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Lamudi, PwC Align on $13.65Bn Real Estate Market Prediction for 2016

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Akua Nyame-Mensah, Managing Director of Lamudi
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Lamudi Nigeria said that 2015 was an interesting year for real estate in the emerging markets.

According to the platform, while there were a number of challenges as a result of fluctuating oil prices, currency stability, and changing investment laws, a new year brings new, exciting prospects.

But what will the next 12 months hold for developing countries and their real estate markets?

As 2016 gets underway, number one real estate platform Lamudi Nigeria explores the real estate markets to watch this year.

Lagos, Nigeria
According to PwC, the Nigerian real estate sector is expected to be valued at $13.65 billion in 2016, compared to the value of $9.16 billion in 2014.

The report further states that the real estate sector is the largest in the economy, where the sector accounts for 7.6 percent of the country’s GDP of $509.9 billion.

With a growing population, the Nigerian government has launched the Nigerian Mortgage Refinance Corporation (NMRC) in 2014 aiming to provide affordable mortgages for Nigerians.

Between 2015 and 2016, Lagos, Abuja and Port Harcourt are expected to erect over 10 skyscrapers valued at over N500 billion.

Nairobi, Kenya ‎
Kenya has made a name for itself in the startup and technology sectors; Nairobi has become a hub for global and local corporations looking to enter these booming industries and take advantage of the opportunities East Africa has to offer.

As a result, the commercial and residential real estate markets are booming. Industry professionals expect this to continue in 2016. While international entrepreneurs are settling in Kenya’s capital, population growth is also expected to boost the city’s real estate market in 2016; as more Kenyans enter the job market and disposable income increases, we can expect more money to be spent on housing.

Quezon City, the Philippines
By 2025, Quezon City is expected to have a population of almost four million.

Metro Manila’s largest and most populous city had the greatest volume of online search traffic between January and June 2015, according to Lamudi’s onsite data. Search volume for the city grew, on average, 22 percent per month during the same period.

The online real estate platform’s data also reveals the city has the most affordable office space to rent, with an average price of Php503.79 (USD 10.73) per square meter per month.

Mandalay, Myanmar
Tourism is booming in Myanmar. At the end of 2015, the Ministry of Hotel and Tourism announced plans to attract 7.5 million tourists to the country by 2020, with a seven-year master plan.

As a result, Myanmar’s second city – Mandalay – is improving its infrastructure, and welcoming the construction of both small, independent and high-end hotels.

Housing in the city is much cheaper than in Yangon, however residential and commercial real estate is in short supply.

As the number of tourists to the city increases, it is expected to undergo significant development to improve the real estate options available to visitors.

Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
This year will see the construction of a $320 million mall in Riyadh.

The project will include office space, retail units, restaurants, and a boutique hotel, as well as recreational areas.

The Riyadh Walk will cover 137,000 square meters of Saudi Arabia’s capital city and is considered to be a step forward in upgrading the country’s commercial mixed-use projects.

Construction is expected to boost Riyadh’s commercial real estate sector, and lead to the development of more residential, commercial and industrial properties.

Kandy, Sri Lanka
The removal of land lease tax in Sri Lanka is expected to encourage non-nationals to invest in the country’s growth and development outside Colombo.

As Sri Lanka’s first ‘Smart City,’ Kandy is expected to welcome an increased number of international corporations, entrepreneurs, and startups, eager to invest in the city’s growth.

Consequently, the property sector is forecast to go from strength to strength over the next 12 months.

Furthermore, the continued development of the Colombo-Kandy Expressway is expected to transform the city into a hub of activity, which will likely result in a surge of real estate activity.

Casablanca, Morocco
In 2015, Morocco ranked eighth in Cushman & Wakefield’s list of top emerging markets in the world.

According to the report, the country was among the top 10 with the lowest risk to invest and open a business in real estate.

Casablanca, considered the country’s economic capital, is experiencing stable rents, increased supply, and the development of large-scale commercial and office projects.

The city shows great potential for both tourism and business, with the amount of office space expected to double in the next four years.

Launched in 2013, Lamudi is a global property portal focusing exclusively on emerging markets. The fast-growing platform is currently available in 34 countries in Asia, the Middle East, Africa and Latin America, with more than 800,000 real estate listings across its global network.


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E-Business

Check Point Reveals Nigeria as Second Most Targeted African Country for Cyberattacks in November

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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.


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JustMarkets Launches Global Boost Contest With Gold Prizes for Traders

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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 Launches Global Boost Contest With Gold Prizes for Traders

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.


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Microsoft Empowers 350,000 more Nigerians with AI Skills

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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 empowers 350,000 more Nigerians with AI skills

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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