E-Business
Youths Disillusioned as Delta State Innovation Hub Shuts Down
The decision by Delta state government to shut down its innovation hub has left teeming youths of the state disenchanted, Nigeria CommunicationsWeek investigations have revealed.
The common aim of innovation hubs is to promote local innovation, encourage relevant actors to share knowledge early in the development process, build Startups, create employment and foster entrepreneurial cooperation. The hubs support networking among local stakeholders and create links to investors and international organisations.
Primarily, governments facilitate and fund Innovation hubs to serve as centres of excellence for creativity and development of information technology amongst youths. The provision of innovation hubs could be a means of youth empowerment which would allow the youth to channel their creative energy into a potentially productive source for their communities.
Against this backdrop that Nigeria CommunicationsWeek recently visited Delta state innovation hub to ascertain the impact of the closure of the hub and its impact since last year on youth empowerment and what the state government’s plan to reopen the hub.
Among the youths that expressed their minds on the frustrations they are faced with the closure of the hub include Sylvester Nkeze, a web developer in Asaba, he worked as a software engineer and also involved in tutoring a lot of people who came to learn about fundamentals of software engineering in the hub when it was operational.
“The truth is beyond individuals having their personal skills; it was a kind of assembling point for people with like minds, the hub served as a place not only for people to learn but also to be able to gather people after they have done learning to share their ideas and use what they have learnt to create products or business for Delta State and Nigeria.
“Generally, the essence of the Hub is to make people converge their technological ideas into a scalable business that could help bring development and employment in the state. Nobody in this century can individually start a business, I’m talking of a large scale business and not small and medium scale business, and bigger businesses today are built on partnerships.
“There are a lot of people working around with great and good ideas and they don’t have people with like minds they can share those ideas with and be able to build on those ideas. The Hub served as a meeting point for such things to happen, the closure of the hub has totally destabilized the means through which a lot of ideas or large scale businesses could have been built or incubated that is one of the biggest problems.
“Right now, you have people walking around looking for menial jobs to do whereas their ideas could have been used to build businesses that could create jobs and even the government could tax for revenue. It is a big problem,” he said.
Henry Chuks, co-founder of Benx Technologies, Asaba based ICT firm, said that the implications of continuous closure of the Hub are enormous which include brain drain, youth unemployment among others.
According to him, “I know many people residing in Delta state who have left the state to better equipped hubs in Port Harcourt and Lagos after acquiring ICT skills and mentorship decided to establish in those states thereby leaving Delta with nothing. “More so, as they run their businesses in those states they will pay taxes and levies to those states’ government as such Delta state will lose that revenue.
“ICT is today the largest market globally, if 70 per cent of youths in Delta state are ICT inclined from programming to hardware engineering they can get jobs in or outside of the country, as well be self -employed with their talents which will help in addressing youth unemployment”.
According to Favour Asuainok, a student, “I just finished my OND from Ogwashi Polytechnic. My plan was to come and do my internship in Delta State Innovation Hub, when I contacted the director, he said the Hub is closed I was sad because I had plans of meeting great and like minds as well as sharing of ideas. I would love the government to look into this issue of closure of the Hub because, it is very important.
“I travel as far as from here (Asaba) to Awka in Anambra just because I want to attend Meet-ups and Hackathons to meet with like minds to bring innovative solutions to our problems in the country through technology. If Delta state government can look into this issue it will help to spring up starts-up that will create jobs in the state.
“Hub is a place of meeting. Information technology has paved the way all over the world, you see people that studied humanities, social science and languages among others coming to learn IT, because IT is thriving globally. If Delta state government truncates one of the key springboards for start-ups it is a very bad situation.
“I urge the government to not only opening the Hub back but also working in-hand with the ministry of youth and development so that this area of IT should be boosted in the state. Delta state is lagging behind, I have seen what states like Akwa Ibom, Edo and Lagos are doing, and this has resulted in youths in Delta going to Lagos where there are a lot of Hubs.
Providing insight on how the Hub operated before it was shut down, Pius Eke Jr, managing director, Mobile Software Solutions, operators of the Hub, he also served as the facility head of Delta State Innovation Hub.
He said innovation Hubs are designed for the youths of the areas they are located; Delta state innovation hub was no difference. “At the heart of the innovation Hub was an incubation and acceleration programmes, trainings, office and co-working spaces, youth development, business master-classes among others. We were assigned to ministry of Sciences and Technology as government supervising agency.
“Being a new subject in town, it was a bit difficult to be able to drive our intent and purpose to the teaming youths of Asaba as such we did a lot of marketing. Went to high institutions around Asaba such as Delta university, Awna Campus; Delta State Polytechnic, Ogwasi-uku; Delta state Polytechnic, Ozoro; Delta State University, Abaraka; and Delta state Polytechnic, Oghara.
