E-Business
Experts Seek End to ‘Killers’ of IT Innovations In Nigeria

Technology experts have identified three hurdles before startups, especially in the Nigerian Information Technology (IT) space including lack of access to finance; the right platform or network; and partnership to leverage on and access the wider markets.
Mr. Jospeh Umunnakwe, general manager, Microsoft Mobile Devices and Service, West Africa, said that startups in the IT terrain are the major motivations for a replica ‘Silicon Valley’ in Nigeria, however there are three things that must be addressed.
“Let me make reference to Airtel’s Catapult-a-Startup initiative. It is such that can help bride the three major challenge among the IT startups such as the providing the right platform for mentoring, financial or networking and the partnership to actually open their sights to the international market.”
Nodding in agreement, Olubunmi Ekundare, country manager, Intel Corporation (Nigeria) said that “Current cars, for instance, “have about 8000 different parts and there are industries around it. If we look at Japanese cars there are small industries around the modern cars; who manufacture the headlamps, tyres, speedometers for cars, among others and that is how the country has reached to where it is today.
“There are tremendous potentials we have in Nigeria; our population, our brains, our youths, and what they can really get up to do. I encourage you to take up opportunities like the Airtel Catapult-a Startup. The other thing at Intel we have our investment arm; Intel Capital also cited in Lagos. So, there are a lot of potentials and our investment director keeps telling me, ‘I have no businesses to invest-in. I have no ideas to invest-in’. So this is also a good opportunity.
“If you have the ideas, you can be sure that there is a venture capital looking for ideas to invest-in. we have best-known-mentors that we can share with all over the world. We are going to be actively involved in the Airtel Catapult-a-Startup. Potential Silicon Valley entrepreneurs will take advantage of it.
Also Alex Tasin, managing director, Blue Management, said that enough platforms have been provided for the startups, but venture capitalists are willing to invest on ‘marketable’ ideas.
He said, “about 18 months ago, a company called 2go from South Africa showed up in my office with a very puzzling-problem. They have developed an interesting social networking application targeted for South Africans, however, over time they realized they have gained nine million users in Nigeria.
They have never done any marketing, or promotion in Nigeria. They had three million users in South Africa. As it turned out, there are several applications or businesses that were started outside Nigeria that are thriving here.
“Eskimi is another one and Facebook has been mentioned; Nigeria is its largest market in Africa. Twitter application has also found very mass market use in Nigeria. What that means is that, there is a huge opportunity for us to start our own businesses and capture as much value as these other companies are doing.
E-Business
Kaspersky Warns of a New Phishing Technique Leveraging Bubble, a no-code AI Platform

Kaspersky has discovered a new phishing tactic used to evade traditional security controls that exploits Bubble, a platform that allows users to build web and mobile applications through a visual interface without writing code.

Attackers are increasingly adopting innovative tools designed for legitimate software development and repurposing them to boost phishing campaigns.
Traditional phishing attacks often rely on malicious links or obvious redirection techniques, which are typically flagged and blocked by modern security systems.
However, attackers are now leveraging Bubble’s no-code environment to generate intermediary web applications which are hosted on Bubble’s legitimate infrastructure and trusted domains such as *.bubble.io, which improves their credibility and helps them bypass security filters.
These applications function as disguised redirectors, silently forwarding victims to malicious credential-harvesting websites.
In the observed campaign, victims were ultimately redirected to a convincing imitation of a Microsoft login page, protected by a Cloudflare verification layer designed to further obscure malicious intent.
This technique is likely being integrated into broader phishing-as-a-service (PhaaS) platforms and phishing kits. These kits enable a wide range of malicious capabilities with ready-made tools, including real-time interception of session cookies, driving phishing campaigns through legitimate services such as Google Tasks and Google Forms, and carry out adversary-in-the-middle (AiTM) attacks that can bypass multi-factor authentication.
They also support the generation of phishing emails using AI, implement geo-filtering and anti-detection mechanisms to evade security crawlers and are often hosted on reputable cloud services like AWS to avoid blacklisting.
“The use of legitimate platforms like Bubble introduces a new level of trust abuse, making it harder for both users and automated systems to distinguish between safe and malicious content. This significantly increases the likelihood of credential theft, unauthorised access and potential data breaches,” comments Roman Dedenok, Anti-Spam Expert at Kaspersky.
E-Business
NITDA Takes Over National Digital Architecture System

Nigeria has taken a major step toward strengthening its digital governance framework as the National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA) officially assumes control of the Nigeria Government Enterprise Architecture (NGEA) infrastructure.

