E-Business
Smile Boosts First Consultants’ Telemedicine with SMiFi
Smile Communications Nigeria Limited has provided First Consultants Medical Center (FCMC), Obalende, Lagos, with SMiFi routers, in ifurtherance of its Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) activities.
This latest donation by Smile is regarded as a huge boost to the highbrow hospital’s drive towards telemedicine practice.
FCMC was where Liberian-American and ECOWAS envoy Patrick Sawyer was admitted as the first Ebola Virus Disease (EVD) patient in Nigeria, after he fell sick upon his arrival to the country from Liberia.
In all, he infected 11 workers at the hospital including late Dr Stella Adadevoh and late Justina Ejelonu, a nurse. Consequently, the hospital was shutdown and some of its equipment discarded due to exposure to the virus.
Smile Communications Nigeria Limited has therefore joined forces with the Nigerian Telemedicine Network (NTN) and other donors to equip FCMC with an All-Purpose Medical Solution System (APMS) as the hospital ventures into telemedicine services.
Speaking at the event, Tobe Okigbo, chief corporate services officer for Smile Communications Nigeria Limited, assured that the company would provide the hospital with connectivity capacity of 6mbytes per second.
He noted that Smile appreciated the hospital’s effort in saving Nigeria from what could have been a major health catastrophe.
“Smile identifies with you on the incidents that happened, at the same time appreciating your efforts in rescuing the situation. Now you are going into telemedicine, Smile’s SMiFi is the network enabler to reckon with,” he said.
Explaining the products’ uniqueness, Okigbo noted that the donated Smile SMifi“will eliminate the usual slow connection available in Nigeria, because telemedicine is most times, about being able to share ideas and information accurately and promptly.
The service we are bringing will ensure HD quality; so it is like talking to someone next to you.
The SMiFi is mobile in nature and connects up to 10 users.
“The critical thing”, he avowed, “is that in this day and age of Internet of Things (IoT), everything has to be driven by the internet. Now, this hospital was great for Nigeria owing to what they went through. FCMC was ground zero in terms of ebola outbreak in Nigeria. Other establishments might have concealed the fact that the deadly disease had appeared at their doorstep, but FCMC showed unusual integrity and humanity by not only reporting the fact publicly, but also suffering serious financialand personal hardship to ensure containment of the outbreak. Integrity and humanity are values that are core to Smile’s DNA so it was an easy decision to support this project.
“Smile joins other well-meaning organizations, and indeed the country in thanking FCMC for their role during the crisis. Leveraging on another of Smile’s core values, innovation, we expect this project to greatly increase the hospital’s ability to deliver healthcare services to Nigerians in collaboration with their partners worldwide.”
Dr. Dania Simpa, chief executive officer and lead consultant, Health Informatics, Sabaoth Technologies Ltd and coordinator, Nigerian Telemedicine Network, and the coordinator of the All-Purpose Medical Solution System (APMS) CSR projects, collaborated Okigbo’s remarks, adding that the tools provided will showcase how technology has transformed healthcare across board.
“Our partners comprising Smile Communications, Intel, Microsoft and Debonia came up with the All-Purpose Medical Solution System (APMS) as a collective Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR). Our goal is to ensure even better productivity through efficient delivery of services,” he said.
While receiving Smile’s SMiFi devices, Dr. Benjamin Ohiaeri, chief medical director of First Consultant Medical Centre, chronicled the incidents that led to the hospitals’resolve to embark on telemedicine.
He said, “You want to partner with us viz a viz telemedicine. It is like you preempted us. We are already looking at commencing telemedicine. For instance, we created a knowledge center which includes an e-library. Knowledge is the most important commodity in the world and our goal is to ensure that requisite knowledge is at our finger tips at all times.”
He noted that “Nigeria is a great country, but some of us do not appreciate what makes us great. What makes us great is not that we are on uniform. The key is: the good Lord has kept us together in a way and manner that if we would simply have mutual respect for one another and value lives and be able to say “Sorry” and “Thank you” when needed, then the sky is our limit. So, I am saying Thank you for this symbolic act of magnanimity’.
Telemedicine involves the use of information and communication technologies to provide clinical health care remotely, eliminating the distance barriers.It can improve access to medical services that would often not be consistently available in, not just distant, but also developing countries.
Smile Communications’ SMifi has invariably become pivotal in the quest for efficient communications services with the provision of superfast and super reliable internet access. The SMifi connects multiple users, comes in a pocket friendly size and has up to 10-hours battery life. More importantly, it can be used with any handset, laptop or device that is Wi-Fi enabled.
Galaxy Backbone Limited (GBB) has been ranked first overall in the 2025 Federal Government Website Performance Scorecard.
This is a landmark achievement for Nigeria’s digital economy.
