Mutual Benefits Assurance, a leading Nigerian insurance company, has paid a total of ₦5,937,665,353.57 in claims to policyholders in January 2026 alone, underlining its strong financial capacity and unwavering commitment to prompt claims settlement.

Mutual Benefits Assurance

A breakdown of the figures shows that ₦3,426,602,834.28 was paid under its General (Non-Life) Insurance portfolio, while ₦2,511,062,519.29 was paid across its Life businesses, including Group Life and Retail Life policies.

The significant payout within a single month reinforces Mutual Benefits’ reputation as a dependable insurer that honors its obligations swiftly and responsibly.

Commenting on the development, Olufemi Asenuga, Managing Director, Mutual Benefits Assurance Plc stated that claims settlement remains the core promise of insurance and the ultimate test of an insurer’s credibility.

“Insurance is built on trust. Our ability to settle over ₦5.9 billion in claims in one month demonstrates not only our financial strength, but also our deep commitment to our policyholders. At Mutual Benefits, we do not just sell policies. We stand by our promises,” he said.

With over three decades of operations, Mutual Benefits has consistently positioned itself as a strong and well-capitalised insurer.

The company operates both Life and General Insurance businesses and remains fully compliant with regulatory capital requirements as stipulated by the National Insurance Commission (NAICOM).

The January payout reflects Mutual Benefit’s robust underwriting standards, prudent risk management practices and efficient claims administration framework.

It also aligns with the company’s broader record of substantial claims settlement in recent years, reinforcing its standing as a trusted brand in the Nigerian insurance industry.

Mutual Benefits employs over 5,000 staff, managed by seasoned management team and an experienced Board of Directors. Industry observers note that prompt claims payment remains one of the most critical differentiators in Nigeria’s competitive insurance landscape.

By consistently settling valid claims without delay, Mutual Benefits continues to strengthen customer confidence, deepen market trust and expand its footprint across retail and corporate segments.

As the company begins 2026 on a strong footing, it reiterates its commitment to innovation, service excellence and delivering value to policyholders and stakeholders alike. Mutual Benefits Assurance focused on its mission to provide reliable risk protection solutions while maintaining the highest standards of professionalism and integrity.

National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA) has issued an urgent cybersecurity warning about a serious Microsoft Office vulnerability (CVE-2026-21509) that attackers are actively exploiting.

This advisory, shared through Nigeria’s Computer Emergency Response Team (CERRT.NG), highlights the risks of this flaw and recommends immediate action to protect systems.

Microsoft has released quick security updates to fix this vulnerability, which has a severity score of 7.8, showing it is a serious risk. Attackers have already used it in targeted attacks.

CVE-2026-21509 affects multiple versions of Microsoft Office, including Office 2016, Office 2019, Microsoft 365 Apps, Office 2021, and later versions.

This flaw allows attackers to bypass security features meant to stop harmful Object Linking and Embedding (OLE) controls. OLE is an older Microsoft technology that can be used to embed links or content, but it has often been exploited by malware.

By exploiting this flaw, attackers can create specially designed Office documents.

When a user opens these documents, they can run malicious code or gain further access to the system.

Exploitation requires user interaction, meaning attackers often trick people into opening harmful Word, Excel, or other Office documents. Common methods include using email attachments or files from untrusted sources.

Because Microsoft confirmed that the vulnerability is being actively exploited, they have made emergency security updates available outside their usual schedule. Users and organisations should:

1. Install the latest Microsoft Office security updates for all affected versions.
2. Restart Office applications for Office 2021 and later to ensure that the updates take effect.
3. Use registry-based settings for protection if updates can’t be applied right away.
4. Follow good cybersecurity practices, like using endpoint protection and filtering emails.

Microsoft’s updates for Office 2021 and newer versions are automatically applied, but need a restart of the applications to be active.

Nigeria Data Protection Commission (NDPC) has commenced an investigation into over 1,000 education institutions across the country over compliance with the Nigeria Data Protection Act (NDP Act), 2023.

The move affects federal, state and private universities, polytechnics, colleges of education and technical colleges, marking one of the largest sector-wide compliance checks since the enactment of the law.

In a public notice issued on Thursday by Babatunde Bamigboye, head, Legal, Enforcement and Regulation, the Commission said the probe forms part of its ongoing sector-by-sector enforcement drive aimed at safeguarding the fundamental rights and freedoms of data subjects, as well as strengthening the legal foundation of Nigeria’s digital economy through the trusted use of personal data.

The NDPC directed the affected institutions to submit, within 21 days, evidence of filing their 2024 Data Protection Compliance Audit Returns, proof of designation or appointment of a Data Protection Officer including relevant contact details and a summary of technical and organisational measures adopted to protect personal data within their establishments.

It also requested evidence of registration as a Data Controller or Processor of Major Importance as required by law.

The Commission warned that failure to comply with the notice may result in the issuance of enforcement orders, imposition of administrative fines and possible criminal prosecution in accordance with the provisions of the NDP Act, 2023.

It stressed that compliance is mandatory and not optional for institutions that process large volumes of personal data

The education sector remains one of the biggest handlers of sensitive personal information in the country, including students’ academic records, admission details, biometric data, financial information and staff records.

With increasing digitalisation of admissions, online learning platforms and electronic documentation systems, concerns over data breaches and weak privacy safeguards have grown in recent years.

The Commission maintained that the investigation is in line with its statutory mandate under relevant sections of the Act empowering it to monitor, investigate and enforce compliance across sectors.