News
MRA Inducts TCN into ‘Hall of Shame’ for Power Outages
Media Rights Agenda (MRA) has named the Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN) as this week’s inductee into the Freedom of Information (FOI) Hall of Shame for leaving Nigerians in the dark over its operations and activities arising from its flagrant disregard of several provision of the FOI Act, including its failure to submit annual reports and disclose information proactively, among others.
The TCN, ITRealms gathered, manages the electricity transmission network in Nigeria and is one of the 18 companies that emerged from the unbundling of the defunct Power Holding Company of Nigeria (PHCN) in April 2004.
It is a product of a merger of the transmission and system operations parts of PHCN. It was incorporated in November 2005 and issued a transmission license on July 1, 2006.
The TCN is currently fully owned and operated by the Federal Government.
It carries out activities which include electricity transmission, systems operation and electricity trading as well as taking responsibility for evacuating electric power generated by the electricity generating companies (GenCos) and wheeling such power to the distribution companies (DisCos).
In a statement in Lagos, Ms Eseohe Ojo, MRA’s Programme Manager in charge of Digital Rights, noted that as part of the reform programme of the Federal Government, the TCN is to be reorganised and restructured to improve its reliability and expand its capacity in the power sector.”
She interpreted the proposed reorganization and restructuring as evidence of a clear failure on the part of TCN to effectively carry out its mandate and the Federal Government’s recognition of public dissatisfaction with the company’s performance of its functions.
Ms Ojo accused the company of failing to use “the most essential tool in its toolbox, which is the Freedom of Information Act, in ensuring that Nigerians are well informed, updated and carried along in its operations, businesses and activities, which might have resulted in public understanding of its challenges and generated the necessary public sympathy for it.”
According to her, despite the fact that the core functions of the TCN ought to be guided by the principles of transparency, accountability and integrity, among others, “it has chosen to operate in silence and secrecy, thereby depriving Nigerians of the right to be informed while at the same time failing to deliver to them in an efficient manner an essential public service.”
She noted that since the coming into force of the FOI Act in 2011, the company had failed to submit a single annual report on its implementation of the Act to the Attorney General of the Federation, thereby violating section 29 (1) of the Act as well as the more detailed requirements contained in the Guidelines for the Implementation of the FOI Act, issued by the Attorney-General of the Federation in the exercise of his powers under the Act.
Ms Ojo said the TCN had also contravened the section 2 (3)(d)(i) and (e)(iii) of the Act as it failed to proactively disclose information relating to the receipt and expenditure of public or other funds of the institution as well as information containing applications for any contracts made by or between the company and another public institution or private organization, which includes the foreign loans of $1.5 billion and $500 million that it received for its operations and contract processes.
She added that this action had already caused the House of Representatives of the National Assembly to institute an investigation into the violation by the TCN of the Constitution, the Fiscal Responsibility Act, and the Public Procurement Act in October 2017.
Ms Ojo also cited as a further breach of the FOI Act by the TCN its failure to publish on its website or on any other public platform, the title and address of the appropriate officer to whom applications for information under the Act should be made, as required by Section 2(3) (f) of the Act, evidencing a clear lack of intention to provide members of the public with information as it is obliged to do by the Act.
She said the TCN had apparently also not trained its officials on the public’s right of access to information or records held by it and for the effective implementation of the Act as required by Section 13 of the Act.
Ms Ojo also accused the company of non-responsiveness to requests for information made to it under the FOI Act and cited as an example, requests made on several occasions by the Abuja-based non-governmental organization, Public and Private Development Centre (PPDC), for information in the custody of the TCN, which were never granted or even answered.
She said: “One should perhaps not be surprised by this lack of responsiveness on the part of the TCN to requests for information as it is apparent from its failure or refusal to designate an appropriate official to whom such requests for information should be directed that it never intended to respond to any such request for information, regardless of whatever the FOI Act stipulates.”
Ms Ojo observed that although the TCN listed the names and titles of its management team on its website, it, failed to disclose the names, salaries, titles and dates of employment of all its employees, as required by the FOI Act.
She also noted that the TCN has failed to list the classes of records under its control in sufficient detail to facilitate the exercise of the right to information under the Act as well as the manuals used by its employees in administering or carrying out any of the programmes or activities of the institution as required by Section 2 (3)(b) of the Act.
Launched in July 2017, the “FOI Hall of Shame” draws attention to public officials and institutions undermining the effectiveness of the Freedom of Information Act through their actions, inactions, utterances and decisions.
News
WHO Says Ebola Outbreak Worse than Reported

World Health Organisation (WHO) at the weekend declared the Ebola outbreak linked to the rare Bundibugyo virus strain a global public health emergency.

