Technology
ISSAN Seeks Collaborative Efforts to Check Rising Cyber Threats
By Modupe Gbadeyanka
An urgent review of the National Cybersecurity Protection Act of 2015 has been called for by the Information Security Society of Africa, Nigeria (ISSAN).
According to the cybersecurity stakeholders, the review will make the law meet the current realities as it will capture the latest trends in the industry.
Speaking at the Quarter 1, 2022 ISSAN Cybersecurity Conference themed Payment Systems Platform Security in Lagos, the president of ISSAN, Dr David Isiavwe, said as the COVID-19 pandemic is gradually easing out, organisations are now settling for a hybrid way of working and providing services for customers while being mindful of the enlarged cyber threat.
He noted that new forms of attacks are being contrived and implemented by criminals through various means on individuals, nation-states and corporate bodies, stressing that cyber security gatekeepers are not spared as large sums of money are usually at risk in every successful attack.
“What we see on the horizon is that Business Email Compromise (BEC) attacks are becoming alarming; Ransomware attacks are not relenting. There are more phishing and password targeted attacks.
“Denial of Service (DoS) and Distributed Denial-of-Service (DDoS) attacks remain a growing problem. The loss globally is colossal. In Africa, Nigeria is expected to lead in terms of estimated loss due to our size. There is, therefore, the urgent need to brainstorm on how to keep payment systems platforms safer,” he said.
For a way forward, Dr Isiavwe, who is also a General Manager at Ecobank Nigeria, emphasised that banks and organisations need to be proactive, keep customers educated and updated on new threats and trends in cyberspace, automate and continuously monitor their systems and infrastructure, and also place a high premium on artificial intelligence, machine learning, robotics, and data analytics.
In his keynote address, Director, Payment System Management Department, Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), Mr Musa Jimoh commended the activities of ISSAN on enhancing a safer and secured payment ecosystem, stressing that the apex bank is committed to initiatives that would promote and enhance payment system security to check cyber fraud in the nation’s financial system.
He maintained that the financial sector cannot afford to fail as the payment system is vital to the functioning of any economic system.
According to him, “Data security is important for customers and a tool for financial inclusion. Banks are the custodian of customers’ information based on trust and should therefore put structures in place to prevent breaches and information theft. They should not compromise customers’ credentials as it would give cybercriminals access to defraud them.”
Mr Jimoh further stated that the entrance of Fintechs to the financial landscape has engendered stiffer competition, noting that “all responsible officers in charge of information security in organizations should keep track and always check and see the right things are done for the entities that are allowed to connect to their infrastructure.
“Banks should address infrastructure deficiencies, ensure operational resilience, introduce second or multi-factor authorisation, ensures banking payment infrastructure are formidable, address privacy violations, carry out end to end encryption to protect stored data, and also adhere to KYC provisions to avoid terrorism financing and money laundering.”
In her technical presentation, Managing Director, CreditRegistry Plc, Dr Jameela Ayedun, recommended a collaborative approach by banks, CBN, government agencies such as National Identity Management Commission (NIMC), Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC), Nigeria Inter-Bank Settlement System (NIBSS) and others to enhance cyber security.
According to her, “Cyber security is the responsibility of all. The cybercriminals are still on a rampage therefore we must protect our payment systems and not give anything to chance.
“We must educate our consumers and should not be a silent victim. The payment service providers must have the basic requirements. The government also has a role to play in this regard. We should emphasise the privacy and integrity of our payment systems.”
Also, in his technical presentation titled: Anatomy of the New Fraudsters – A Nigeria Perspective, Head, Growth and Partnership – West Africa, BPC Technologies, Emmanuel Obinne, observed that cyber frauds transcend borders and boundaries. He gave a rundown of different types of frauds and maintained that relevant cyber laws should be put in place to check cyber criminality.
According to him, “Fraud management is a journey and not a destination. Proper laws should be in place to punish cybercriminals. Organizations should regularly upgrade their payment systems and security to avoid vulnerability. This will also fast track authorization and authentication of transactions. Second-factor authorization is also important to check fraud. The customers must constantly be educated to make them have more confidence in the payment system.”
