E-Business
NDPC Partners Gates Foundation, KPMG on Open Banking Frameworks

Nigeria Data Protection Commission (NDPC), in partnership with Bill Gates and Melinda Foundation and KPMG are developing open banking frameworks in a move to deepen financial inclusion.

L-r:; Anna Wallace, Senior Programme Officer for Regulatory and Consumer Protection Technologies at the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation,; Dr. Vincent Olatunji , national commissioner of the NDPC; and John Anyanwu, KPMG Head of Cybersecurity and Privacy,
This was the focus of discussion when Dr. Vincent Olatunji , national commissioner of the NDPC, received Anna Wallace, Senior Programme Officer for Regulatory and Consumer Protection Technologies at the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, and John Anyanwu, KPMG Head of Cybersecurity and Privacy, in Abuja.
The commission revealed in a statement on X (formerly Twitter) that the purpose of the meeting was to discuss open banking frameworks for Nigeria, a project coordinated by the Gates Foundation.
Open banking refers to the practice of providing third-party financial service providers with access to bank account information, transaction data, and other financial data through the use of application programming interfaces.
The meeting served as a pivotal step in recognising NDPC’s crucial role in the project, formalising engagement to ensure robust input in the areas of data protection and privacy.
NDPC emphasised the crucial role of digital identity in the financial sector as well as open banking, stressing the importance of implementing measures to safeguard digital identities to foster trust and confidence
Dr. Olatunji also addressed challenges posed by digital lending companies regarding transparency in data processing activities.
The NDPC Boss noted that the Commission was already working with other stakeholders to tackle the challenges.
He highlighted the misconception among some banks regarding the roles of a Chief Information Security Officer and a Data Protection Officer, emphasising the legal requirement for all data controllers to have a Data Protection Officer.
E-Business
NDPC Probes Suspected Data Breach in Examination Centres

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.
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.
E-Business
Nigeria Among Hotspots as Kaspersky Warns of Rising Ransomware Threat in Africa

Cyber security firm, Kaspersky, has once again warned that sophisticated cybercriminals increasingly target Africa as ransomware and advanced persistent threats (APTs) escalate across the region.
Speaking at the company’s annual Cyber Security Weekend for the Middle East, Turkiye and Africa (META) region, the cybersecurity firm’s Global Research and Analysis Team highlighted growing digital threats affecting African nations.
Kenya, Nigeria, and South Africa emerged as hotspots, with Kenya recording one of the highest web threat incident rates at 20.1% in first quarter 2025.
“While ransomware is less prevalent in Africa due to lower levels of digitisation and economic constraints, countries like South Africa and Nigeria are seeing a sharp rise in attacks,” said Sergey Lozhkin, head of META and APAC regions at Kaspersky.
Kaspersky noted a 0.01 percentage point increase in African ransomware cases year-on-year, reaching 0.41%, still below global and Middle Eastern averages, but a troubling sign for the continent’s emerging digital infrastructure.
Experts warned that attackers are refining their tactics, shifting focus to unconventional entry points like IoT devices, smart appliances, and misconfigured hardware.
“As these economies expand digitally, sectors such as manufacturing, finance and government are becoming key targets,” said Lozhkin
The cyber-crime landscape is evolving quickly, fuelled by AI tools and dark web access to large language models, which enable less skilled actors to launch convincing phishing and malware campaigns.
Groups like FunkSec, which uses AI-generated code and a low-cost ransom model, are redefining ransomware operations.
“African organisations face the dual challenge of expanding digital footprints and limited cybersecurity awareness. This makes layered defense strategies, including network segmentation, real-time monitoring and regular staff training, essential,” stated Lozhkin
Kaspersky continues to monitor 25 active APT groups in the META region, including SideWinder and MuddyWater, some of which are known to target African institutions.
To bolster defenses, the firm recommends using tools such as its free Anti-Ransomware Tool for Business and the Kaspersky Next suite for threat visibility and response.
E-Business
Nigeria Launches Cybercrime Team with Commonwealth, UK Support

Nigeria recently launched a new joint case team to step up its response to cybercrimes that affect people and businesses at home and abroad.
The ‘Joint Case Team on Cybercrime’ brings together Nigeria’s key justice and security agencies to work as one, making it easier to detect, investigate, and prosecute digital offences.
It is supported by the UK National Crime Agency, the UK Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, and the Commonwealth Secretariat, as part of a wider effort to promote international cooperation on cybercrime.
Speaking at the launch in Abuja, Prince Lateef Fagbemi SAN, minister of justice and attorney general of the federation described the initiative as “a bold and transformative stride in Nigeria’s justice system.”
He said that although Nigeria has a national legal framework to address cyber offences, laws alone are not enough.
Nigeria is among the countries most affected by cybercrime around the world, with increasing financial losses.
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