The handover ceremony held in Abuja, marks the culmination of a high-level partnership with the Korea International Cooperation Agency (KOICA).
This transition signals a shift from fragmented IT projects to a unified, disciplined approach to national digital investment.
The NGEA initiative forms a core part of the e-Government Masterplan 2.0 (Ne-GMP 2.0), aimed at establishing a unified and structured approach to managing government IT investments and digital resources.
The framework is designed to ensure that technology deployment across public institutions aligns with national priorities while improving efficiency and accountability.
With the system now operational, government agencies are expected to adopt more integrated digital processes, allowing seamless data sharing and interoperability.
This is anticipated to reduce duplication, strengthen risk management, and translate policy objectives into measurable digital outcomes.
Over the past two and a half years, Nigerian technical experts worked closely with their Korean counterparts to develop the architecture framework, create reference models, and execute pilot programmes in key institutions.
These include the National Identity Management Commission, Nigeria Customs Service, Nigeria Immigration Service, and NITDA.
Officials say the NGEA represents a shift from fragmented digital efforts to a more coordinated, citizen-focused system.
The infrastructure is hosted by Galaxy Backbone Limited, providing a secure and reliable platform for nationwide deployment.
Looking ahead, NITDA is expected to work with government stakeholders to expand and sustain the system, while the Federal Ministry of Communications, Innovation and Digital Economy will provide policy guidance to ensure its adoption across the country.
E-Business
FG Shifting Focus to “Meaningful Connectivity” to Drive Inclusion – Minister

Bosun Tijani, minister of Communications, Innovation and Digital Economy, has said the government is shifting focus from expanding access to ensuring “meaningful connectivity” that drives economic growth and inclusion.

Bosun Tijani, minister of Communications, Innovation and Digital Economy
The minister made the statement on Friday while addressing stakeholders at the inauguration of board members of the Universal Service Provision Fund (USPF) in Abuja.
He said that although Nigeria had made significant progress since the introduction of GSM services, millions of people, particularly in rural and underserved communities, remain either unconnected or unable to fully benefit from digital services.
Dr Tijani highlighted ongoing investments in digital infrastructure, including plans to deploy 90,000 kilometres of fibre optic network and nearly 4,000 telecom towers nationwide.
He said initiatives under the USPF had improved access through projects such as rural connectivity and digital facilities in schools but stressed that the next phase must prioritise effective usage.
“It is not enough to connect a community. We must ensure that schools can teach with digital tools and that small businesses can access market opportunities,” he said, citing a pilot project in the Kura community where connectivity has enhanced access to communication, education and healthcare.
Aminu Maida, executive vice chairman, Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) also called for a shift towards meaningful connectivity, noting that while data usage had grown significantly, it remained concentrated in urban areas.
According to him, recent data shows that telecom usage has increased by about 160% over the past two years, largely driven by urban demand.
“When we drill down, we see that a lot of that growth is actually in urban centres. So, the gap between those who are not connected or not meaningfully connected is growing,” he said.
Dr Maida added that the trend underscored the need for the USPF board to intensify efforts to bridge both access and usage gaps across the country.
Both officials emphasised the importance of collaboration, sustainable investment models and improved digital literacy to ensure that connectivity translates into real economic benefits for Nigerians.
E-Financial2 days agoCBN bars large‑ticket loan defaulters from banking services in tough new crackdown
General News2 days agoARN Rejects Medical Bill over Attempt to ‘Scrap’ Profession
Telecom2 days agoNIGCOMSAT Supports Startups Growth with the Launch of Accelerator 3.0
News2 days agoMeningitis Kills a Quarter Million People a Year -Study
Telecom2 days agoFG Unveils Digital Economy Research Fund Scheme
News2 days agoStakeholder says AI is Crucial to Nigerian Data Centres Amid Persistent Grid Collapse
- General News2 days ago
Nigeria Advances Digital Governance as NITDA takes over NGEA Portal
General News2 days agoZarttech Reflects on Its Role in Changing Global Perceptions of Africa



















