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Awareness and Prevention of the Perils of Internet Abuse and Addiction in the Last Days

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Internet abuse

By Rotimi Onadipe

Internet abuse and internet addiction are strong weapons that the enemy known as Satan had planned to use to steal, kill and destroy the glorious future of many people in these last days.

It is no longer news in our society that we have multiple cases of children of the same parents having sex with each other, people having sex with animals, rape cases involving minors have also increased tremendously.

It is very sad that youths these days are desperate to become billionaires even while they are still in primary, secondary or tertiary institutions because they believe this can be achieved through the internet. Internet abuse, particularly internet fraud is now the order of the day among youths in today’s technology age.

What is internet abuse?

Internet abuse can be defined as improper use of the internet. e.g. internet fraud, sexting, online impersonation, cyberbullying, identity theft etc

Internet addiction refers to excessive use of the internet that is detrimental to the user’s daily obligations. e.g. online gaming or gambling addiction, cybersex or pornography addiction, online relationship addiction, compulsive web surfing etc.

Internet abuse or internet addiction has no respect for age, status or academic qualification. No matter how highly placed you are, you can be a victim of internet abuse or internet addiction and this may have negative effects on almost all aspects of your life.

Internet abuse or addiction will take you longer than you want to stay and cost you more than you want to pay.

Who is an internet addict?

How you feel when you are not online answers the question.

Practical and sensitive questions about internet abuse and addiction:

Your answers to these questions will give you a clear picture of an internet addict.

Do you spend more time than you really intend on the internet?

Do you feel restless or moody when you can’t go online?

How do you feel when your phone battery is down for some time?

How do you react when you misplace your mobile phone?

Can you do this without checking your phone or social media account in a day?

What exactly do you do online and does it add any value to your life in any way?

Do you spend as much time on the word of God the same way you do on social networking sites?

Does your internet usage serve as an escape from problems or relief from a bad mood?

Finally, have you made repeated but unsuccessful attempts to stop or control your internet use?

Your answer to the above questions will help you to know if you are addicted to the internet or not.

How to overcome the danger of internet abuse and addiction in these last days:

  1. Keep your heart pure. Everything we do in life originates from the heart. The word of God in Proverb 4:23 says “Keep your heart with all diligence; for out of it are the issues of life”. In order to keep your heart pure, the first step is to surrender your heart to God sincerely.
  2. Spend more time to pray on your heart and dedicate it to God every day because that is the source of everything you do in life.
  3. You must be conscious of the fact that internet abuse and internet addiction are strong weapons that Satan is using in these last days to steal, kill, destroy the future of people and prevent them from getting to heaven.
  4. Make sure you always observe your quiet time before you check your phone or social media account every day.
  5. You must be informed that there are different kinds of people with different missions on the internet. i.e. Some people have good intentions while others are searching for victims.
  6. You should have a definite time for your internet usage every day and write all you want to do in a paper. i.e. If it is one hour, make sure you don’t exceed one hour and don’t do anything different from what you wrote down. It is more advisable to let all your contacts know that you have a definite time for internet usage.
  7. Always make a record of what you have benefited from your online activities.
  8. Reduce the number of your telephone lines and social media accounts.
  9. Don’t be desperate. Make sure you are contented with what you have.
  10. When you cannot help yourself, contact a counsellor before it is too late.
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World Bank Backs Raxio With $100m for Data Centres in Africa

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Raxio

By Adedapo Adesanya

The World Bank, through its private investment arm, the International Finance Corporation (IFC), has injected $100 million investment in regional data centre developer and operator Raxio Group as it joins the rush into digital data in Africa.

Digital demand on the continent is surging, but infrastructure remains scarce as many still rely on Europe or South Africa for hosting.

Africa accounts for less than 1 per cent of the world’s data centre capacity even as mobile data usage grows by around 40 per cent annually.

Cloud computing and tech giants such as Amazon Web Services, Microsoft Azure, and Huawei are ramping up partnerships and presence on the continent.

Recall that Equinix launched its data centre in Lagos as part of efforts to boost digital economy on the continent.

The debt funding by IFC is its largest such investment to date in Africa – reflects rising interest from global institutions in the continent’s digital economy, where mobile money, AI-driven services and cloud-based platforms are rapidly expanding.

Hosting data locally reduces costs, improves speeds and gives governments more control over cybersecurity and regulation.

The IFC picked Raxio which is building a network of top standard data centres, including one in Ivory Coast with construction underway in Mozambique, Ethiopia and Democratic Republic of Congo. It launched its first facility in Uganda in 2021.

The expansion aligns with views that Africa is the next battleground for cloud services.

Speaking on this, Mr Sarvesh Suri, IFC regional industry director, infrastructure and natural resources in Africa, said improving digital connectivity and building the backbones of digital infrastructure are of key importance to support economic growth in Africa

“Data centres as such and overall digital connectivity is an important area of focus for the IFC,” he said.

Identify the challenges such as power supply, complex regulation and political instability can deter commercial players, Mr Suri noted that development finance institutions play a crucial role by de-risking early investments that can unlock long-term private capital.

