason, we take it very seriously”.
He said for instance, Cc-Hub’s Digital Rights and Inclusion has a cybersecurity approach and led to the establishment of DIGnified.
“We want to make sure technology works for everybody, but at the same time ensure the protection of the workers against malicious actors who are constantly working to breach their system and disrupt the workflow.
“About four years ago, we came up with the ‘Tech Squad’ programme, made up of young people interested in learning about technology and specifically in security. We train them and deploy them to organisations. By this, organisations in Nigeria will become more conscious of the security of their digital space.
“We also launched the SafeOnlineBus campaign through which we educate the masses on issues around the subject. We are also launching another campaign in collaboration with ESET called ‘Safer Kids Online’”.
He thanked ESET West Africa for believing in CCHub especially with regards to the Safer Kids Online.
Also commenting, Olabanji Soledayo, the marketing and retail sales manager at ESET Nigeria, said that is no longer enough to have basic anti-virus on a system.
According to him, threats have been designed to evolve to defeat the basic anti-virus. “So, in the enterprise environment where you have over 100 devices, there is a need for a dependable Endpoint Detection and Response (EDR) solution.”
Recall that version 1.4 of ESET Enterprise Inspector (EEI) was launched last year. EEI is a sophisticated Endpoint Detection and Response (EDR) tool that monitors and evaluates suspicious activity occurring on the network in real time and allows IT security admins to take immediate action when and where needed.
For over 30 years, ESET has become the European leader in cybersecurity solutions, and to date protects more than 1 billion users worldwide.
Since 2011, ESET has been organizing the ESET Security Days, an international event bringing together players in the cybersecurity ecosystem in nearly 50 countries.
ESET Security Day West Africa is part of a process of reflection and discussion between representatives of public institutions, researchers, users, and recognized experts on cybersecurity issues.
ESET Security Day is a professional all-day conference that responds to current events, regulations or legislative changes related to security and protection of personal data.
It also deals with the latest security solutions suitable for the corporate environment. An integral part of conferences is the introduction of the latest technologies and solutions that help companies prevent security incidents.
L-R – Engr. Aliyu Yusuf Aboki , Executive Secretary WATRA; Mrs Nneena Ukoa, Head Public Affairs, Nigerian Communications Commission; Hon. Clarence K. Massaquoi, Chairman Board of Commissioners, Liberia Telecommunications Authority; Kelechi Nwankwo, Director Corporate planning, strategy and Risk Management(NCC); Hon. Ben Fofana, Commissioner with oversight responsibility for Licensing and Regulation (LTA); Usman Mamman Director, Licensing & Authorization (NCC) during a courtesy visit to the Commission’s Headquarters in Abuja on 30th January, 2026.
Dr. Cosmas Luckyson Zavazava, Director Telecommunication Development Bureau of the International Telecommunication Union (ITU), has paid a courtesy visit to the the National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA) in Abuja, reinforcing growing cooperation on digital development.
NITDA
Dr. Zavazava was accompanied by the ITU Regional Director for Africa, Dr. Emmanuel Manasseh, as part of the ITU delegation.
The delegation was received on behalf of the Director General of NITDA by the Director of Corporate Planning and Strategy, Dr. Warowei Dimie, alongside other directors of the Agency.
The visit provided a platform for strategic engagement and exchange of ideas on key digital development challenges facing Nigeria, Africa, and other developing regions, with a shared focus on inclusive and sustainable ICT growth.
Speaking on behalf of the NITDA Director General, Dr. Dimie reaffirmed the Agency’s commitment to deepening collaboration with ITU, describing the organisation’s global experience as a valuable asset for transferring tested solutions and best practices to Nigeria’s local context.
He noted that digital skills and capacity building featured prominently in the discussions, as Nigeria pursues its ambitious target of achieving 70 percent digital literacy nationwide by next year, with encouraging progress recorded through partnerships with the private sector and other stakeholders.
The adoption of Nigeria’s National Digital Literacy Framework was highlighted as a major milestone, providing a structured and inclusive approach to skills development across different segments of society.
