Telecom
How to Protect Your Phone
Having your phone stolen is a hassle – it’s not just the handset, it’s the numbers, messages and photos you lose too. Knowing how to protect your mobile and keep it safe will save you a lot of inconveniences and stress.
With mobiles or cell phones becoming fancier, more popular, and more expensive, they are increasingly liable to theft.
Checks show that thousands of mobile phones are being stolen by robbers every month.
In Nigeria available statistic indicate that more than 750,000 mobile phones are reported lost or stolen in the country yearly. This translates to about 1,423 stolen handsets every week or eight, every hour.
Mobile phones are often stolen in cars when in traffic, social venues as restaurants, bars and clubs, victims’ homes during robberies or workplaces.
The effect of mobile theft may be devastating on the victims. They range from lost of information (contacts); the inconvenience of having to be without a phone to reach and be reached which often result in loss of business; the hassle of having to report the theft, cost of replacement the handset and sometimes personal assaults.
Even then, many thieves are more interested in accessing your wireless service and potentially, stealing your identity.
Unless you want to deal with all the hassles of getting a new phone (or paying for unauthorized charges on your bill) you’d do well to find out how to ensure that your phone finds its way back to you or at least, how you can make it difficult for thieves to get anything out of it.
Treat your phone like cash in the wallet; never let it out of your sight.
It sounds like a good solution but unfortunately it’s not always practical to carry your phone with you all the time, especially when you are on some event or conference.
Here are some tips
Carrying your Phone
If you’re not making a call, make sure that your phone is not conspicuous. Keep it in a front pocket or inside a bag. Don’t attach it to your belt or around your neck. Thieves are opportunists, so don’t make yourself an easy target.
Lots of people take their phones out of their pockets when they’re sitting down. If you’re out with your friends or at school, or at a function don’t leave your phone on a table, as anyone walking by can easily run off with it.
Securing your Handset
It’s always a good idea to write down the make, model and unique identification number (IMEI number) of your handset.
IMEI stands for International Mobile Equipment Identity and is the 15 digit number unique to your phone.
This can be found behind the battery, or by dialling ‘*#06#’ on your handset. Keep these details in a safe place and completely separate from your phone, as you’ll need to give them to your service provider if your phone is lost or stolen.
Whatever model of phone you have, your handset has in-built security features that you can use to protect it. If you don’t know how to use them, take a look at the instruction manual.
For example, you can set up a pin number that you have to key in before you make a call. This stops anyone else using your phone and protects any personal details your have in your phone book or your text message inbox
It would also be good if you write your alternate contact number or email id on your phone.
When you Loose Your Phone
Keep in mind the possibility that you simply have misplaced your handset and that the person who has it intends to return it to you. Be polite in all circumstances, even if you suspect theft.
And the Good News
The menace has caused the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) sleepless nights and the commission had since 2006 begun looking into the modalities that would make it possible to bar stolen handsets from the networks, thereby discouraging the criminals.
The Nigerian Communications Commission is therefore working with service providers to blacklist every reported and confirmed stolen mobile handset from being used.
The service, which will be implemented by the NCC, NetVisa GSM secured Nigeria Limited and network operators, is the first inter-carrier initiative in Africa.
The initiative will soon take off at no extra cost to telecoms subscribers.
However, the process of making the system effective and successful starts with the subscribers.
How it Will Work
This is how it will work: Record your phone IMEI (International Mobile Equipment Identity) or ESN/RUIM number if using CDMA mobile handset and keep in a safe place. This number is unique to every GSM or UMTS mobile phone and is usually printed on the case under the battery, but in the event that it is nowhere to be found, just dial *#06# and the number will come up.
Register your phone online with NetVisa Mobile Device Security at: www.netvisa-mds.com at no cost, report stolen mobile phones to your network operators, the NCC or call NetVisa on 0700-638-8472, 0700-NETVISA who in turn would confirm your details from your mobile operator and gets it blocked within 24 to 48 hours.
Used Phone
Buyers of used phones in Nigeria can check if such had not been blacklisted by simply logging on to: http://www.netvisa-mds.com. or by using either the seller’s phone to send a text message: "check IMEI" and send to 0700. Immediately, a response will be sent to the phone where the text message originated, stating the status of the phone- blocked or not blocked, provided the about-to-be-bought handset was reported stolen.
The need for Nigeria to think outside the box in its need to drive towards global relevance with innovations and scientific developments will be on the front burner at the NITRA Innovative & Scientific Conference scheduled to hold on Thursday July 23, 2026 in Ikeja, Lagos.
NITRA
The Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) will lead other delegates to discuss and take far-reaching decisions at the event, which has its theme as “Bridging Nigeria’s Digital Divide With Scientific Innovation”.
Other companies that have indicated interest in partnering with NITRA include mobile communications company, Tecno; Africa’s premier end-to-end AI solutions company, Hyperspace; and telecommunications data infrastructure company, Digital Realty.
Speaking on the proposed event, the Chairman, Nigeria Information Technology Reporters Association (NITRA), Chike Onwuegbuchi noted that the event will seek to create a platform for government and private organisations to deliberate on policies around scientific innovations in Nigeria, challenges, place of indigenous and foreign collaboration, roles of each stakeholder, and grassroots development in that regard, among others.
According to him: “The Federal government, with series of programmes and partnerships, has established the urgent need to create an ecosystem that thrives on scientific innovation, breeding institutions and individuals with a target of placing the country at the fore-front of Next-Gen development.