“We bring in the right kind of instruments to help support investors to reduce the risk over all this, to make sure that these investments continue to be long-term, sustainable, and profitable, but also economically beneficial for the countries,” said Mr Suri.

“We see the interest, the support, the engagement, the collaboration we are getting from the governments where we operate, who really want this to happen,” added Mr Raxio Group CEO Robert Skjodt.

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Nigerian Tech Firms Raise $100m in Q1 2025 Amid Funding Squeeze

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fintech innovators

By Adedapo Adesanya

Nigerian tech firms attracted just $100 million in funding in the first quarter of 2025, raising worries about investment crunch into Africa.

This is part of a wider slowdown in funding on the continent as funding into the African tech ecosystem dropped 5 per cent to $460 million in the first quarter of 2025, according to data by Africa: The Big Deal.

The decline shows the consistent drop in venture capital funding on the continent, which fell from $486 million raised in the same period of 2024,

The data insight firm, which tracks funding rounds of $100,000 and above, revealed that nearly $300 million was raised by start-ups in January, and fell to $119 million in February.

March saw one of the lowest monthly totals since late 2020, with just $50 million in funding announced.

The Big Deal noted that despite a steady number of start-ups securing funding, the lack of deals exceeding $10 million significantly impacted overall investment figures.

“Q1 2025 is the second-lowest quarter in terms of start-up funding since late 2020,” the insight company noted.

“However, things are looking more positive if we focus on the number of start-ups that announced at least $1 million in funding during the quarter, with 52 such deals aligning with the 2023-2024 average,” a post seen by Business Post showed.

Nigeria alongside Kenya, South Africa, and Egypt – referred to as the Big Four – got 83 per cent of funding during the period under review.

Nigeria attracted roughly over $100 million in funding (24 per cent), same as Kenya (24 per cent) and followed closely by South Africa with $100 million (22 per cent).

Egypt secured $61 million (14 per cent), while Togo emerged as a surprise entry in the top five, buoyed by Gozem’s $30 million Series B funding round.

Fintech remained the dominant sector, accounting for nearly half (46 per cent) of total investment, the report disclosed with deals including LemFi’s $53 million raise and Naked’s $38 million.

The energy sector followed with an 18 per cent share of the total funding, while logistics and transportation startups secured 10 per cent.

It raised eye brows over the disparity in gender based funding with just over 2 per cent ($10 million) of Q1 funding went to female CEOs.

The largest such deal being a $6.2 million grant awarded to South African biotech firm, African Biologics.

Excluding grant funding, female-led start-ups accounted for a mere 0.7 per cent of all investments  while in contrast, Big Deal added that 79 per cent of total funding went to either solo male founders (11 per cent) or all-male founding teams (67 per cent).

It revealed that diverse founding teams attracted 20 per cent of the investment, this remains a modest improvement compared to previous quarters.

“A mere 1% was invested in solo female founders or female-only teams,” the report said.

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Equinix Boosts Nigeria’s Digital Economy With Data Centre Expansion

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Equinix MainOne

 By Adedapo Adesanya

Digital infrastructure company, Equinix Incorporated, has officially opened its latest data center expansion in Lagos as part of efforts to advancing Nigeria’s position in the global digital economy.

Called LG2.3, the facility will support Nigeria’s growing digital transformation efforts, providing state-of-the-art colocation and secure interconnection solutions which will empower businesses across the region.

Nigeria is targeting 200MW data capacity but it so far generates less than 70 MW and with more data center springing up in the country, this will bring further the target to fruition.

Equinix, which is one of these firms, said it is steadfast in its mission to enable secure, scalable, and sustainable digital growth for economies across the world.

Speaking at the inauguration, Mr Bruce Owen, President of EMEA at Equinix, said Nigeria is a crucial market for Equinix, adding that it symbolises Equinix’s continued investment in sustainable initiatives across the globe and highlighting the company’s broader goal of reducing its carbon footprint while supporting greener practices across its operations worldwide.

“Today’s opening is a clear demonstration of our continued commitments to invest and grow digital infrastructure that will benefit the many thousands of businesses in Nigeria and on the continent as a whole. I am deeply encouraged by the enthusiastic partnerships and innovations emerging from this dynamic region, which continue to inspire our commitment to Nigeria’s digital and sustainable future.”

On his part, Mr Wole Abu, Managing Director of Equinix West Africa, highlighted the critical role of data centers in driving economic growth.

“Data centers continue to play a pivotal role in driving economic development in Nigeria, serving as critical infrastructure that supports digital transformation and economic growth. As governments and enterprises increasingly acknowledge their significance, global demand for data center capacity is poised to rise.

“While Africa’s demand for data solutions is still evolving compared to more mature markets, the continent is demonstrating strong potential for digital adoption and innovation. To meet this growing need, Equinix is actively advancing three major data center projects in Nigeria, with future expansion plans for Ghana, Côte d’Ivoire, and South Africa.”

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