Attention was also drawn to the persistent challenge of limited connectivity in rural and underserved communities, with participants emphasising targeted interventions such as grassroots digital training and the deployment of National Youth Service Corps members as digital literacy ambassadors.
In his remarks, Dr. Zavazava outlined ITU-BDT’s mandate to bridge the digital divide, promote inclusive ICT development, strengthen regulatory frameworks, and support member states in building resilient digital infrastructure.
He noted that these priorities strongly align with Nigeria’s digital transformation aspirations, adding that ITU works across its 194 member states through regional and area offices, including its West Africa office in Dakar, Senegal, and the Africa regional office in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.
Dr. Zavazava further highlighted ongoing collaboration with Nigeria on initiatives such as digital skills development, broadband infrastructure mapping, and cybersecurity.
He disclosed that Nigeria is among 11 sub-Saharan African countries benefiting from a €15 million ITU-European Commission project on broadband infrastructure mapping and modelling, while also participating in global cybersecurity drills organised by ITU in partnership with the United Arab Emirates, which attracted over 136 countries in the last edition.
The courtesy visit underscored the importance of sustained collaboration between international development institutions and national agencies, reaffirming the shared commitment of ITU and NITDA to leveraging ICTs for sustainable development, innovation, and inclusive socio-economic growth in Nigeria.
Telecom
Airtel Nigeria Commits to Upgrade of its Network Infrastructure for Improved Quality of Service
Airtel Nigeria has unveiled a robust update on a range of network, infrastructure and technology advancements that position the company at the forefront of quality of service leadership in Nigeria’s telecommunications industry.
Announced at its first media roundtable of 2026, the updates reflect sustained investments made over the past 12 to 24 months and signal an accelerated push to stay ahead of surging data demand in a rapidly digitising economy.
Speaking to senior editors and industry correspondents, Airtel Nigeria Chief Executive Officer, Dinesh Balsingh, said the company’s strategy is anchored on deliberate scale, depth and resilience.
“Over the last two years, we have invested with discipline and clarity to strengthen our network nationwide. Those investments are now translating into measurable improvements in performance, customer experience and reach, including in underserved and hard to reach communities,” he said. “In 2026, we are accelerating these upgrades because Nigeria’s data appetite is growing, and leadership in this industry will belong to those who plan ahead.”
At the core of Airtel Nigeria’s quality of service drive is the rapid expansion of its network footprint. Since December 2023, the company has increased the number of network sites by 15.5%, adding 2,242 new sites and bringing its total to nearly 16,711 nationwide. Further deployments are planned in 2026 to strengthen coverage, capacity and resilience across urban and rural locations.
Network capacity upgrades have also reached significant scale. In 2025, Airtel completed capacity enhancements on 30% of its sites, covering over 5032 sites nationwide.
Today, 99% of Airtel Nigeria’s sites deliver high-speed 4G mobile broadband, establishing the operator as a full nationwide 4G network. This year, capacity upgrades are being extended to more sites to sustain performance as data usage continues to rise.
According to Harmanpreet Singh Dhillon, Chief Technology Officer, spectrum depth and optimisation remain critical to network quality. “We have increased our 4G spectrum by 10MHz and we are actively optimising our holdings. These actions allow us to support higher data throughput, better speeds and more consistent service, especially in high-traffic areas,” he said.
Airtel Nigeria is also accelerating its 5G rollout. Over the last three months, the company has more than doubled the number of active 5G sites. The accelerated 5G upgrade happening now will connect the top 20 Nigerian cities to high-speed 5G networks, with a significant part of Airtel’s network in these cities becoming 5G-enabled in the coming year.
Beyond terrestrial infrastructure, Airtel is extending connectivity through space-based solutions. The company has established and signed partnerships with satellite providers OneWeb and Starlink, enabling enterprise-grade connectivity for businesses in remote locations, hard to reach areas and operational outposts. Recently, Airtel announced Nigeria’s first Direct-to-Cell partnership with Starlink, a breakthrough that will allow customers to remain connected while travelling through deep remote areas and enable small rural communities to access Airtel’s digital and fintech services.
