E-Business
FG Promises Continued Democratisation of Internet Access
Prof. Yemi Osinbajo, vice president, has assured that the federal government will continue to do all within its reach to democratise access to the internet in the country.
Prof. Yemi Osinbajo
Osinbajo gave the assurance today in Abeokuta while speaking at the official launch of the Ogun Digital Economy Infrastructure Project(OGDEIP)
The Vice President who spoke virtually, explained explained that it the Federal government recognises the fact that internet access and broadband Communication would help the country in determining it’s competitiveness in the global economy.
He added that Ogun state had positioned itself to become a major global site of the emerging telecommunication economy through its judicious Investment in the right infrastructure.
He described Prince Dapo Abiodun, state governor, as a dynamic, innovative and digitally compliant governor.
He noted that by bringing broadband access to homes, the Prince Dapo Abiodun led government in the state is opening up the state residences and businesses to DigiTech not only in the country, but across the world.
Osinbajo who noted that the project which is part of the President Muhammad Buhari’s objective for broadband connectivity for every citizens of the country, said that the ambition to make broadband available to the people is now enshrined in the economic sustainability plan of the federal government.
The Vice President added that the Federal Government launched the National Broadband Plan which is designed to deliver data download speed of a minimum of 25mbps in urban areas and 10mbps in rural areas, adding that the plan would make coverage available to at least 90% of the population by 2025 at affordable prices.
Osinbajo also noted that the plan would give attention to unserved and underserved area in the distribution of telecom service.
In his remarks, Prince Dapo Abiodun, Ogun State Governor, who noted that his administration would remain committed towards providing the required infrastructure to boost all aspects of the state economy, said that the construction of the Agro Cargo International Airport is part of the wholesome strategy of his administration towards developing air transport infrastructure, especially to boost the Agricultural Development Agenda of his administration.
Abiodun who also added that his administration is also unfolding its power infrastructural project that would guarantee stable power supply to most of the cities and industrial clusters, said that the digital economy infrastructure being the backbone for ICT revolution in the State would further enhance the ease of doing business in the State.
The state helmsman who further noted that the effort of his administration at providing a digital economy in the State will not only help to resolve challenges, both human and economic, but would also provide more opportunities to improve the people’s know-how, productivity and innovations.
Abiodun while noting that the launch of the Ogun State Digital Economy Infrastructure Project (OGDEIP) would help to deepen the various advantages of information technology advancements into all sectors as well as make ICT one indispensable part of the state economy, added that his administration is also putting efforts in place towards improving the status of the state as the Industrial Hub of the nation.
The Governor while noting that the first phase of the project would require laying the foundation for increased broadband connectivity, added that the Project would also see to the establishment of a world class data center along the Silicon Alley in the state capital that will host a variety of ICT services both for the public and private sectors.
Abiodun who also noted his administration is taking practical steps towards integrating technology into its practices and businesses, said that the project would also feature the completion of an ICT Park donated by Nigerian Communication Commission (NCC) along the same route which will house world class technology centers for cutting edge technology research and development.
The Governor who also added that his administration has begun deploying electronic document management systems, e-procurement tools and digitized revenue collection platforms towards improving the efficiency and reducing leakages in all the state Ministries, Departments and Agencies, added that the introduction of digital technologies have also started to yield positive results and improve on justice and the improvement of the system of administration of justice in the State.
In his remarks, Dr. Isa Ali Ibrahim Pantami, minister of Communication and Digital Economy; who noted the Digital Economy has played a critical role in supporting the economy of the country as well as played an important role in helping the country to exit recession, added that the digital economy would provide the datafication of the society, create jobs and wealth for the people and also increase the level of innovation in the country.
Pantami who further added that the Federal government in realisation that broadband is one of the basic foundations of digital economy and a key driver of economy, developed the Nigerian National Broadband Plan (NNBP), which was unveiled and launched by President Buhari on the 19th of March, 2020 to replace the initial Broadband Plan which expired in 2018.
