E-Business
IDC’s New Research to Help CIOs Adjust Speed

International Data Corporation (IDC) predicts that in 2016, CIOs will face their biggest crisis in leadership as they struggle to adjust to the speed and needs demanded by digitally empowered business transformation.
To help today’s senior IT professionals in this effort, IDC on Wednesday distributed Leading in 3D: Creating a Culture of Continuous Transformation at the CIO Summit 2016 Middle East: Leading Your Organization’s Digital Transformation.
To complement this executive brief, IDC has published a IDC MaturityScape Benchmark report, IDC MaturityScape Benchmark: Leading in 3D in the United States (Doc #US40995716).
The study presents the results of IDC’s 2015 Leading in 3D MaturityScape Benchmark Survey and serves as a supplement to IDC MaturityScape: Leading in 3D (Doc #US40933616).
Leading in 3D: Creating a Culture of Continuous Transformation
The biggest question facing today’s CIO is how to drive innovation with the business while driving operational excellence with existing IT systems.
IDC believes a closer collaboration between IT innovation and IT operations is essential to success.
However, a great divide has surfaced: business innovation initiatives are taking place separately from and without connection to the infrastructure, systems, processes, and people currently fulfilling the enterprise’s existing mission.
This two-pronged, siloed approach breeds sub-optimal performance within the entire IT organization. Instead, IDC asserts that every CIO must take actions to ensure the IT organization is an effective partner in the digital transformation of the business.
To help CIOs in partnering with, and further educating, the business, IDC has introduced the Leading in 3D Framework which focuses on the following dimensions: Innovate — Partner with the business to create digital innovations; Integrate — Transition new technologies into stable business services; Incorporate — Evolve existing technology platforms continuously by infusing new skills, techniques, and culture.
IDC predicts that through 2018, two-thirds of CIOs will have embraced Leading in 3D. According to Meredith Whalen, Senior Vice President, IT Executive and Industry Research, “Successful CIOs of the future will be judged by their ability to manage all three of the connected disciplines – innovate, integrate, incorporate – on a continuous basis while anticipating the next wave of digital transformation. IT leadership will need to forge a lasting collaboration with business partners to drive the transformation engine – from old to new, from unstable to stable, and from experimental to operational. We believe that while CIOs face their biggest crisis in leadership, on the other side awaits an IT organization that is primed for the innovative and adaptive world of the digital economy.”
IDC MaturityScape Benchmark: Leading in 3D in the United States
Written as a complement to IDC MaturityScape: Leading in 3D, this MaturityScape benchmark report will enable organizations to work with IDC to assess their maturity level in supporting digital transformation (DX) against industry benchmarks and foster the leading in 3D maturity needed to compete in the era of 3rd Platform-driven DX.
IDC believes that today, CIOs have the opportunity to lead in DX and, at the same time, elevate their role from an order taker to an innovation partner. But they must take a hard look at themselves and assess their ability to partner in DX innovation, to optimize integration, and to incorporate change.
According to this report, the path to being a DX leader requires the management of a continuous transition. It is essential for technology leaders to meet the new business need to innovate while delivering predictability, reliability, and operational excellence. The new research enables information and technology leaders to identify four key disciplines of leadership in need of improvement to support DX: Digital vision — as a critical driver of the leadership mission; Innovation — as a partner to the business in fostering IT-enabled innovation; Integration — as the owner of the agile processes that transition new platforms to become stable business services that are the key to DX success; Incorporation — as a reliable and secure service provider for the established suite of IT-based products and services.
As part of the new survey, information and technology leaders were asked to self-assess their approach to digital vision, innovation, integration, and incorporation in the context of their overall ability to support DX. Based on this result, IDC segmented organizations into two categories: Survivors — Organizations where DX leadership, in aggregate, did not meet expectations or did not create any new opportunities; Thrivers — Organizations where DX leadership, in aggregate, exceeded expectations and created competitive advantage.
According to the survey’s results: 52% of “digital thrivers” aggressively use emerging technologies to create new businesses; 52% of “digital thrivers” have a focus on growing digital revenue exponentially; 43% of “digital thrivers” have a three to five year information roadmap designed to disrupt one’s industry; 53% of IT organizations that are “thriving” are highly responsive and collaborate in real time across the enterprise; 58% of IT organizations that are “thriving” have an IT culture that excels at experimentation in every part of the business; 51% of IT organizations that are “thriving” have a hyper focus on user experience as a differentiator from competitors.
“IT organizations have an important role to play in digital transformation. The challenge many face is the need to overhaul IT culture, service management, vendor management and operations in order to be an effective partner in digital transformation,” said Whalen. “While there is a significant amount of change that must take place in a short period of time, those IT organizations that can master this will find themselves in a virtuous cycle of innovation. Such IT organizations will be able to drive the initiatives that shape future business models and create best-in-industry digital products and services.”
IDC found the majority of organizations surveyed have yet to establish the capabilities to lead enterprise-wide DX initiatives and are still at the opportunistic and repeatable stages.
IDC asserts the ability to lead enterprise DX requires making choices about whether the business can or should adapt to a rapidly changing digitally enabled ecosystem. Information and technology leaders need to create a digital vision for their company and champion a strategic approach to digital transformation to effectively compete.
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E-Business
Check Point Reveals Nigeria as Second Most Targeted African Country for Cyberattacks in November

