E-Business
NASC Deploys Smart Cards to Tackle Seed Counterfeiting

National Agricultural Seeds Council (NASC), has deployed over six million smartcards in the coming farming season to check seeds counterfeiting which had hampered improved yields over the years, Dr. Phillip Ojo, director general of the agency said.

Ojo, said the need to provide an advanced authentication system for seeds quality evaluation became inevitable following the increasing complaints by farmers over sharp practices, especially in counterfeiting and fake seeds, fraudulent labelling and regulatory offences among others.
Speaking at the opening of the consortium planning meeting on the implementation of the NASC seedcodex on EGS, which was held over the weekend in Abuja, the NASC boss said the challenge of low yield of agricultural productivity remained a major concern on the country in recent times.
He said there was need for stakeholders to come together and contribute to the improvement in the yield of crops by, “ensuring that we give the best Early Generation Seeds (EGS).”
He noted that the introduction of the seedcodex, which is an authentication system to check fake seeds, had become paramount for the development of agriculture.
Ojo, said sanitising the seed business would require the provision of efficient tracking and tracing of seeds which makes seedcodex inevitable going forward.
He said: “We are talking of a situation whereby we want to sanitise the market particularly in ensuring that farmers have access to good quality seeds.
“That they would be able to authenticate the seeds immediately they buy. So seeds are not sold in open containers but in closed containers and those containers are tagged.
“But unlike what we have in the past, when we had two certification tags- one insider and the other outside- and the one outside, because of wear and tear movement here and there, we have now decided to introduce a card which is going to be attached to the container outside.”
He said: “You cannot remove the smartcard and it has a silver panel and aluminum foil that you will remove, scratch and see a number and that number will be sent to a dedicated number, particularly 1393 and immediately, the purchaser would be advised as to the content of the container whether it is genuine or adulterated.
“You will see immediately, the name of the producer, where it was produced and all the quality parameters and that’s exactly what we are saying because we want to protect going forward all users of EGS in Nigeria.”
He said the council would continue to provide quality regulation of seed matters adding that this informed the decision by President Muhammadu Buhari to sign into law, the National Agricultural Seeds Council Act 21 of 2019.
He added: “We introduced the national seed tracker, introduced the turn-key electronic seed authentication system, developed a five year strategic plan and upgraded our central seed testing laboratories to meet international standards.”
E-Business
CBN Affirms Alpha Morgan Bank’s Capitalisation

The Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) has affirmed the capitalisation of Alpha Morgan Bank, marking an important milestone in the bank’s growth journey and reinforcing its commitment to building a strong, resilient, and future-ready financial institution.

This affirmation reflects the bank’s adherence to regulatory requirements and its strategic focus on strengthening its capital base to support sustainable growth, innovation and improved service delivery to customers.
With this milestone, Alpha Morgan Bank is well positioned to continue expanding its footprint with its 14 approved branches across different states, while deepening inclusivity and enhancing the range of banking solutions available to individuals, businesses, and institutional clients nationwide.
Commenting on the development, the Managing Director of Alpha Morgan Bank, Mr. Ade Buraimo, expressed the readiness of the bank in ensuring compliance with regulatory requirement, good governance framework while delivering satisfying banking along the long-term vision of the bank to become the best bank to work and strong financial institution to reckon with.
He said: “Capitalisation is more than a regulatory requirement; it is an opportunity to strengthen the institution for the future. The affirmation of Alpha Morgan Bank capitalisation reflects the work we have done to build a solid capital foundation that allows us to support businesses more effectively, expand financial access and continue delivering the level of service our customers expect.’’
According to him, Alpha Morgan Bank remains committed to maintaining strong corporate governance standards, sound risk management practices, and prudent financial management as it continues to support economic development and create long-term value for stakeholders.
“As Alpha Morgan Bank enters the next phase of its journey, the institution will continue to scale its operation, invest in technology, expand its branch network and digital banking presence, whilst delivering reliable and satisfying banking experiences to its growing customer base,” Buraimo added.
E-Business
Police Says Victims Enable Cyber Attacks Out of Ignorance

Mr Uche Ifeanyi, commissioner of Police in charge of the Nigeria Police Force National Cyber Crime Centre (NPF-NCCC), said on Friday that most cyber attacks occur because victims act out of ignorance.