The backbone supporting these services continues to expand. Airtel Nigeria has built an extensive fibre footprint across almost all states, developed through years of sustained deployment. Following the announcement to double capital expenditure last year, the company committed to expanding its fibre network by 25%, and intensive rollout activity is ongoing across cities and states. Airtel has also confirmed plans to extend its fibre footprint even further, both within major cities and between states.
A pivotal national milestone is also on the horizon. Nigeria currently relies on a single internet submarine cable landing and breakout point in Lagos. Airtel Nigeria has announced that it will launch a second internet breakout from the South of Nigeria, leveraging the 2Africa submarine cable. In partnership with 2Africa, Airtel will shortly begin carrying internet breakout traffic from Kwa Ibo in Akwa Ibom State.
“This will create a faster and alternative path for large parts of the North and South, improve resilience for the entire ecosystem. Airtel is proud to take the lead in making this happen,” Balsingh said.
Underpinning these advances is a robust IT and cloud backbone. Airtel Nigeria operates an enterprise-grade private cloud with thousands of virtual machines, managing massive storage and compute power across locations.
The infrastructure includes large GPU clusters, supporting AI-driven applications such as fraud detection, intelligent network self-healing and advanced customer analytics.
The company recently announced the upcoming launch of its hyperscaler-ready 38 megawatt data centre in Eko Atlantic. This is designed for Nigeria’s next phase of digital growth, powered by AI.
From a customer access perspective, Airtel Nigeria maintains one of the largest retail footprints in the country. Its products and services are available in over 200,000 outlets nationwide, supported by more than 4,000 exclusive shops across all local government areas and 250 flagship stores.
Balsing added that, “Quality of service today is about resilience, redundancy and intelligence, and that is what Airtel is delivering. From fibre to cloud to satellite-enabled connectivity, we are building a platform that allows Nigerian businesses to scale with confidence, regardless of location.”
He reaffirmed Airtel Nigeria’s long-term commitment to the country. “Our focus is consistent investment, disciplined execution and deep confidence in Nigeria’s future,” he said.
Aside from Singh Dhillon, other members of the Airtel Nigeria leadership on hand with subject matter expertise at the roundtable included Director, Airtel Business, Ogo Ofomata; Director, Marketing, Ismail Adeshina; Director, Information Technology, Kemi Ariyo; and Director, Corporate Communications and CSR, Femi Adeniran.
EFInA Unveils Research Fellowship Programme to Deepen Financial Inclusion Impact
Indigenous Firm Deploys 400,000 Smart Electricity Meters in 2025
CBN Expresses Concern Over Foreign Investments in Nigeria Fintechs
UBA’s Easy and Instant Account Opening Thrills Returnee
NCC Committed to Regional Digital Integration – Maida
Firm Detected a Fivefold Surge in QR Code Phishing Attacks in the Second Half of 2025
US invests $115m in counter-drone tech for World Cup security
Nigerian Terra Industries Secures $11.8m for Expansion
Firm Detected a Scam Exploiting OpenAI’s Teamwork Features
Nigeria Targeted with 4,622 Cyber-attacks Per Week in December 2025
General News2 days agoGlobacom Donates ₦1Bn to Lagos State Security Trust Fund
Telecom2 days agoAirtel Nigeria Commits to Upgrade of its Network Infrastructure for Improved Quality of Service
E-Business2 days agoPwC Reveals AI Scaling Gap Slows Africa’s Digital Transformation
News2 days agoCIoD, NIPSS Partner to Deepen Governance, Leadership Standards
News2 days agoNRS Chairman Outlines Ways Nigeria can Move from Potential to Economic Prosperity
E-Financial2 days agoEcobank Profit Jumps 29 Percent to N950Bn
General News2 days agoWIEG to host Nigeria’s first International Investment Summit in Lagos
News2 days agoOrya, Ex-NEXIM MD Jailed 490 Years for N2.4Bn Fraud