The November 2025 Global Threat Intelligence report released by Check Point Research on Tuesday, shows Nigerian organisations faced an average of 3,374 cyberattacks per week.

Making the country as one of the primary targets for cybercriminals in Africa last month, with a record of a staggering volume of digital threats despite an overall decline in attacks across the continent.
The report shows that this figure places Nigeria second among the four major African nations analysed, trailing only Angola, which topped the list with 4,251 weekly attacks per organisation.
While Africa as a whole saw a 13 percent year-on-year decrease in cyber incidents, Nigeria’s high numbers reveal a persistent vulnerability within its digital infrastructure. Kenya and South Africa followed Nigeria with 2,384 and 1,863 weekly attacks, respectively.
The report also identified government institutions and financial services as the most targeted sectors across Africa. Globally, the education and research sector remained the most frequent victim, hit by an average of 4,656 attacks per week.
A significant highlight of the report is the emerging threat posed by Generative Artificial Intelligence (GenAI). Check Point Research found that one in every 35 GenAI prompts submitted within corporate networks globally posed a high risk of sensitive data leakage.
In Nigeria and abroad, employees are increasingly using AI tools that operate outside of formal security frameworks. The report noted that 87 percent of organisations using GenAI were affected by ‘high-risk’ prompts, which often included the input of proprietary code, customer data, or internal communications into public AI models.
Ransomware continues to be a primary tool for extortion, with global incidents rising by 22 percent year-on-year. While North America remains the most targeted region for ransomware, the impact is increasingly felt in emerging markets like Nigeria.
The most active ransomware groups identified in November were Qilin, Clop, and Akira, which primarily targeted industrial manufacturing and consumer goods sectors.
E-Business
JustMarkets Launches Global Boost Contest With Gold Prizes for Traders

JustMarkets, a worldwide broker with more than 12 years of experience in the online trading realm, is launching the Boost Contest, which represents a large-scale trading activity with the purpose of motivating traders, with the most proficient traders being awarded for their exceptional performance through a number of valuable prizes. This activity will last until the 31st of January, 2026.

JustMarkets
A Competition Developed with the Goal of Providing More Opportunities for Traders Worldwide
Boost Contest competition participants will be traders with Standard, Pro, or Raw Spread accounts of the MetaTrader 4 or MetaTrader 5 platforms.
To participate, traders will only be required to have a minimum account balance of $100 with a minimum of 3 traded lots. These were the requirements set for participants. Of course, the purpose of such a competition is for every broker client to participate. At the same time, however, JustMarkets sought to encourage traders to conduct in-depth analysis, different strategies, risk, and discipline. It was with this objective that this form of competition was established.
Multiple-tier rewards system with real gold
What sets the Boost Contest apart is the Weekly Lucky Draws component, in which traders compete for real gold prizes, awarded in three levels, based on their cumulative trading volume achieved through the competition:
Tier I (more than 100 lots): 15 grams of gold (3 winners)
Tier II (50-99 lots): Gold worth 10 grams (5 winners)
Tier III (10-49 lots): 5 grams of gold (7 winners)
This competition design thus provides traders with different levels of activity with the same opportunity of benefiting from valuable rewards.
Weekly Draws to Encourage Continued Participation
Apart from the top-level prizes, the competition also includes a series of weekly prizes. Traders participating in the competition will qualify for entry into the draw if they execute a minimum of three trades per week. Five lucky traders will be awarded $200 every week.
The introduction of the Boost Contest meets JustMarkets long-term obligations in:
Engaging traders through effective rewards programs
Fostering regular and organized trading practices
Enhancing transparency and integrity within all promotion endeavors
Offering a welcoming space where traders with different skill sets can participate
This reflects the purpose of JustMarkets, which is not only to offer traders good trading terms but also opportunities that add value to the entire trading experience.
A Global Platform Built on Trust and Innovation
As a globally recognized trading platform, JustMarkets continues to invest in initiatives that elevate client experience while adhering to high operational standards. The company maintains a robust technological infrastructure, offers multilingual support, and upholds strict security principles, all foundational elements behind long-term client trust.
The Boost Contest shows JustMarkets dedication to create a convenient and transparent trading environment where everyone can reach their full investment potential by clear rules, transparent rewards, and a stable trading ecosystem.
E-Business
Microsoft Empowers 350,000 more Nigerians with AI Skills