The ranking, conducted by the Bureau of Public Service Reforms (BPSR), is the definitive benchmark for digital excellence and transparency across all Ministries, Departments, and Agencies (MDAs).
Professor Ibrahim Adepoju Adeyanju, managing director and CEO of Galaxy Backbone, received the award during a ceremony in Abuja.
He described the feat as a validation of the agency’s“Nigeria First”data sovereignty strategy and its relentless pursuit of service excellence.
This recognition comes as the Federal Government intensifies its push to achieve a fully paperless civil service by December 31, 2025.
GBB has been the primary architect of this transition through its 1Gov Enterprise Content Management (ECM) platform, which now hosts the operations of almost all federal MDAs.
The award adds to a growing list of accolades for Galaxy Backbone in 2025, following its recent win of the “International Standard Excellence Award for Best IT Service Provider.”
As the central hub for government shared services, GBB’s performance serves as a blueprint for other agencies currently undergoing digital transformation.
With its expanded fiber-optic backbone now covering over 13 states and its secure cloud solutions, Galaxy Backbone remains the cornerstone of Nigeria’s vision to become a leading digital nation by the end of the decade.
Okitipi Samuel, a Nigerian man, has been taken into custody by the Nigeria Police Force for his alleged role in a global cyberattack on Microsoft 365 users.
Benjamin Hundeyin, Force public relations officer, disclosed this on Thursday in Abuja while briefing journalists on the outcome of investigations carried out by the National Cybercrime Centre of the Nigeria Police Force.
Hundeyin said the centre, under the leadership of Ifeanyi Uche, its director and Commissioner of Police, commenced investigations in collaboration with Microsoft, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the United States Secret Service, and the United Kingdom’s National Crime Agency.
According to him, investigations revealed that a phishing toolkit known as “Raccoon 0365” was used to create fake Microsoft login portals to harvest user credentials and unlawfully access email accounts belonging to corporate organisations, financial institutions, and educational institutions in several countries.
“This investigation commenced following credible intelligence received from Microsoft USA through the FBI, indicating that a malicious phishing toolkit known as Raccoon0365 was being used to create fake Microsoft login portals, harvest user credentials, and unlawfully access the email accounts of corporate organisations, financial institutions, and educational establishments,” Hundeyin said.
He added that between January and September 2025, several reports of unauthorised access to Microsoft 365 accounts were traced to phishing emails designed to mimic legitimate Microsoft login pages, enabling business email compromise, internal phishing, data breaches, and other cyber-enabled fraud.
Hundeyin said digital forensic analysis and cryptocurrency tracing identified wallets connected to the illegal operation.
He noted that operatives were deployed to Lagos and Edo states, leading to the arrest of three suspects identified as Joshua, James, and Okitipi Samuel between September 20 and October 4, 2025.
“Following extensive digital forensic and technical intelligence analysis, the centre conducted cryptocurrency tracing that identified suspicious wallets connected to cash-out schemes.
“Acting on actionable intelligence, operational teams were deployed to Lagos and Edo states, resulting in the arrest of Joshua, James, and Okitipi Samuel. Searches at their residences led to the recovery of mobile devices, laptops, and other digital exhibits linked to the fraudulent scheme,” he said.
Hundeyin identified Okitipi Samuel, also known as “0365” and Moses Felix as the principal suspect and developer of the phishing infrastructure.
He added that investigations confirmed Samuel unlawfully used the email details of one of the arrested individuals without consent to register some of the accounts used in the operation.
The police spokesperson said further investigations revealed that the identities of Joshua and James were used without their consent.
“There was no evidence linking them to the creation or operation of the phishing scheme. They were victims of identity theft,” Hundeyin said.
He said a prima facie case had been established against Samuel for identity theft, unlawful access to computer systems, creation and distribution of malicious software, unauthorised interference with network data, and aiding and abetting fraud.
Hundeyin added that the suspect would be charged under relevant provisions of the Cybercrimes (Prohibition, Prevention, etc.) Act, 2024.
He said the suspect would be prosecuted in Nigeria, noting that the country has the capacity to enforce its cybercrime laws, although extradition could be considered if formally requested through due process.
Hundeyin assured Nigerians that the police, under the leadership of Kayode Egbetokun, inspector-general of Police, would continue to protect the country’s digital ecosystem and urged citizens to practise good cyber hygiene by being cautious when clicking links and sharing personal information online.
Speaking separately, Ifeanyi Uche, director of the National Cybercrime Centre, urged Nigerians to exercise caution online.
Uche advised members of the public to avoid clicking on links from unknown or unexpected sources, noting that such links often contain malware or phishing tools designed to compromise devices and personal data.