“We were able to visit these higher institutions of learning and made them understand that the world is changing with new knowledge and new skills are actually in demand and they need to come and learn.
“As part of our service offering, aside incubation and acceleration programmes which of course is for already skilled people, we decided that since the skill is new in that terrain we would begin to teach these skills from beginning. So, we started teaching programming, and other technology related courses.
“With hindsight of our corporate and professional experience of successfully organising and running Innovation Hackathon in Tinapa with the Cross-River State Government for 4 years in partnership with ISPON, we helped in establish Software Clubs in 30 Universities Nationwide which has benefited many thousands of our youths. We organised meet-ups, we created platforms such as Asaba Tech Meet-up groups. We worked with Google to facilitate GDG Day shows as well bring tech conferences to Asaba and worked with CySic to bring cybersecurity training to Asaba.
“So, in all of these campaigns we had problems in having youths that resides in Delta engaging the Hub, instead the attraction we got were Deltains and non-Deltains from other States in other universities outside the state that come into the Hub when they are on holidays, internship or waiting for National Youth Service Corps, they find themselves coming back to Asaba as such visit the Hub.
“We had youths of Delta state that have gone to universities such as Covenant University, Afe Babalola University, Babcock University, University of Benin and University of Nigeria, Nsukka. Students from these schools came to the Hub to run one programme or the other.
“Delta State Innovation Hub was one of the first out of Nigeria. We ran the hub for three (3) years, without any funding from Delta State. We established the Innovation Hall of Fame, Created e-Government and Digital research Labs amongst others. Throughout the duration, we deployed 4 staff, external Resource persons, training materials and enormous resources from Lagos to Asaba. In 2016, during the public presentation of the hub, our Chairman and his Consortium partners chattered a Jet from Lagos to Asaba at enormous cost, to fly in some dignitaries, due to aviation fuel scarcity. In all of these, we didn’t get as much support as we expected from the government considering that it was Private Public Partnership initiative. All said, the hub experience was a monumental loss to Mobile Software Solutions and still counting.”
Instead, the state was expecting and requested for huge sums of money as revenue – forgetting that innovation hub is a Research Domain whose return on investment ranges from 7-10years year-in-year-out. Every of the activities we ran in the Hub, we ran it basically on our own from the leanest possible resource that we could run on. The hub has trained and mentored more than 1000 youths during its active inception at enormous cost to the project partner.
Responding, Engr. Mathew Tsekiri, commissioner for Science and Technology, Delta State, reassured that the state government has decided to reopen the hub as renovation work is on-going to reopen the facility for use by Delta youths.
“We are renovating hub, once we finish the renovation then we will start activities, it is going to be one of the best Hubs in the country.
“The MoU we signed with Mobile Software solution for the running of the hub has expired and we have decided to run the hub by ourselves.
“We are going to make it a proper education hub offering certified ICT trainings for graduates seeking for jobs, when we train them they will be employable or self-employed. We are going to offer high earned ICT courses.
“We have put the structure in place to manage the hub. We are not going to give it out to anybody to manage for us.
We intend to collaborate with ICT companies such as Google, Facebook among others, but we just want to get the hub up and running first.
We have the resources to get the hub running we are not going to seek for resources from any multinational ICT giants.
Meanwhile, available records reveal that Delta State indigenes are recognised in the Nigeria IT profession and Innovation Ecosystem as some of the high-flyers in policy, strategy and digital Innovation leadership. It is therefore a tragedy that while Delta State IT Professional has contributed significantly in the development of National and other States IT Policy agenda, they remain oblivious in their State. Perhaps, that is why the State Government has decided to consult Google and Facebook? The Investigation continues.
E-Business
Organizations Face New Attacks via Unpatched TrueConf Videoconferencing Servers, Kaspersky Warns
Kaspersky has discovered a new multi-stage attack by the Head Mare APT group against organisations with PhantomCore and PhantomGraph backdoors. To deliver these backdoors, the attackers exploit vulnerabilities in unpatched TrueConf videoconferencing servers and can also replace TrueConf client installers with infected ones.
Kaspersky reported the attacks to the vendor; the vulnerabilities were fixed in the latest TrueConf Server update on June 18, 2026 (versions 5.3.9, 5.4.9, and 5.5.5).
To compromise the TrueConf server, attackers exploited a combination of two vulnerabilities (assigned internal Kaspersky identifiers are KLCERT-26-057 and KLCERT-26-058), which allowed the attackers to execute any code with maximum privileges. By exploiting these vulnerabilities, they replaced one of the server’s files with their own web shell.