He spoke in Abuja at the opening of an online cybercrime awareness campaign themed “Odogwu No Dey Hide Him Face,” organised to educate and empower communities about online safety and cyber hygiene.
“Studies reveal that the majority of cyber attacks are initiated or enabled by victims due to lack of knowledge.
“Personal information is invaluable and must be protected at all times.
“Just as we maintain physical health, we must also maintain a healthy digital lifestyle,” he added, stressing that simple cyber hygiene practices could greatly reduce the risk of becoming a victim.
He urged the public not to disclose confidential information to unauthorised persons and to use strong, unique passwords, enable multi-factor authentication, and apply security safeguards on digital devices.
“Keep personal information private, avoid suspicious links, and regularly update software or system patches,” he said, adding that antivirus programmes and firewalls were essential for online safety.
Ifeanyi warned against falling for “free gifts” online.
“If it sounds too good to be true, it most likely is fraud,” he said, advising caution with urgent or suspicious messages.
He also urged internet users to verify information before sharing to avoid spreading fake news, emphasising that cybercriminals could exploit everyone regardless of age, occupation, or social class.
Vincent Olatunji, director-general, National Data Protection Commission (NDPC), commended NPF-NCCC for its efforts and said the campaign theme was commendable.
He noted the importance of educating people on legitimate wealth and safe internet use.
Olatunji said that the fight against cybercrime required collective effort, warning that the risks were increasing daily as more people connected to the internet across Nigeria.
E-Business
Firm Enhances its Security Awareness Platform with SCORM and PDF Support

Kaspersky has introduced an update to its Automated Security Awareness Platform, adding full support for PDF and SCORM (Sharable Content Object Reference Model) – the industry-standard protocol for deploying and managing e-learning content.

The enhancement enables organisations to build fully customised cybersecurity training programmes that reflect their infrastructure, risk profile, and internal policies, while continuing to benefit from Kaspersky’s expert-driven security content and phishing simulations.
According to the Kaspersky report titled “Redefining the Human Factor in Cybersecurity”, employees responding to phishing attacks was one of the main causes of cyber incidents in companies worldwide, accounting for 21% of cases among other reasons.
At the same time, additional Kaspersky research reveals that social engineering attacks are predicted to increase more than any other type in the nearest future, with 87% of respondents believing that social engineering attacks will become even more effective due to the use of AI tools.
The new Kaspersky Automated Security Awareness Platform (Kaspersky ASAP) update directly addresses several persistent challenges such as reducing the number of human-related incidents, cutting time spent on managing training programmes, decreasing regulatory and compliance risks, and minimising potential legal or reputational damage stemming from cybersecurity breaches.
With the new SCORM support, the platform becomes even more flexible: companies can now upload, track, and manage their own SCORM-based learning materials directly within the system. In addition, companies can accelerate their programmes by using easier-to-create PDF-formats.
This allows organisations to tailor training to their specific technology stacks and emerging threats targeting their industry or region. Businesses that have already invested in third-party SCORM courses or internal learning development can now seamlessly reuse their existing modules, protecting their prior investments while strengthening their cybersecurity posture.
The combination of Kaspersky’s embedded content built on real cases uncovered by the company’s world-class experts with customers’ PDF materials or SCORM modules enables a true best-of-breed approach to human risk management.
Organisations can supplement Kaspersky’s up-to-date cyberattack scenarios with internal policies, unique workflows, and industry-specific lessons, ensuring training resonates with employees and reflects real operational challenges.
“Human behaviour remains one of the most unpredictable elements in cybersecurity and also one of the easiest for attackers to exploit. By adding SCORM support to Kaspersky Automated Security Awareness Platform, we’re giving organisations the flexibility to build training programmes that truly match their internal realities.
“Combined with Kaspersky’s expert-driven content and real-world attack data, this update empowers companies to create more adaptive, relevant, and impactful awareness programmes than ever before,” comments Svetlana Kalashnikova, Security Awareness expert at Kaspersky.
E-Business2 days agoPolice Says Victims Enable Cyber Attacks Out of Ignorance
E-Financial2 days agoQuest Merchant Bank Achieves CBN Regulatory Recapitalisation Milestone
Telecom2 days agoCassava Launches Sovereign Cloud for Africa’s Public Sector
General News2 days agoFG Launches NERD to Combat Certificate Fraud
E-Financial2 days agoBank Accuses Magistrate, Lawyer of Using Fake Order to Steal N3.5m from Account
General News2 days agoGoodnews Naija Launches ‘Building in Nigeria’ Series on Entrepreneurs, Real Sector Builders
News2 days agoFG Can Now Track, Prosecute Visa Overstayers – Interior Minister
Broadcasting2 days agoSouth Africa’s Nomzamo Mbatha Appears on Glo-Sponsored African Voices


















