E-Business
IOT Security Spending to Reach $1.5bn in 2018

Global IOT security spending will reach $1.5 billion in 2018, a 28% increase from 2017.
This is according to an IOT security spending report conducted by Gartner, which found that IOT security initiatives by global organisations will increase from last year’s spending of $1.2 billion to $1.5 billion this year, as organisations seek to improve IOT software and hardware security asset management initiatives.
By 2021, regulatory compliance, notes Gartner, will become the prime influencer for IOT security uptake. According to the report, IOT-based attacks are already a reality, with nearly 20% of global organisations observing at least one IOT-based attack in the past three years.
Despite the steady year-over-year growth in worldwide spending, Gartner predicts that through 2020, the biggest inhibitor to growth for IOT security will come from a lack of prioritisation and implementation of security best practices and tools in IOT initiative planning. This will hamper the potential spend on IOT security by 80%.
“In IOT initiatives, organisations often don’t have control over the source and nature of the software and hardware being utilised by smart connected devices,” says Ruggero Contu, research director at Gartner.
“We expect to see demand for tools and services aimed at improving discovery and asset management, software and hardware security assessment, and penetration testing. In addition, organisations will look to increase their understanding of the implications of externalising network connectivity.”
These factors will be the main drivers of spending growth for the forecast period with spending on IOT security expected to reach $3.1 billion in 2021.”
By 2021, Gartner predicts that regulatory compliance will become the prime influencer for IOT security uptake. Industries having to comply with regulations and guidelines aimed at improving critical infrastructure protection are being compelled to increase their focus on security as a result of IOT permeating the industrial world.
“Interest is growing in improving automation in operational processes through the deployment of intelligent connected devices, such as sensors, robots and remote connectivity, often through cloud-based services,” says Contu.
“This innovation, often described as industrial Internet of things or Industry 4.0, is already impacting on security in industry sectors deploying operational technology, such as energy, oil and gas, transportation, and manufacturing.”
Earl Perkins, research vice president at Gartner, says the biggest challenge security and risk managers will face is shifting their perception of how to manage and assess risk.
“Security managers are accustomed to taking a calculated risk on how to mitigate threats in their organisation, but the rise of IOT introduces new variables to the risk formula, variables that need to be incorporated into traditional means of assessing and calculating IT risks.
As a whole, the industry will need to acknowledge IOT’s pervasive presence and adopt new strategies that consider our digital world,” notes Perkins.
According to a 2018 Thales Data Threat Report, organisations around the world are facing increasing pressures to secure their data, driven by escalating cyber attacks, traditional insider threats, privacy requirements and data residency regulations.
“This year we found that organisations are dealing with massive change as a result of digital transformation, but this change is creating new attack surfaces and new risks that need to be offset by data security controls,” says Garrett Bekker, principal security analyst, information security for 451 Research and author of the report.
“While times have changed, security strategies have not: security spending increases that focus on the data itself are at the bottom of IT-security spending priorities, leaving customer data, financial information and intellectual property severely at risk.
If security strategies aren’t equally as dynamic in this fast-changing threat environment, the rate of breaches will continue to increase.”
Cyber security firm FireEye, predicts that the shortage of skilled workers, an increase in cloud adoption as well as IOT are some of the challenges that await the cyber security industry in 2018.
E-Business
Galaxy Backbone Celebrates the Federal Government’s Paperless Civil Service Milestone

Galaxy Backbone (GBB) aligns with and celebrates the successful announcement by the Office of the Head of the Civil Service of the Federation on the achievement of a Paperless Civil Service, a significant milestone in Nigeria’s public sector reform and digital transformation agenda.

The milestone was formally highlighted at a press briefing led by the Head of the Civil Service of the Federation, Mrs. Didi Esther Walson-Jack, who commended Galaxy Backbone for its sustained support and contribution throughout the implementation of the programme.
GBB has played a critical role in enabling this transition by providing secure, scalable, and shared digital infrastructure that supports the digitisation of government processes across Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs). Through the 1Government Cloud, MDAs have been empowered to migrate from paper-based workflows to digital platforms, improving efficiency, collaboration, data security, and service delivery across the Federal Civil Service.
In addition, GovMail, GBB’s secure government email platform, has strengthened official communication, enhanced records management, and reinforced cybersecurity standards—key pillars in sustaining a paperless operating environment.
Galaxy Backbone acknowledges the collective efforts of the Office of the Head of the Civil Service of the Federation, Permanent Secretaries, Directors of ICT, consultants, partners, and dedicated public servants whose commitment and collaboration ensured the smooth delivery of this initiative.
The Managing Director/Chief Executive Officer of Galaxy Backbone, Prof. Ibrahim Adeyanju, was represented at the press briefing by Akintayo Bamisaye, Acting Group Head, Research, Digital Innovation and Skills Department (RDIS).
GBB describes the achievement as a strong close to 2025 and reaffirms its commitment to supporting the Federal Government in building a modern, efficient, and digitally enabled public service.
E-Business
Jumia CEO says Black Friday Signals Nigeria’s E-Commerce Maturity

At the close of 2025, Temidayo Ojo, the CEO of Jumia Nigeria, reflected on a year-end shopping season that points to the growing maturity of the country’s e-commerce market. “Black Friday is no longer a single, short-lived spike in activity,” he said.