He warned that indiscriminate clicking of links or responding to unsolicited emails could lead to unauthorised access to personal and corporate accounts, urging citizens to “wash their cyber hands” by verifying sources before taking action online.
Nigeria has unveiled a comprehensive, multi-pronged strategy designed to localise WSIS+20 commitments. This roadmap accelerates national transformation by prioritising robust infrastructure, transparent internet governance, and advanced cybersecurity through deep stakeholder collaboration.
Unveiled in New York at the Nigerian high-level side event titled “Re-Imagining Digital Cooperation for Sustainable Development: From WSIS+20 Vision to Local Action,” the strategy cements Nigeria’s position as a primary architect of the world’s digital future.
Speaking at the event, the Director General of the National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA), Kashifu Inuwa, CCIE represented by Director, Corporate Planning and Strategy, Dr. Dimie Shively Wariowei said Nigeria’s approach is deliberately aligned with the four core activity areas identified under the ongoing WSIS+20 review process.
According to him, the focus areas provide a practical framework for translating global digital commitments into measurable national outcomes, ensuring that international resolutions drive inclusive growth and sustainable digital development at the country level.
Inuwa identified digital infrastructure as the foundation of effective localisation, noting persistent challenges in extending connectivity to underserved and remote communities. Beyond infrastructure gaps, he highlighted affordability constraints and digital literacy deficits, stressing that addressing these issues remains central to Nigeria’s digital inclusion drive.
He explained that government alone cannot shoulder the burden of nationwide digital infrastructure deployment, given Nigeria’s vast geographical spread, hence the adoption of collaborative Public-Private Partnership (PPP) models. He disclosed that Nigeria, in collaboration with the World Bank, is implementing a major fibre-optic project spanning about 90,000 kilometres nationwide to boost connectivity.
The NITDA DG also revealed that the current National Broadband Plan, which has guided broadband expansion in recent years, is nearing completion, with plans underway to renew and reposition it for the next five years. The renewed plan, he said, will strategically target increased broadband penetration as a catalyst for digital access and economic growth.
On internet governance, Inuwa referenced Nigeria’s active participation in the Internet Governance Forum (IGF), noting that the country successfully hosted its annual national IGF. He said the forum operates on a multi-stakeholder model that brings together government, the private sector, civil society and the technical community to foster cooperation and informed policy dialogue.
Cybersecurity, he added, remains a critical pillar of Nigeria’s localisation efforts. He cited the existing Cybersecurity Act and ongoing efforts to strengthen the legal framework through a reviewed version currently awaiting parliamentary approval. These measures, he said, are designed to mitigate risks associated with increased internet use and to protect users and critical digital infrastructure.
Inuwa further stressed Nigeria’s ambition to play a leadership role in advancing digital cooperation across Africa through inclusive, multi-stakeholder engagement. He underscored the importance of coordinated national data collection, noting that reliable, country-specific data is essential for tracking progress and presenting Africa’s digital development story on the global stage.
He concluded that sustained engagement and follow-up actions arising from the WSIS+20 review would strengthen digital cooperation among African countries and ensure that global digital commitments translate into tangible national and regional impact.
Stakeholders commended Nigeria’s efforts in the digital space, acknowledging the country’s growing role in shaping Africa’s digital future.
Earlier, Ms. Jennifer Chung, Co-Convener of the Informal Multi-Stakeholder Sounding Board (IMSB), praised Nigeria for convening a broad-based, multi-stakeholder delegation and for its commitment to the meaningful implementation of WSIS+20 outcomes.
Chung stressed the growing demand for localised WSIS follow-up mechanisms, noting that platforms such as the annual IGF, National and Regional IGF Initiatives (NRIs), and youth-led forums are vital for tracking progress towards the 2030 Agenda and Africa’s Agenda 2063.
She described the WSIS+20 review as a critical step toward effective monitoring, reliable data collection and evidence-based evaluation, particularly for developing countries in the Global South. According to her, these measures are essential to achieving WSIS targets and ensuring that no region is left behind.
Drawing parallels with the Asia-Pacific region, Chung noted that challenges around affordable and meaningful connectivity remain widespread across developing economies. She emphasised that expanding broadband penetration and reducing the cost of access are crucial to closing digital divides in Africa, Asia-Pacific and other parts of the Global South.
She also highlighted the need to enable active citizen participation in emerging technologies, including artificial intelligence and future innovations such as quantum technologies, stressing that inclusive digital access is key to maximising the benefits of digital transformation.
Reflecting on the WSIS+20 review process, Chung praised the innovative and inclusive approach adopted through the informal multi-stakeholder sounding board, describing it as one of the first of its kind in global digital governance. She called for sustained collaboration among governments, the private sector, civil society and the technical community to carry the WSIS vision from global commitments to local action.
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