It is a known fact that digital and scientific innovations are crucial, not only to the survivability of a nation, but also to the sustainability of its growth and development, with significant effect on economic strength, global image, defense and security, government capabilities to function, and public health and safety, communication and digital footprint, among others.
The federal government is actively driving scientific innovation to foster economic diversification and build a $1 trillion economy by 2030. Efforts are heavily focused on commercializing research, establishing massive research funds, and funding strategic infrastructure, particularly in technology, biotechnology, and healthcare. Core government initiatives and policies include the newly instituted National Research and Innovation Development Fund (NRIDF), which aims to mobilize about $500 million annually to support research and the commercialization of scientific outputs; and the Nigeria Genomic City, a multi-ministerial initiative aimed at transforming Nigeria into a leading hub for genomics, precision medicine, and biotechnology. It is designed to protect indigenous data, stimulate artificial intelligence in health, and develop a highly skilled scientific workforce.
According to the General Secretary of NITRA, Mr. Chidiebere Nwankwo, the forum will also be a vehicle to propagating the views of decision makers to the public, thereby furthering the cause of public awareness and information dissemination on the topic.
The focus, he said will be on how Nigeria can sustain digital innovative growth and scientific development in Nigeria
The board of global payments company, PayPal, says a 53 billion dollars takeover offer from financial technology firm, Stripe, and private equity company, Advent International, does not adequately reflect the company’s long-term value.
PayPal
According to reports, the proposed acquisition, valued at 60.50 dollars per share, remains under consideration, with the board yet to formally respond to the offer.
The directors are said to be evaluating not only the financial value of the proposal but also the structure of the financing, the timeline for completing the transaction and the likelihood of obtaining regulatory approvals.
They are also considering the possibility of competing bids emerging.
Although the offer represents a premium of about 28 per cent above PayPal’s recent share price, the board believes the company could deliver greater value to shareholders if its ongoing turnaround strategy succeeds.
Following reports of the bid, PayPal shares gained about two per cent to close at 56.73 dollars.
Sources familiar with the discussions said Stripe and Advent have secured approximately 50 billion dollars in debt financing from JPMorgan and Morgan Stanley, while both firms would jointly contribute 17 billion dollars in equity.
Under the proposal, the two companies would jointly own PayPal instead of dividing its operations.
PayPal, Stripe, Advent International, JPMorgan and Morgan Stanley have all declined to comment on the proposed transaction.
The discussions come as PayPal seeks to strengthen its business after years of increasing competition from rivals including Apple Pay, Google Pay and emerging financial technology firms.
The company, which was valued at about 360 billion dollars in 2021, now has a market capitalisation of approximately 36 billion dollars.
Since assuming office as Chief Executive Officer in March 2026, Enrique Lores has embarked on a restructuring programme aimed at improving operational efficiency and restoring growth.
The restructuring includes the creation of three business divisions comprising Checkout, Venmo and Consumer Financial Services, and Payments and Crypto.
The company is also targeting 1.5 billion dollars in cost savings through the deployment of artificial intelligence technologies.
PayPal’s latest financial results indicated signs of recovery, with first-quarter revenue rising seven per cent year-on-year to 8.35 billion dollars, while total payment volume increased by eight per cent to 464 billion dollars.
If approved, the transaction would combine two of the world’s largest digital payments companies.
The combined business would process an estimated 3.7 trillion dollars in annual payment volume, significantly strengthening its position in the global online payments market.
However, analysts expect the proposed acquisition to face intense regulatory scrutiny because of the companies’ combined market share in merchant payment services.
To address possible antitrust concerns, the bidders have reportedly considered options, including separating PayPal’s Braintree business or other assets if required by regulators.
Sources said Stripe and Advent remain interested in pursuing the acquisition despite the board’s reservations, although negotiations are expected to continue.
Market observers are also awaiting PayPal’s earnings report scheduled for July 28 for further indications of the company’s financial recovery and future growth prospects.
Concerns over network reliability and its impact on Nigeria’s growing creator economy took centre stage at MTN Nigeria’s Data on Trial event, where content creator and streamer, Jarvis, challenged telecommunications operators to improve connectivity for digital creators.
Speaking during the event, Jarvis asked whether there were locations in Nigeria where uninterrupted internet connectivity could support real-life (IRL) streaming without network disruptions.
“Are there places where there is no breakage when streaming IRL?” she asked.
Her question highlighted the challenges faced by content creators who depend on stable internet services for live streaming, content uploads and real-time engagement with audiences.
Responding, MTN Nigeria’s Chief Technical Officer, Mr Yahaya Ibrahim, said network performance depends on several factors, including location, network coverage, device capability and the number of users connected to a particular base station.
He noted that operators continue to invest in expanding network capacity to meet the growing demand for data services.
Earlier, MTN’s General Manager, Network Performance and Quality Assurance, Mr Michael Ndukwe, explained the evolution of mobile network technology in Nigeria, from first-generation (1G) services to the current fifth-generation (5G) technology.
According to him, each phase of technological advancement has significantly increased network capacity and enabled new digital services.
Ndukwe cited Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) data showing that Nigerians consumed about 13.2 million terabytes of data in 2025.
He added that data usage reached approximately 4.06 million terabytes in the first quarter of 2026, reflecting the country’s increasing reliance on digital platforms and online services.
According to him, the growth is being driven by wider adoption of 4G and 5G networks, increased smartphone penetration, the proliferation of smart devices and expanding use of social media platforms.
Participants at the event noted that as more Nigerians build businesses and careers around digital content, access to reliable and high-speed internet has become critical to sustaining the country’s digital economy and creator ecosystem.
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