E-Business
TAM Summit Highlights Technologies Potency in Time Management
Africans have been urged to embrace technological interventions as practical measures to overcoming poor time management.
Panelists at the inaugural TAM Summit unanimously agreed that technology can aid individuals and organisations in setting clear timelines for their set goals and objectives.
TAM Summit under the theme, “From ‘African Time’ to ‘On Time’: A paradigm Shift”, was conveyed by SB Telecoms in Lagos on Thursday, May 19, 2016 seeking for attitudinal change while drawing attention to the economic loss in Africa due to the “African Time” mental appendage.
Speaking at the Summit, Mr. Afolabi Abiodun, CEO of SB Telecoms & Devices and Conveners, disclosed that a survey conducted with the aid of TAM solution, found that almost 12% of annual labour cost is lost to lateness, tardiness, time theft and absenteeism.
He said, that in an economic climate, such is a huge lost as there was no successful venture devoid of time as a major contributory factor.
Abiodun said, “In 2005, the American government set a goal to reduce their dependency on foreign crude oil from 60% of their total need to 30% by 2015 and 0% by 2020. One of their key follow-through mechanisms is the perfecting of the fracking technology to access their Shale Oil. Today, America’s daily production has increased from 5.4 million barrels in 2005 per day to 9.3 million barrels per day as at the end of 2015.
“For the past three decades, various Nigerian governments have touted Vision 2020 to take us to the Promised Land of development. Four years to expected delivery date, we are yet to scratch the surface of this laudable target. Why? Although it is easy to blame lack of political will and socio-economic factors, but the real culprit, in my honest opinion, is a lack of interest in doing things in a timely manner and a readiness to give excuses, even though Nigeria is well known for drawing plans and issuing communiqués”.
He lamented that lack of time management has eaten deep into the fabric of the African society, and has turned the people to victims- of its manifestations in corruption, infrastructural decay, apathy, poverty, and so on.
“But it would be difficult to have any meaningful development if we hesitate to demand accountability, not only of resources and budgets but also of TIME- in the private sector and at all levels of government. Because, as we all know, no society can hope to make progress or catch up if there’s a culture of disregard for time.
To solve the challenge, he said that SB Telecoms developed a Time Attendance Management Systems (TAMS) service which from 2013 to the present has been deployed by over 1,000 organizations (including multinationals).
According to Abiodun, “Currently, TAMS has become much more than a time management solution. Based on customer research and feedback, we have developed other modules such as: payroll, appraisal, vacation and leave management.
In the course of promoting time management and the value proposition of TAMS, a few business owners and HR practitioners have protested that punctuality has nothing to do with performance. My response has always been that if we took the time to do some number crunching, we would appreciate the cost of time to us.
“To achieve more productivity, TAMS is getting better and better. TAMS is integrated with 20 Commercial Banks and 56 Microfinance Banks and all Pension Fund Administrators. I am happy to inform you that TAMS is one of 150 solutions worldwide invited to the Global Entrepreneurship Summit in Washington DC, to be hosted by President Barak Obama next month”.
Nodding in agreement, Mr. Adeola Adejokun, principal partner of Kishi-Lagos, said that he strongly believes that technology makes life more exciting and helps improve the lives of people across the globe.
He said that applications like Google Calendar, Smart Planner, smart wristwatches, are proven solutions Nigerians and African at large can leverage to undo the sickening ‘African Time’ syndrome.
Adejokun said, “I have realized that ‘African Time’ malaise as lack of consequence management enforcement which requires institutions that will monitor people in the work environment, whether in corporate or public sector.
“We can use technologies available today to tackle this head-on, because ‘time theft’ leads to erosion of values. Without rightly defined and times processes, it is usually difficult to have thr right culture in any place.
On her part, Mrs. Bukky George, who chaired the Summit, said that time like health is wealth and should be efficiently managed, hence poor time management is at the root of poor planning bedeviling the African society.
George who is also the founder/CEO of HealthPlus Limited, said, although ‘poor time management’ is a global phenomenon, Africans, especially youths must have attitudinal change to adapt to 21Century work environment, particularly, every sector of the economy revolves around such principles as time, predictability and efficiency.
She added that in spite the enormous infrastructural deficits in the country, proper time management can be maintained.
Mr. Oyeniyi Oguntoyinbo, MD/CEO of Philliy & Mools, said that every thriving multinational (companies) today started on the clear-cut principles of strategic and conscious timing of programmes.
According to him, a service company, for instance, must be built around timely response to customer’s inquiries or dissatisfaction.
“It is amazing when you list the consequences of poor time management. We often use the phrase, ‘Time is money’, but a lot of employees do not appreciate the fact that late responses to customer’s questions can lead to the demise of the entity. It is an attitude we must address as a people, business and country or Continent. Time is same everywhere, and we can’t change it, rather invest it wisely,” Oguntoyinbo added.
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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