Telecom
Social Media Powerful Tool for Societal Growth – NIIA DG
The social media has been heavily criticised with some of its platforms banned in many countries, but Prof. Eghosa Osaghae, director-general, Nigerian Institute for International Affairs (NIIA), says it is a powerful tool for societal growth.
“The social media presents platforms for robust discussions on issues, views and ideas with opposing views flowing side by side. It is healthy to have debates with fierce disagreements.
“Ultimately, a cross fertilisation of these ideas, the sublime and ridiculous alike, will fashion out a path to greater togetherness, growth and progress,” Osaghae told the News Agency of Nigeria in Lagos on Sunday.
He emphasised the need for Nigerians to prioritise national interest above other considerations while using the social media, and cautioned against the tendency to exaggerate perceived flaws to ridicule or divide the nation.
Osaghae regretted the influx of fake news, misinformation and negative perceptions into social media platforms, urging Nigerians to be more circumspect when handling issues bordering on insurgency, terrorism, ethnic relations and the “so-called national question debate”.
“It is good to have unbridled access to information, but a lot of it is exaggerated. Sometimes, you think the country is at war. We should always argue toward arriving at a middle ground.
“Freedom behoves on the user the responsibility to be ethical, reasonable and responsible. So, we must always pander to national interest and defend our country.
“It is important for Nigerians to realise that citizens of other countries read what we put into the internet. We must strive to be positive so that others can have positive impressions about us.
“Patriotism should always be the guiding spirit. It should always be ‘country first’; your mother is your mother, no matter how ugly.
“No matter how beautiful other mothers are, they cannot replace your mother. So, you must promote your mother and make her lovable instead of loving other people’s mothers.
“We shall help our country more if the social media is used as a tool for sober reflection. For the leaders, it can be used as a feedback mechanism with everyone defending and extending frontiers of national interests.
“No Nigerian should agree to be used as a surrogate for other countries’ national interests,” he said.
Osaghae also spoke on ongoing efforts to reposition the 61-year-old NIIA to achieve its mandate as the epicentre for constant interface between local and international affairs.
“We are trying to rebuild, reposition and reinvent the institute to surpass what had been achieved in the past.
“We have had our golden years but had to slow down owing to scarce resources, but part of leadership challenge is to diversify so as to broaden our resource base.
“We are building smart partnerships with the media, government, the business cycle, international development groups and institutions with similar mandates to broaden our horizon.
“Aside pooling in more resources, we shall be focused on research and knowledge sharing to sharpen our capacity to influence and shape developments,” he said.
He said the institute was also reinventing citizen diplomacy with a focus on making Nigerians feel more positive about themselves and their country.
“We want Nigerians to feel proud of their country because it has produced some of the best leaders in all sectors of human endeavour.
“Nigeria has produced the finest scholars, technocrats, administrators and diplomats in the likes of Emeka Anyaoku, Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, Prince Ajibola and Prof. Adesina.
“The world has also recognised our literary prowess with great writers like Prof Wole Soyinka, Chinua Achebe and others winning global honours.
“Nigeria is also famed to have led the struggle that conquered apartheid and effectively chaired the UN anti-apartheid committee to great success.
“In the John Biden administration in U.S., there are up to five Nigerians holding key positions. They got that far on merit. There is generally a vast potential waiting to be tapped in this country.
“There are Nigerians whose attitude is uncomplimentary, but that is just a distraction. We are a great people and should deploy our ethnic and religious diversities to maximum advantage,” he said.
He advised Nigerians to feel proud of their nationality and avoid being too critical of their nation as it was the only space they could call their own.
“Time has come for everyone to redirect the world to see our positive sides. If we do not project Nigeria positively to the world, it will be relegation unending,” he said. (NAN)
Sophos, a leading provider of innovative cybersecurity solutions, shared practical advice to help internet users safeguard their credentials and maintain continuous protection online.
Sophos
According to the upcoming Sophos Active Adversary Report, compromised credentials were the leading cause of attacks (42.06%) in 2025.
This is a strong trend that continues to dominate the scene, with cyber attackers demonstrating ever-increasing ingenuity and relying on new tools to compromise the security and privacy of internet users.
John Shier, Field CISO Threat Intelligence at Sophos, said: “The way attackers are using automation and generative AI to massively increase the speed and volume of their attacks suggests that attacks will become faster and more sophisticated. The best approach to protecting our identities and digital data is to take a proactive stance on defense.”
“Criminals are increasingly targeting people rather than devices, and this trend is expected to continue and even accelerate. Once again, AI is being used as a weapon to create highly detailed phishing lures to entice people to disclose passwords or financial information through well-designed emails, text messages, and WhatsApp messages.”
1. Keep your devices up to date: the most important and simplest measure you can take to protect yourself in the long term.
