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E-Business

Konga Makes List of Top 20 Brands to watch in 2020

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Nick Imudia, Co-Chief Executive Officer, Konga Group
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The Management of e-commerce giant, Konga, has underlined its determination to continually take the lead in elevating standards, improving customer satisfaction and deepening the growth of the Nigerian e-commerce sector.

Making the assertion was Nick Imudia, co-chief executive officer, Konga Group.

Equally important, Imudia was reacting to the recent inclusion of Konga in an exclusive list of top 20 global brands to watch in 2020. Unarguably, the impressive leadership credentials and groundbreaking strides of Konga in the Nigerian retail sector since its acquisition by the Zinox Group in 2018, was further affirmed by its inclusion in the rarefied list.

Indeed, the Board of Editors of ThisDay Newspapers had identified Konga in a list of top 20 brands to watch in 2020 released in January.

The rating consisted of both local and international brands across banking, FastMoving Consumer Goods (FMCG), telecommunications, media, agriculture, software engineering, financial technology, among others.

Among the brands listed are Dangote, GTB, Facebook, Instagram, MTN Group, Globacom, Google, Zenith, Access Bank, Interswitch, Twitter, YouTube, Flutterwave, Paystack, Andela, Chivita, Indomie, Lake Rice, Wacot Rice and ARISE Play.

Konga was the only e-commerce brand that made its way into the list.

The report hailed Konga for growing the Nigerian e-commerce market with its novel omni-channel model fusing online shopping with brick- and-mortal stores, which has seen the brand becoming number one choice for consumers.Also, it took a look at some of the strategic investments made by the new owners of Konga, even as the Board explained that such investments would go a long way in shaping up the e-commerce space in 2020.

‘‘Konga, which was acquired by Zinox Group in January 2018, has contributed to the growth and sustainability of e-commerce in Nigeria,’’ the citation on Konga stated.

‘‘Two years down the line, Konga has maintained leadership position in Nigeria’s e-commerce space.

“One of the strides recorded is the roll out of brick-and-mortar stores in various Nigerian cities, which have grown its physical store presence to more than 30 nationwide.

‘‘Today, Konga is nearest to the customers as a result of its ubiquitous physical stores which dot Nigeria’s landscape.

“Interestingly, these stores also serve a very important dual function; not only as ordering centres but equally as fulfillment centres where customers can pay and collect their items, including those ordered online.

“Having invested in critical infrastructure with the set-up of major regional warehousing facilities, Konga is set to shape the e-commerce industry in 2020.’’

Reacting to the development, Imudia expressed his delight at the rating which he described as well-deserved.

Further, Imudia revealed that the entire management and staff of Konga is further encouraged by the high expectations placed on Konga by the unbiased judgement of the assessors.

According to him, Konga has no reason not to perform beyond expectations in 2020, even as he disclosed that the company has lined up a suite of exciting initiatives which will thrill the market.

“We are delighted by the inclusion of Konga in the list of top 20 global brands to watch in 2020 by the ThisDay Board of Editors.

“The rating is proof of the huge strides and landmark achievements that Konga has recorded in the sector.

“As a matter of fact, our determination to continually lead from the front in meeting and exceeding the aspirations of our growing customers, no matter where they may be, while also growing investor confidence in Nigeria’s e-commerce sector, is unmatched.

‘‘This recognition has further emboldened all of us at Konga to show the world what makes Konga stand out in the market-place, especially as we continue to add new business units while unveiling our revolutionary strategies.

“The future is certainly bright for Konga and the e-commerce sector in Nigeria in particular and Africa in general,” he concluded.


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Ugo Onwuaso is an ICT enthusiast. He believes technology should be used for general good. He holds a Master of Public Administration (MPA) degree from the Lagos state University. Dear Reader, Your support matters. But we believe that technology makes life more exciting and helps improve the lives of people around Nigeria and indeed the world. That is why, we have devoted our energy to independent reportage of technology and finance and how they affect lives. Our incisive and analytical view of how technology news affects the daily life help individuals and organizations make up their minds. Quality journalism costs money. Today, we're asking that you support us to do more. Kindly support our effort to deliver technology and finance journalism to everyone in the world. Donate as little as N1,000. Bank transfers can be made to: UBA Plc 1017156876 Communication Week Media Ltd

E-Business

Survey Reveals Marketing Leaders See Strong Potential in gTLDS Despite Knowledge Gap

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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.

 


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Firm Reports a 48% Increase in Malicious Packages Threatening Software Supply Chains

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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.


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NDPC Probes Suspected Data Breach in Examination Centres

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Data Breach
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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.

NDPC Probes Suspected Data Breach in Examination Centres

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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