Telecom
NITDA Seeks More Synergy from IT Stakeholders
In an effort at deepening the contribution of the digital economy to economic growth of the nation, the National Information Technology Development Agency, (NITDA) has called for formation of strong synergy between the Agency and Information Technology stakeholders in the country.
Mallam Kashifu Abdullahi made the call at MainOne Data Centre during his three-day working visit to Lagos state.
The DG noted that the purpose of the Agency working visit to Lagos is to advance collaborations among the NITDA and the IT ecosystem, adding that “the visit would also allow us to share our newly unveiled Strategic Roadmap and Action Plan for 2021-2024 which was crafted in line with the National Digital Economy Policy and Strategy for Digital Nigeria”.
According to Mallam Abdullahi, he said NITDA cannot achieve all its mandates by working in isolation and MainOne being critical stakeholders, it is imperative for the two organisations to partner.
“We expect you to always be on board and constantly informing the Agency on what you need to achieve because government is an enabler and the Agency can only enable what the stakeholders put forward,” he added.
He stated further that there are three key elements for attainment of robust digital economy which he said are human capital, infrastructure and demand creation.
“Nigeria is blessed with all three elements. As a nation, what we are focusing on with the Strategic Roadmap is stimulation of the demand within the sector so as to have volume and use of the infrastructure.”
While listing the seven strategic pillars the Strategic Roadmap and Action Plan is anchored on (Developmental Regulations; Digital Transformation; Digital Innovation and Entrepreneurship; Cyber Security; Emerging Technologies; Digital Literacy and Skill; and Promotion of Indigenous Contents) Mallam Abdullahi stated that the pillars would unlock opportunities inherent in digital economy and also ignite demand as well as innovation in the ecosystem.
He said, the ideas behind the pillars are to ensure that Nigerians utilize indigenous rather than procuring foreign services.
“How can we get our people to use your services? We don’t want to see them taking it outside the countries and this can only be achieved with closer partnership,” Kashifu stated.
In his remarks, MDXi Chief Operating Officer, COO, Mr. Gbenga Adegbiji said technology is going to shape the future and data centers and digital infrastructure is the next oil, fiber lines as the pipelines and the data centers as oil rigs. With the little incentive, they will enable the next digital frontier.
He maintained that “we as a business will also make the effort to ensure we provide the enabled environment while the government is making policies that will ignite the sector”.
The COO said a robust partnership between the Agency and IT private firms would go a long way in encouraging people to make use of more locally sourced services.
MTN Uganda is seeking input from stakeholders on a plan to structurally separate its mobile money service, MoMo, from its core telecoms business.
According to the company, the proposed change will be discussed at the upcoming extraordinary general meeting on July 2.
If approved, the telco’s fintech business will be run by a new company controlled by MTN Group Fintech Holdings B.V. and a trust benefiting minority shareholders following a merger.
Additionally, the restructuring also aligns with MTN Group’s ambition 2025 strategy which aims to unlock value, attract new investors, and strengthen regulatory compliance by creating standalone fintech entities in Uganda, Ghana, and Nigeria.
The company’s fintech division has over 13 million customers, with an 18.4% revenue increase in the first quarter of 2025, driven by 19.0% growth in mobile money services, 19.8% growth in transaction volumes, and a 31.4% increase in transaction value.
Reports say the decision is part of the telco’s compliance with the National Payment Systems Act 2020, which mandates mobile money businesses to operate as standalone entities, and to align with MTN Group’s regional fintech strategy.
MTN Uganda, which is led by CEO Sylvia Mulinge, highlighted that the implementation of the proposed transaction will be subjected to a number of conditions and regulatory procedures.
“The implementation of the proposed transaction shall be subject to a number of conditions, including the company and MTN MoMo receiving all required regulatory approvals and no-objections and complying with any regulatory conditions,” said MTN Uganda in notice.
Netflix has announced plans to invest more than €1 billion in Spanish film and television productions over the next four years, reinforcing its commitment to Spain as a key creative hub in Europe.
The announcement was made by co-chief executive Ted Sarandos at an event held at Netflix’s production studios near Madrid, celebrating the company’s 10-year presence in the country.
Sarandos emphasized that the investment would contribute significantly to Spain’s economy, create jobs, and enable the streaming platform to produce more local content. He was joined by Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez in unveiling the initiative.
Netflix first established its international production studios in Madrid in 2019, following the success of the Spanish-language hit series Money Heist.
Since then, its 22,000-square-meter facility has become one of Netflix’s major production centers within the European Union.
The company currently supports over 20,000 jobs in Spain, highlighting the nation’s growing influence in global entertainment.
The investment reflects Netflix’s ongoing strategy to expand its presence in European markets through original content and local talent.
Nigeria Computer Emergency Response Team (ngCERT) has raised alarms over a new wave of advanced cyberattacks targeting Android mobile phones through a malware campaign dubbed Tria Stealer.
The malicious software is designed to infiltrate Android devices, hijack messaging accounts, intercept One-Time Passwords (OTPs), to steal sensitive personal and financial data.
According to ngCERT, Tria Stealer spreads primarily through deceptive tactics, such as fake event invitations distributed via popular messaging platforms like WhatsApp and Telegram.
Unsuspecting users are enticed to download an infected (APK) file, often disguised as a harmless system application, to evade detection.
Once installed, Tria Stealer requests extensive permissions, including access to SMS, call logs, and app notifications.
It immediately commences data harvesting activities, sending stolen information to a Command and Control (C2) server operated via Telegram bots.
This trojan spreads through fake links, usually disguised as wedding or event invites, and tricks users into downloading malicious APK files
“Account takeover of messaging platforms. Impersonation of victim for fraudulent money transfer requests. Compromise of banking and financial applications. Identity theft and credential harvesting.”
In plain terms, if your phone is compromised, the consequences could be catastrophic.
Your financial apps are vulnerable, your reputation could be ruined by impersonation and even simple personal messages could be twisted into tools for scams.
Here’s what users should be doing now:
Don’t download apps outside the official Play Store.
Be suspicious of random invites or links, even from people you know.
Turn on 2FA for everything—banking, emails, social platforms.
Get a reputable antivirus and keep it updated.
If you run an organisation, you should already be taking this seriously.
ngCERT’s guidance says you should raise awareness, monitor mobile devices, and not let your team click on unverified links.
“Deploy network monitoring for suspicious outbound connections to known C2 domains,” it said, meaning, keep an eye on every digital door in and out.
This isn’t one of those cases where you wait to see if it affects you. By the time you realise it, it may already be too late.
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