The Minister who further noted that the new broadband plan which seeks to deliver data download speeds across the country at a minimum of 25Mbps in urban areas, and 10Mbps in rural areas, with effective coverage available to at least 90% of the population and penetration rate of 70% by 2025 at a price not more than N390 per 1GB of data, will also target the deployment of nationwide fibre coverage to reach all State Capitals.
Pantami who also disclosed that the Nigerian National Broadband Plan which is anchored on Infrastructure; Policy; Demand Drivers; Funding and Incentives, would create opportunities for job creation and give the country a push into economic prosperity.
The Minister who also said that the issue of high cost and non-harmonization of Right of Way (RoW) fees is a major problem, added that reducing the RoW charges can significantly boost economic activities in the States, far more than the boost that can be received from payments for high RoW charges.
In his remarks, Mr. Wale Ajisebutu, chief executive officer, 21st Century Technologies, who said that the bold step being taken by the state government would form a critical part of the Nigerian history for many years to come, added that the project would help reduce overpopulation in the rural areas by creating digital jobs in rural areas.
Ajisebutu while adding that the project would help the state to generate more taxes for the state, said that the project would contribute 100 billion to the GDP of the state in the next five years.
In his remarks, Dayo Abiodun, special adviser to the Governor on Information Communication Technology, who noted that the project which will be the first of its kind in the country, will bring numerous advantages such as improving government service delivery using electronic channels and encouraging a knowledge based society to the state.
A new global survey from the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN) reveals that 52% of marketing leaders believe generic top-level domains (gTLDs – the three characters or more that come after the dot in a URL) have strong potential for enhancing brand presence online; however, a knowledge gap is preventing many brands from taking advantage of the opportunities that a gTLD can bring.
The research surveyed over 2,000 marketing leaders across eight countries (Brazil, China, India, Mexico, Nigeria, South Africa, U.K., and U.S.) with the purpose of creating a picture of the evolving digital marketing landscape and understanding the levels of awareness around gTLDs.
It comes as ICANN prepares to open the next application window for new gTLDs in April 2026 the New gTLD Program: Next Round – the first opportunity in more than a decade for organizations to apply to operate their own gTLD.
Top-level domains are the letters found at the end of an Internet address (with gTLDs including .charity, .menu, .paris and .ceo). Brands can apply to run their own gTLD as a way to indicate the purpose of their organization or to clearly mark a website as being related to their brand.
The research shows that increasing brand awareness and visibility is the top priority for marketing leaders (54%) and that over half believe that gTLDs have strong potential for enhancing brand presence online.
However, the research also shows that almost a third (32%) of marketing leaders surveyed are unfamiliar with gTLDs, which suggests that operating a new gTLD may be a strategic opportunity that many organizations are currently overlooking.
Key findings from the research include:
- After defining a gTLD, 92% of marketing leaders responded that they could see the potential benefits to gTLDs, with enhanced brand differentiation (46%), improved customer trust (45%), better control over online presence (44%), and improved SEO (44%) topping the list.
- 19% of marketing leaders work for organizations that have previously applied for a gTLD.
- Cost concerns (31%), knowledge gaps (27%), and insufficient resources (24%) were identified as the main barriers to application.
- The research revealed notable regional variations, with Nigerian (74%) and Indian (61%) marketing leaders showing the strongest belief in gTLDs’ potential for branding and online presence. In contrast, marketers in China expressed more mixed views, with 50% seeing strong potential but 49% considering gTLDs an unnecessary investment with unclear Return On Investment.
The findings come at a time when marketing leaders are facing significant challenges in standing out from competitors (53%), attracting and engaging the right audience (52%), and keeping pace with digital trends (47%).
A new gTLD can be an innovative tool for commerce and communication. They allow businesses in specific countries, sectors, or niche markets to create an exclusive, descriptive, and memorable label on the Internet.
An entity operating a gTLD can provide its users and customers with an extra measure of confidence in its security and legitimacy online. This can be valuable in today’s environment, where users often don’t know whether they can trust the source on the Internet.
Theresa Swinehart, SVP, Global Domains & Strategy said: “The New gTLD Program: Next Round presents an opportunity for businesses, communities, governments, and others to apply to operate their own secure space online, tailored to fit their organization, community, culture, language, and customer interests.