Microsoft, in collaboration with the Federal Government of Nigeria, Data Science Nigeria, and Lagos Business School, today announced a major milestone in its AI National Skills Initiative (AINSI), with more than 350,000 Nigerians reached with AI skills through the programme. This achievement builds on Microsoft’s longstanding partnership with the government, which has delivered digital training to over 4 million people since 2021.

Microsoft
The milestone underscores Nigeria’s commitment to inclusive, technology-driven growth and reflects strong progress in preparing individuals and organisations to thrive in the digital economy.
“Nigeria cannot afford to wait,” said Abideen Yusuf, General Manager, Microsoft Nigeria and Ghana. “AI is reshaping every sector, and the countries that move fastest on skills will lead. We must equip people now, at scale and with intent, so the immense opportunity presented by AI doesn’t pass us by.”
Olayinka David-West, Dean of Lagos Business School, emphasised this point: “AI skilling is no longer optional for Nigeria’s digital future—it is the foundation of our competitiveness. At Lagos Business School, we believe that equipping leaders and citizens with AI capabilities is essential for driving inclusive growth, innovation, and national transformation.”
As it stands, a significant percentage of Nigerian graduates are still to acquire digital skills, highlighting the importance of workforce readiness. Launched in January, the second phase of the Nigeria skilling programme, under Microsoft’s AINSI, aims to reach 1 million citizens over three years, strengthening Nigeria’s AI capability and national competitiveness. AINSI is helping drive a range of different programmes designed to embed AI skills across every sector of the economy.
Empowering organisational leaders
Over the past year, AINSI has advanced ethical and inclusive AI leadership in Nigeria’s public sector. Working with Lagos Business School, the Federal Ministry of Communications, Innovation and Digital Economy, and the National Centre for Artificial Intelligence and Robotics, Microsoft has trained 99 public sector leaders, including Members of the National Assembly and senior executives from 58 ministries and agencies. These sessions equipped leaders with strategies for AI-powered reporting and sector-specific roadmaps.
Equipping developers for the future
Developer-focused programmes are creating a strong pipeline of technical talent. Through government-driven initiatives like Developers in Government (DevsInGov) and the 3 Million Technical Talent initiative, led by the Ministry of Communications, Innovation and Digital Economy, developers in public sectors have gained new skills. Around 645 participants have been trained in analytics and AI integration. Another 1,000 developers learned advanced skills in areas such as DevOps, machine learning and data science. These efforts are helping Nigeria’s workforce prepare for the future by advancing AI fluency across the digital ecosystem.
Bringing AI skills to every tech user
To reach everyday tech users, developers, and business leaders, Microsoft hosted a flagship programme, Microsoft AI Skills Week – engaging over 235,000 participants through AI digital literacy workshops, business leader strategy sessions and an Agentic AI hackathon. Partnering with VISA, TeKnowledge, UNICEF, Data Science Nigeria, and Lagos Business School, the initiative trained more than 11,400 individuals and certified over 1,700. A standout moment was the Agentic AI hackathon, showcasing innovative solutions for document verification, risk assessment, and fraud detection, demonstrating the real-world impact of AI skills in fintech.
“Our collaboration with Microsoft has demonstrated that AI readiness requires coordinated investment across every stakeholder group — government, developers, educators, and communities. By building capacity for evidence-driven governance, responsible innovation, classroom integration, and community adoption, we are laying the foundation for a globally competitive workforce. True digital transformation happens when the entire ecosystem moves forward together,” commented Dr. Bayo Adekanmbi, CEO/Founder, Data Science Nigeria.
Looking ahead, Microsoft and its partners will continue driving Nigeria’s digital transformation through targeted upskilling in AI and cybersecurity, expanded access to AI education, and ongoing developer training. These activities aim to build local expertise at all levels and support Nigeria’s young population in taking an active role in Africa’s digital future.
“Nigeria is on track to capture 43% of Africa’s projected $136 billion AI-driven productivity gains by 2030,” concluded Yusuf. “By collaborating with the government to equip leaders, developers, and tech users, we’re building a future-ready workforce and helping Nigerians adopt and adapt the technology, thereby maximising its potential.”
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