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E-Business

NITDA Invites Public Input on Guidelines for IT Projects and Regulatory Instruments

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The National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA) is seeking public feedback on several draft documents related to Information Technology (IT) projects and regulations. This aligns with NITDA’s commitment to an open and collaborative rulemaking.

The legal Documents Open for Public Review are:

  1. Guidelines for Licensing IT Projects Clearance Compliance Assurance Firms 2024;
  2. Regulatory Guidelines for Electronic Invoicing in Nigeria;
  3. Guidelines for Software Development; and
  4. Guidelines for Software Testing.

NITDA is also proposing the amendment of the Guidelines for Clearance of IT Projects for Federal Public Institutions (FPIs). guidelines, initially issued in 2018.

The Guidelines for Licensing IT Projects Clearance Compliance Assurance Firms 2024 aims to ensure that IT projects within Federal Public Institutions (FPIs) are managed and implemented according to approved and established standards, regulations, and best practices.

The instrument will regulate and professionalise the clearance of IT projects, ensuring that FPIs IT projects and initiatives are effectively conceptualised, designed, evaluated, and compliant with relevant Federal Government extant rules and standards in line with the Federal Government’s digital infrastructure goals and the Renewed Hope Agenda.

The Regulatory Guidelines for Electronic Invoicing is designed to promote transparency and deepen the use of technology for e-government automation as well as support the fiscal development of Nigeria through prudent administration of government revenue.

The guidelines will improve tax compliance, enhance efficiency and enhance standardisation and interoperability, thereby ensuring that Nigeria is ready for international digital commerce.

The Guidelines for Software Development establishes the minimum requirements for the development of software to be used by Nigerian government entities. It ensures that all software meets quality, security, and operational standards, promotes the growth of the local software testing market, and enhances the efficiency and effectiveness of government services.

The objectives of the guideline are to ensure that software is fit-for-purpose, meeting functional and non-functional requirements, and protect government institutions from operational risks through security, reliability, and performance standards.

To Participate:

These draft documents have undergone internal review and stakeholder consultations. NITDA now invites the public to contribute their feedback by reviewing the documents available for download at: https://nitda.gov.ng/draft-regulatory-instruments/

Public participation is crucial for NITDA to develop comprehensive and effective regulatory instruments.

By considering diverse perspectives, NITDA can ensure these guidelines best serve the needs of the IT industry and promote the development of a thriving digital economy in Nigeria.

Stakeholders are advised to  send in their review to regulations@nitda.gov.ng on or before 26th November 2024.

 


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E-Business

Global Crypto Heists Surge to $2.1Bn in H1 2025 as Digital Assets is Weaponised

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In a sobering revelation of the evolving threat landscape facing the digital asset ecosystem, blockchain intelligence firm TRM Labs has disclosed that over $2.1 billion worth of cryptocurrency was stolen in the first half of 2025 alone, spanning at least 75 high-profile hacks and exploits.

Global Crypto Heists Surge to $2.1Bn in H1 2025 as Digital Assets is Weaponised

This staggering figure marks a 10 per cent surge over the previous first-half record set in 2022 and nearly eclipses the total stolen in all of 2024.

But beyond the monetary scale, the report reveals a deeper concern: a growing trend of state-sponsored cyber aggression weaponising  crypto assets for strategic and geopolitical purposes.

The most devastating breach to date occurred in February when Dubai-based exchange Bybit lost $1.5 billion—the largest  crypto heist in history.

TRM Labs attributes the attack to North Korean state actors, noting that the incident alone accounted for nearly 70 percent of total losses during the period and doubled the average hack size to $30 million.

“The Bybit hack redefined the threat landscape,” the report stated.

“It exemplifies how digital asset theft has transcended criminal opportunism and morphed into a tool of statecraft.”

Indeed, North Korea-linked entities were responsible for an estimated $1.6 billion of the total stolen, further entrenching Pyongyang’s status as the most prolific nation-state threat actor in the crypto sphere.

Yet the menace is diversifying. On June 18, Iranian crypto exchange Nobitex was breached for over $90 million by a group reportedly linked to Israel, Gonjeshke Darande (Predatory Sparrow).

Unusually, the stolen funds were routed to unusable vanity addresses, underscoring symbolic and political motives rather than financial gain.

TRM Labs flagged this as a “disturbing shift,” with digital asset theft increasingly deployed as a weapon in asymmetric geopolitical conflict.

The report also found that more than 80 percent of losses stemmed from infrastructure breaches, including private key theft, seed phrase leaks, and front-end compromises— attacks typically ten times costlier than other vectors.

Meanwhile, DeFi exploits such as flash loan manipulations accounted for 12 percent of losses, reflecting persistent smart contract vulnerabilities despite years of scrutiny.

As digital currencies become enmeshed in global rivalries, TRM Labs warns that conventional cybersecurity approaches are now inadequate.

“Massive breaches, often tied to nation-state operations, require a new defence paradigm,” the firm asserted, urging industrywide adoption of advanced safeguards and cross-border collaboration among regulators and law enforcement.


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E-Business

CAC Launches AI-powered Business Registration Portal

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Corporate Affairs Commission (CAC) has inaugurated the pilot take-off of its new Artificial Intelligence (AI)-powered registration portal.

CAC Launches AI-powered Business Registration Portal

A statement issued by the commission explained that Malam Hussaini Magaji, registrar-general of the CAC, made the announcement during the 2025 Stakeholders Forum in Port Harcourt.

According to him, “the initiative is a major milestone in Nigeria’s business facilitation drive.”

The Registrar further explained that the upgraded portal marks a complete overhaul of the Company Registration Portal (CRP), saying that it comes with advanced features designed to simplify and speed up business registration.

The new system, according to him, allows for instant name reservation approvals, likening the ease to creating an email account, and stressing that the AI-powered platform could suggest available alternatives to business names and approve them immediately.

Another innovation, he stated, is the ability to register a business using only the National Identification Number (NIN) of a director or proprietor, pointing out that there is an ambitious target of completing business registration and certificate generation within 30 minutes, subject to real-time NIN validation.


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Bitget Launches Institutional Services to Empower Fintech Innovation

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Bitget has launched its institutional services in Nigeria, offering fintech companies a robust platform to build innovative solutions on top of Bitget’s suite of institutional-grade offerings.

Gracy Chen, CEO, Bitget, in a statement said, “Our goal is to empower Nigerian businesses to innovate and leverage blockchain for wealth creation opportunities, hence, the institutional services empower fintech leaders with tailored solutions, as the offerings designed to cater for the unique operational needs of institutional clients, enabling businesses to embed trading functionalities like spot and futures markets, wallet management, and more, directly into their platforms.

“The Key services include White-label Broker Services which enabled Fintech companies to deploy customized crypto exchanges using Bitget’s infrastructure while managing branding and users independently. There is also API Solutions that can make the Developers to integrate trading functionality via APIs for spot, margin, and derivatives markets, ensuring fast execution and seamless experiences for end users.”

Chen added, “The ND Broker Model provides clients with complete autonomy over user-facing platforms, offering exclusive front-end flexibility while relying on Bitget for back-end market liquidity. Clients are able to employ Protection Fund and Proof of Reserves of over $600million secured in the Bitget Protection Fund and real-time Proof of Reserves, which gives clients assurance of maximum transparency and security.”

 


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