Now is also the moment for brands to consider applying for a gTLD, and this research tells us there is still a lack of awareness. ICANN can help provide information and raise awareness of the Next Round and the opportunity it presents for global communities, organizations, and businesses, including brands.”
To help address the knowledge gap, ICANN is developing resources to help organizations understand the application process and potential opportunities for gTLDs ahead of the 2026 application window. ICANN also offers the Applicant Support Program (ASP), which provides financial and non-financial assistance to eligible applicants.
Kaspersky’s Global Research and Analysis Team (GReAT) experts at the 10th annual Cyber Security Weekend – META 2025 held recently, talked about supply chain attacks and reported that by the end of 2024 a total of 14,000 malicious packages were found in open-source projects, a 48% increase compared to the end of 2023. 42 million versions of open-source packages have been examined by Kaspersky throughout 2024 in search for vulnerabilities.
Open-source is software with source code that anyone can inspect, modify, and enhance. Popular open-source packages include GoMod, Maven, NuGet, npm, PyPI, and others.
These are tools that power countless applications and help developers easily find, install, and manage pre-built code libraries, making it simpler to build software by reusing code others have written. Attackers take advantage of the popularity of these and other packages.
In March 2025, the Lazarus Group was reported to have deployed several malicious npm packages, which were downloaded multiple times before removal. These packages contained malware to steal credentials, cryptocurrency wallet data, and deploy backdoors, targeting developers’ systems across Windows, macOS, and Linux.
The attack leveraged GitHub repositories for added legitimacy, highlighting the group’s sophisticated supply chain tactics. Kaspersky’s GReAT also found other npm packages related to this attack. Malicious npm packages could have been integrated into web development, cryptocurrency platforms, and enterprise software, risking widespread data theft and financial losses.
In 2024, a sophisticated backdoor was discovered in XZ Utils versions 5.6.0 and 5.6.1, a widely used compression library in Linux distributions. Inserted by a trusted contributor, the malicious code targeted SSH servers, enabling remote command execution and threatening countless systems globally.
Detected before widespread exploitation due to performance anomalies, the incident highlighted the dangers of supply chain attacks. XZ Utils is integral to operating systems, cloud servers, and IoT devices, making its compromise a threat to critical infrastructure and enterprise networks.
In 2024, Kaspersky’s GReAT discovered that attackers uploaded malicious Python packages like chatgpt-python and chatgpt-wrapper to PyPI, mimicking legitimate tools for interacting with ChatGPT APIs.
These packages, designed to steal credentials and deploy backdoors, capitalised on the popularity of AI development to trick developers into downloading them. These packages could have been used in AI development, chatbot integrations, and data analytics platforms, endangering sensitive AI workflows and user data.
“Open-source software is the backbone of many modern solutions, but its openness is being weaponised. The 50% rise in malicious packages by the end of 2024 shows attackers are actively embedding sophisticated backdoors and data stealers in popular packages, which millions rely on.
“Without rigorous vetting and real-time monitoring, a single compromised package can trigger a global breach. Organisations need to secure the supply chain before the next XZ Utils-level attack succeeds,” comments Dmitry Galov, Head of Research Center for Russia and CIS at Kaspersky’s Global Research and Analysis Team.
Nigeria Data Protection Commission (NDPC) has launched an investigation into allegations that the confidentiality and integrity of candidates’ personal data may have been compromised by hackers.
The Commission initiated the inquiry following concerns over possible data breaches during examinations.
Preliminary findings indicate that several examination centres may not have implemented adequate technical and organizational measures to safeguard candidates’ personal information, as required under data protection regulations.
Although the incident reportedly affected 379, 997 candidates, the NDPC’s investigation is poised to cover a systemic audit of data processing and third parties.
It will be recalled that JAMB recently admitted that a technical error on its platform affected a total of 379,997 candidates in 157 examination centres across Lagos and the South-East.
Further investigation led to the arrest of at least 20 suspects who are currently in the custody of the Department of State Services and the Nigerian Police Force.
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