WHO said there is currently no approved vaccine or specific treatment for this strain of Ebola.
At home, Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (NCDC) said there is “no confirmed case of Ebola Virus Disease in Nigeria” but had tightened surveillance against the deadly virus.
The outbreak, linked to the rare Bundibugyo strain of Ebola, has already caused dozens of deaths in Congo and spread into Uganda, raising fears of wider transmission across the region.
In response, Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention said that the country remains on alert because of growing movement across African borders.
Jide Idris, director-general said the agency was “closely monitoring the situation” and working with the Port Health Services and other health agencies to strengthen preparedness nationwide.
He added that surveillance has been increased at entry points and within Nigeria’s health system.
According to the WHO, the outbreak has recorded more than 240 suspected cases and about 80 suspected deaths in Congo’s Ituri province, while imported cases have also been confirmed in Uganda’s capital, Kampala.
The WHO said the outbreak is “extraordinary” because of uncertainty around the true number of infections and the lack of approved medical countermeasures for the Bundibugyo strain.
Health authorities advised Nigerians to maintain proper hygiene, avoid contact with infected persons and report symptoms such as fever, weakness, vomiting and bleeding to the nearest health facility immediately.
Nigeria was declared Ebola-free in 2014 after successfully containing an outbreak brought into the country by an infected traveler from Liberia.
News
Digital PayExpo 2026 to Convene Africa’s Most Influential Payments Leaders in Lagos

Africa’s digital payments ecosystem will take center stage as Digital PayExpo 2026 returns to Lagos on June 17–18, 2026, at the Landmark Centre, Victoria Island, under the theme: “Seamless Digital: Fostering Pan-African Market Expansion in the AI Era.”

At a time when artificial intelligence, cross-border commerce, and financial inclusion are redefining Africa’s economic future, the event is set to convene over 3,000 senior executives, policymakers, fintech innovators, and global technology providers.
The speaker lineup reflects a powerful blend of regulatory leadership, private sector innovation, and pan-African expertise.
Among the headline speakers:
- Dr. Rakiya Yusuf, Director, Payment Systems Supervision, Central Bank of Nigeria — a key architect in Nigeria’s payment system reforms.
- Dr. Folasade Femi-Lawal, Country Manager & Area Business Head (West Africa), Mastercard — a leading voice in digital payments expansion across Africa.
- Clara B. Arthur, Managing Director, GhIPSS (Ghana) — driving Ghana’s interoperable payment ecosystem.
- Wacera Maina, Chief Operations Officer, Kenwitch Kenya — an expert in East Africa’s payment infrastructure evolution.
- Akeem Lawal, CEO, Interswitch Group — a pioneer in Africa’s fintech growth story.
- Ngover Ihyembe-Nwankwo, Executive Director, NIBSS — shaping Nigeria’s core payment infrastructure.
The conference will explore:
- AI-powered financial services
- Cross-border payment systems and interoperability
- Cybersecurity and trust frameworks
- SME financing and financial inclusion
- Infrastructure for a unified African digital economy
With participation from banks, fintechs, telcos, regulators, and global payment networks, Digital PayExpo 2026 is positioned as a critical marketplace for ideas, partnerships, and investment flows. Register: https://digitalpayexpo.com/register
Sponsorship Enquiries: [email protected]
News
Only 1 in 3 Families Fully Secure their Devices, Kaspersky Study Reveals

On International Day of Families observed on May 15th, a global Kaspersky study* reveals that while 47% of respondents talk about online safety, only 33% secure all their family devices – highlighting the need for proactivity from Family Digital Managers.

As online threats develop and every generation joins the online space, cybersecurity habits have become an essential part of life for every family. Typically, in every family, one or two people become so-called Family Digital Managers, responsible for managing subscriptions, setting up new devices, or thinking about cyber protection. Kaspersky has conducted a survey to find out what measures modern families take to stay safe online.
According to Kaspersky’s data, a significant portion of respondents adopt an educational approach to cybersecurity within their families:
47% regularly coach elderly relatives and children on safe online practices
45% advise family members to adopt password manager solutions
42% encourage the use of multi-factor authentication (MFA)
An equal 42% actively review and adjust privacy settings on both family devices and critical online accounts
Although a growing awareness of the importance of proactive, family-focused digital protection can be observed, when it comes to the implementation of security solutions, the trend is slightly different. 10% of respondents take no measures at all to protect their loved ones online, rising to 21% among those aged 55+.
As for the parental control apps, 67% of families with children under 18 years use this tool to monitor and secure their kids’ online activity. Parental control, such as the Kaspersky Safe Kids solution, can help restrict children’s access to inappropriate content and also gently manage their online habits by limiting access to certain websites and apps, controlling their screen time, and even enhancing their physical security by tracking their geolocation.
The most worrying number is that only 33% of respondents – just 1 in 3 – install security solutions on all family members’ devices. Kaspersky experts highlight that the current threat landscape shows that mobile devices and tablets as well as PCs all require comprehensive cyber protection, as they are often targeted by cybercriminals.
According to the survey, only 30% of respondents set up new devices for their families. Setting up a new device is not often regarded as a step that contributes to cyber safety; however, some actions performed before the device is put into use can significantly enhance its security.
For instance, experts recommend installing a security solution first, to scan the device for hidden threats and make web browsing safe from the first queries. What’s more, reviewing privacy settings on a new device allows you not to share data that you would like to keep private with some applications and services.
The research also shows that the older generation (55+) is generally less included in family security habits. Around 1 in 5 (21%) of this age group globally do not take any measures to protect their family online and only a quarter (24%) install security solutions for family members. The most popular security measure among them turns out to be a password manager, as 40% of this age group recommend their family members to use it.
“We are now using a lot of gadgets and digital services, and with every new device and every additional hour spent online, the potential entry points for cybercriminals continue to grow, exposing us to a wider range of cyber threats. At the same time, not every generation adapts to these rapid changes with the same ease.
“That’s why having someone in the family take on the role of a ‘Family Digital Manager’ can be so valuable, especially when it comes to protecting kids and elder people from digital cyberthreats, give advice and help with the use of trusted security solutions,” comments Brandon Muller, Technical Expert at Kaspersky.
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