“It has become a familiar, anticipated moment in the retail calendar, where consumers shop deliberately and with confidence.”
Preliminary KPIs for the two months ended November 30, 2025, show strong year-on-year growth in both orders and Gross Merchandise Value (GMV), with GMV growth outpacing order growth. This indicates that customers are placing fuller, more considered baskets rather than shopping in fragmented transactions. Nigeria ranked among Jumia Group’s better-performing markets, with engagement remaining steady throughout the Black Friday period rather than spiking briefly and tapering off.
A key factor behind this performance is the growing familiarity of consumers with online shopping. Customers are increasingly leveraging platform features such as saved carts, brand stores, and price comparison tools to plan purchases in advance. This trend suggests that digital commerce is becoming embedded in everyday habits rather than being viewed as a one-off event.
Ojo also highlighted the role of Jumia’s JForce network in connecting digital commerce to local communities. “Our agents are critical to ensuring that customers across Nigeria, including secondary cities and smaller communities, have access to variety, consistent pricing, and reliable delivery,” he said. “During peak periods like Black Friday, JForce agents can respond faster, serve more customers efficiently, and build stronger local relationships. This isn’t just a distribution channel—it’s a pathway to sustainable income and inclusion.”
Reflecting on the overall performance, the CEO concluded: “What we’re seeing this year-end is steady engagement across categories, stronger consumer confidence, and partners like our JForce agents benefiting from increased activity.
“It confirms that Nigeria’s e-commerce ecosystem is maturing, growing in a more structured and resilient way. As the December Holiday Sale continues, we expect these patterns of familiarity, trust, and participation to sustain momentum and drive both commerce and community impact across the country.”
E-Business
Galaxy Backbone Tops FG’s Website Performance Ranking

Galaxy Backbone Limited (GBB) has been ranked first overall in the 2025 Federal Government Website Performance Scorecard.

This is a landmark achievement for Nigeria’s digital economy.
The ranking, conducted by the Bureau of Public Service Reforms (BPSR), is the definitive benchmark for digital excellence and transparency across all Ministries, Departments, and Agencies (MDAs).
Professor Ibrahim Adepoju Adeyanju, managing director and CEO of Galaxy Backbone, received the award during a ceremony in Abuja.
He described the feat as a validation of the agency’s“Nigeria First”data sovereignty strategy and its relentless pursuit of service excellence.
This recognition comes as the Federal Government intensifies its push to achieve a fully paperless civil service by December 31, 2025.
GBB has been the primary architect of this transition through its 1Gov Enterprise Content Management (ECM) platform, which now hosts the operations of almost all federal MDAs.
The award adds to a growing list of accolades for Galaxy Backbone in 2025, following its recent win of the “International Standard Excellence Award for Best IT Service Provider.”
As the central hub for government shared services, GBB’s performance serves as a blueprint for other agencies currently undergoing digital transformation.
With its expanded fiber-optic backbone now covering over 13 states and its secure cloud solutions, Galaxy Backbone remains the cornerstone of Nigeria’s vision to become a leading digital nation by the end of the decade.
E-Financial2 days agoNigeria’s N58.18trn Budget and Rising Cost of Deficit Governance
Telecom2 days agoNnaemeka Ani – The Architect of ‘Code and Courage’
Telecom2 days agoMTN Nigeria Appreciates Partners, Customers at Lagos Prestige Experience
Telecom1 day agoT2 Faces NCC Probe in Benue Over Major Service Outage in 9 LGAs
Telecom1 day agoNCC Grants 45 Days for Telecoms Firms to Fix Unapproved Shareholding Changes
Telecom1 day agoMTN Nigeria Crowns Ayo Benzi Winner of Next Afrobeats Star
Telecom1 day agoNCC Unveils Draft 5-Year Spectrum Roadmap, 60 GHz License-Exempt Guidelines to Boost Broadband, Innovation
E-Business1 day agoJumia CEO says Black Friday Signals Nigeria’s E-Commerce Maturity



