The attackers then used this shell to collect information about the victim organisation’s IT infrastructure, gain privileged access to the TrueConf server database, and replace the client installer with an infected one. The attack applies to TrueConf servers in versions 5.3.X prior to 5.3.9, 5.4.X prior to 5.4.9, 5.5.X prior to 5.5.5, and earlier.
For users of TrueConf software, the attack looks like this: video conference participants connecting to the compromised server are prompted to download and install an “updated version” of the client application. In reality, as a result of this, malware gets onto the device.
“Exploiting vulnerabilities in popular services is one of the most common methods used by attackers. This campaign is particularly dangerous because it puts at risk not only organisations using unpatched TrueConf servers.
“Even if a company doesn’t use this solution, its employees can connect to compromised servers at the invitation of their counterparties to participate in online meetings. As a result, they may unknowingly download infected installation packages, creating the potential for compromising a large number of enterprises across different countries,” comments Evgeny Goncharov, Head of Kaspersky ICS CERT.
The 2026 FIFA World Cup, Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON), Iran-Israel conflict, and the controversy involving social media activist VeryDarkMan and businessman Blord dominated Google searches by Nigerians between January and July.
This is contained in a review of anonymised Google Trends data released on Friday, which ranked the major stories that generated the highest search interest in Nigeria during the period.
The World Cup recorded the highest search volume, with Nigerians following the Super Eagles’ campaign, major matches, entertainment performances and developments throughout the tournament.
The data showed that searches around the tournament far exceeded those recorded for other major events during the seven-month period.
The Super Eagles’ AFCON semi-final defeat to Morocco also generated significant search interest, with “Nigeria vs Morocco” among the leading individual searches.
Senegal eventually won the AFCON title after defeating Morocco in the final on Jan. 18.
The 2026 Winter Olympics in Milan-Cortina, Italy, also attracted substantial interest from Nigerians in February, including searches around ice hockey and other events.
Google Trends data further showed increased searches around Iran and the Strait of Hormuz following the escalation of tensions in the Middle East.
Searches including “Iran news,” “Israel Iran war” and “Strait of Hormuz meaning” featured prominently as Nigerians sought information on the conflict and its possible impact on global oil prices.
The Strait of Hormuz is a major global oil transit route, carrying about one-fifth of the world’s oil supply.
The controversy involving cryptocurrency entrepreneur Blord and social media activist VeryDarkMan also maintained strong search interest for several months.
The saga peaked around Blord’s arrest and subsequent remand in Kuje prison in April, followed by his release on bail 16 days later.
Searches for “Who is Blord” also featured prominently, indicating growing interest among Nigerians seeking background information on the businessman.
The death of celebrities also generated significant search activity during the period.
Afro-fuji singer Destiny Boy, who died in January at the age of 22, remained in the news amid investigations into his death and an autopsy.
The death of American actor Eric Dane, known for his roles in Grey’s Anatomy and Euphoria, also generated substantial searches in February.
Similarly, the reported death of Nollywood actor Alexx Ekubo in May, at the age of 40, generated renewed search interest in June during his burial ceremonies.
Political and legal developments were also among the major subjects searched by Nigerians.
Former Minister of Power, Saleh Mamman, who was sentenced to 75 years in prison over an alleged N33 billion fraud, generated significant interest following his arrest by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) in Kaduna in May.
The political crisis involving Mudashiru Obasa and his return as Speaker of the Lagos State House of Assembly also featured prominently.
Globally, Nigerians showed strong interest in the release of millions of pages of documents relating to the late American financier Jeffrey Epstein.
Meanwhile, internet culture accounted for some of the lighter moments in the search rankings.
The Gen Z meme “67” became one of the most searched terms in January, generating curiosity among older Nigerians over its meaning.
The trend originated from a U.S. rap song and became popular among young people, with the phrase often used without a specific meaning.
In April, the case involving Opeyemi Awodoyin, an OPay customer who reportedly received N100,000 in error and declined to return the money, also attracted widespread online interest and public debate.
The reported hantavirus outbreak aboard a cruise ship further prompted Nigerians to search for information about the disease in May.
Celebrity-related stories also featured prominently in the rankings.
Veteran broadcaster Frank Edoho’s confirmation of his divorce and subsequent allegations involving his former wife generated considerable search interest in May.
In July, music promoter Sam Larry survived a road crash on the Lagos-Calabar Coastal Road which reportedly claimed the life of his bodyguard, leading to renewed online discussions around the late singer Mohbad.
In the entertainment sector, Wizkid and Asake’s “Jogodo” dominated searches around January, while Asake’s album generated renewed interest in May.
The 2026 Grammy Awards also attracted substantial search traffic, with Nigerians searching for winners and other developments from the ceremony.