Cybercriminals are constantly on the lookout for computers that don’t have all the latest security patches, making them easy targets for compromise. This includes computers, laptops, smartphones, tablets, and home Internet/Wi-Fi routers. In most cases, you just need to click “Check for Updates” or “Update Now” and allow the device to restart.
2. Use a password management tool, whether it is built into an operating system or a third-party tool.
Password uniqueness and complexity are then managed automatically, greatly facilitating account isolation and protection.
3. Enhance protection with phishing resistant (MFA).
Many websites offer the option of using an “authentication app,” a smartphone app that displays a unique code for a short period of time, which must be entered after the password, making it much more secure than simply using a password.
Better still, there is a new solution called “passkeys,” which generally uses biometric authentication on your smartphone (face scan, fingerprint) to log in without any password. This is the best choice when available.
John Shier concludes: “Criminals will never stop trying to steal from us, so we must remain vigilant. We know that they are constantly improving and becoming more skilled at deceiving us, so it’s up to us to move forward and improve our protections to stay safe.”
For more information, please visit: https://www.sophos.com
European Union has launched a formal challenge against Meta Platforms over a new policy restricting third-party artificial intelligence tools on WhatsApp.
Meta
Regulators accuse the U.S. tech giant of abusing its dominant position in the messaging market to favor its own AI assistant.
On January 15, Meta implemented changes to the WhatsApp Business API, allowing only its proprietary Meta AI to operate while blocking rival chatbots.
The European Commission quickly responded with a statement of objections and announced plans for interim measures to prevent “serious and irreparable harm” to competitors during the ongoing investigation.
EU antitrust chief Teresa Ribera stressed the need to safeguard competition in the booming AI sector. “We cannot allow dominant tech companies to illegally leverage their dominance for an unfair advantage,” she said.
Interim steps could force Meta to restore access for third-party AI tools on WhatsApp pending the probe’s outcome.
Meta defended the policy, insisting the WhatsApp Business API serves business-to-customer needs, not general AI distribution.
A spokesperson highlighted alternatives like app stores, devices, and websites for other AI options, rejecting claims that the API is essential for chatbots.
This dispute echoes actions elsewhere: Italy restricted Meta similarly last December, while Brazil recently lifted a comparable court order.
As AI integrates deeper into daily apps, the EU’s moves signal heightened scrutiny on tech gatekeepers.
Webb Fontaine has launched Webb Fontaine Zerø, a groundbreaking AI-powered Customs platform, at the 2026 WCO Technology Conference in Abu Dhabi, drawing over 1,500 delegates from 100+ countries.
Webb Fontaine
CEO Alioune Ciss unveiled the LLM-based concept during the keynote, calling it a “complete reset” from legacy systems – embedding AI across operations for real-time regulatory adaptation, risk management, and trade facilitation under the theme “Customs Agility in a Complex World.”
CTO Ara Shamirzayan led panels on AI risk analytics, while GM Anicet Houngbo moderated border digitalization talks showcasing emerging market successes.
The firm’s stand hosted Zerø demos, interactive sessions, and a sponsored gala dinner, reinforcing WCO ties via SAFE Framework and PSCG contributions.
Webb Fontaine eyes global partnerships to deploy agile, future-proof Customs tech amid rising trade demands.
FG Launches the Happy Woman App Platform
Lasaco Assurance Gets Shareholders Approval to Advance Capitalization Plans
Ecobank Nigeria to Host Customer Forum on Strengthening Regional Integration for Economic Transformation
Lagos to Establish West Africa’s Premier International Financial Centre
Safer Internet Day: Sophos Warns – 42% Attacks Hit Stolen Logins in 2025
Firm Detected a Fivefold Surge in QR Code Phishing Attacks in the Second Half of 2025
US invests $115m in counter-drone tech for World Cup security
Nigerian Terra Industries Secures $11.8m for Expansion
Nigeria Targeted with 4,622 Cyber-attacks Per Week in December 2025
Firm Detected a Scam Exploiting OpenAI’s Teamwork Features
E-Financial2 days agoAlawuba Advocates Security, Bankable Projects, Infrastructure Development to Promote South-East Vision
E-Financial1 day agoCBN Expresses Concern Over Foreign Investments in Nigeria Fintechs
Telecom1 day agoNCC Committed to Regional Digital Integration – Maida
General News1 day agoIndigenous Firm Deploys 400,000 Smart Electricity Meters in 2025
E-Financial1 day agoBOI Secures CBN Nod for Sharia Banking, Unlocks Ethical Funding Boom
Telecom1 day agoITU Top Director Visits NITDA, Boosts Nigeria’s Digital Literacy Push
E-Financial1 day agoUBA’s Easy and Instant Account Opening Thrills Returnee
News1 day agoEFInA Unveils Research Fellowship Programme to Deepen Financial Inclusion Impact