Bad Bunny’s Super Bowl halftime performance also generated significant interest, while films including Mortal Kombat 2 and Christopher Nolan’s The Odyssey featured among popular entertainment searches.
Footballer Zadok Yohanna’s reported €28 million transfer to Brighton also attracted attention, particularly among Nigerian football followers.
Commenting on the findings, Taiwo Kola-Ogunlade, Communications and Public Affairs Manager, West Africa, Google, said search data provided an insight into issues commanding Nigerians’ attention.
“Search data is the most honest record of national attention we have, because nobody performs for a search bar,” he said.
According to him, Nigerians did not only consume major stories but actively searched for explanations and context surrounding them.
The rankings were based on peak monthly search interest in Nigeria between January and July 2026, with related queries grouped together.
The top 25 trending searches during the period included the FIFA World Cup 2026, 2026 Winter Olympics, AFCON Nigeria vs Morocco, Iran and the Strait of Hormuz, Blord, Alexx Ekubo, “67”, Destiny Boy, Erling Haaland and France’s World Cup campaign.
Others were the Grammy Awards 2026, Epstein files, hantavirus, Saleh Mamman, Obasa impeachment saga, Sam Larry, Shakira and Burna Boy’s World Cup performance, Zadok Yohanna, Eric Dane, Opeyemi Awodoyin, Bad Bunny’s Super Bowl halftime show, Frank Edoho, Mortal Kombat 2, The Odyssey and “Jogodo” by Wizkid featuring Asake.
Google Trends provides access to an anonymised sample of search requests made to Google and categorises the information to show collective search interest across regions and over time.
Kaspersky’s latest survey highlights a protection gap between macOS and Windows based devices. While macOS has long been regarded as the more secure operating system, 12% of its users reported malware infections compared with 9% of Windows users. Moreover, only 35% of macOS owners install dedicated security software, versus 42% of Windows users.
According to Kaspersky’s latest global survey*, Windows users report a higher adoption rate for most security measures, while macOS users show a modest advantage in a few privacy‑focused actions. At the same time, during the past year macOS users reported higher percentages than Windows users for a number of cybersecurity incidents.
The largest gap in cybersecurity approaches appears in the habit of not opening suspicious emails or links, with 62% of Windows users following this practice compared to 51% of macOS users.
What’s more, when it comes to cybersecurity software installation, macOS users are also lagging behind. While among Windows users 42% reported using digital‑life‑protection software, for macOS this rate is only 35%, what Kaspersky security experts call a worryingly low figure.
It is noteworthy that 12% of macOS respondents said they fell victim to phishing (fake emails, websites or messages) over the past year compared with 9% of Windows users. Moreover, during this period macOS users faced more scams and investment frauds (16% vs 13%), privacy violations (11% vs 8%) and thefts of personal data (12% vs 7%).
To counter these specific threats, robust anti-malware and anti-phishing protection is essential. Malware authors put a lot of effort into developing new, more powerful and stealthier versions of stealers, spies and other classes of malicious payloads, while relying on phishing techniques that allows them to get access to user’s data.
Dedicated security solutions add a crucial layer of real-time detection and defence that complements macOS’s built-in protection – and independent tests have repeatedly shown that effective options, such as Kaspersky Premium for macOS, deliver strong protection. In 2025, AV-TEST recognised it as the top-performing macOS security solution based on consistent, reliable results across a full year of evaluations.
When it comes to credentials and passwords safety, Windows users also show better security practices’ adoption rates. They lead in using a unique password for each account (38% vs 35%) and complex passwords (52% vs 45%), two‑factor or multi‑factor authentication (51% vs 46%).
Adopting a dedicated password manager becomes a logical next step. Such tools store all credentials in a secure vault protected by a single master password, eliminating the need to remember hundreds of passwords while keeping them safe from breaches.
They also support modern authentication methods like passkeys, enabling seamless, single-tap sign-in across all devices through secure synchronisation – capabilities offered by solutions such as Kaspersky Password Manager.
“There are entrenched stereotypes that macOS is inherently more secure because its user base is smaller, leading cyber‑criminals to deem it a lower‑value target, or because the platform itself includes many robust security features. While these observations are not entirely unfounded, the threat landscape has evolved dramatically.
Attackers actively employ phishing and commit supply chain attacks, which often allow them to affect users of any operating system in a single malware campaign. Moreover, mac specific malware is not rare and there are many malware families that target macs exclusively. Consequently, any device with an Internet connection, regardless of its operating system or form factor, requires cybersecurity software to defend against a wide range of cyber threats,” comments Sergey Puzan, cybersecurity expert at Kaspersky.
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