Other panellists at the hybrid summit were Chairman, Association of Chief Audit Executives of Banks in Nigeria (ACAEBIN), Yinka Tiamiyu; Chief Information Security Officer, Heritage Bank, Ighoakpo Eduje, and Managing Partner, Technology Advisors LLP, Basil Udotai. The session was moderated by the Head, Internal Audit, FBN Holdings, Dr Bode Oguntoke.
By Modupe Gbadeyanka
Meta, the parent company of Facebook, Instagram and WhatsApp, has said it will not rest on its laurels in promoting safer and more positive digital experiences for teens.
The firm gave this assurance at the Nigeria Youth Safety Summit, which it co-hosted with the Federal Ministry of Youth Development at the Transcorp Hilton, Abuja.
This event brought together government officials, civil society organisations, parents, educators, creators and youth leaders to discuss digital wellbeing priorities, strengthen partnerships, and promote safer online experiences.
Meta used the opportunity to showcase its ongoing investments in youth safety through built-in protections, parental supervision tools, and digital literacy resources designed to help teens navigate the digital world safely and confidently.
At the centre of Meta’s youth safety efforts are Teen Accounts, a reimagined experience across Meta’s apps designed specifically for teenagers.
Teen Accounts include built-in protections that address parents’ concerns by promoting age-appropriate experiences, limiting unwanted contact, and encouraging healthier digital habits.
Teen Accounts are turned on automatically for all teens, with built-in protections including private accounts, the strictest messaging settings, sensitive content restrictions, limited interactions (tagging/mentions only from people they follow), time limit reminders after 60 minutes each day, and sleep mode between 10 pm and 7 am. Teens under 16 need a parent’s permission to change any of these settings to be less strict.
“At Meta, our goal is to provide teens with safe, age-appropriate online experiences, and events like the Nigeria Youth Safety Summit reflect our commitment to promoting safer and more positive digital experiences for teens.
“With products such as Teen Accounts, Meta is putting the right protections in place so teens can explore their interests and express their creativity in a safe, age-appropriate space.
“We will continue to build the safety features and tools that families need to support young people online,” the Head of Safety Police for EMEA at Meta, Sylvia Musalagani, stated.
“Child online safety is one of our central pillars, and we are steadfast in our mandate to safeguard the Nigerian child from technology-enabled violence. Children cannot navigate the complexities of the online world without informed adults guiding them because safety begins with the parents.
“Safety is a shared tripartite responsibility between parents, technological industries, and government. That is the fundamental premise of today’s summit, a hands-on walk-through of parental supervision tools and Teen Accounts.
“We appreciate Meta for the collaboration and for creating a platform for these important conversations,” the Minister of Women Affairs and Social Development, Ms Imaan Sulaiman-Ibrahim, said.
Also commenting, the Minister of Youth Development, Mr Ayodele Olawande, said, “We believe that keeping young people safe online is a shared responsibility. Government, technology companies, schools, parents, social organisations, community groups, and young people themselves all have a role to play. We encourage Meta to make the tools, guides, and learning materials from this initiative more widely available so that young people across Nigeria can continue to benefit from this laudable summit.”
It was learned that through keynote presentations, the Parents Learn & Brunch session held in partnership with the Federal Ministry of Women Affairs and Social Development, and panel discussions featuring parent creators and parents, participants explored practical approaches to supporting safer online engagement.
The summit also reinforced the importance of multi-stakeholder collaboration in advancing digital wellbeing and online safety for young people.
By Modupe Gbadeyanka
Nine African organisations, including Nigeria, will join 33 others from the USA, Australia, India, the UK and others for the fourth Social Entrepreneur Accelerator cohort of Amazon Web Services (AWS).
The companies from Africa chosen for the 2026 edition of this programme are from Nigeria, Kenya, Ghana, South Africa, Cameroon and Tanzania.
These founders are using cloud and AI technology to solve skills shortages, youth unemployment and food security. Building from the ground up, they are creating African solutions for African challenges.
Nigeria leads the selection with three organisations, namely Sabi Scholar, Kayode Alabi Leadership and Wetech Incorporated.
The chief executive of Sabi Scholar, Mr Divine Iloh, said he is creating an “operating system” for African higher education, enabling any university to launch online degrees in 30 days, a potential game-changer for the continent’s 200M+ youth population.
For Kayode Alabi Leadership, the founder, Hammed Kayode Alabi, is reducing inequalities by empowering underserved young people to lead and innovate through transformative education and technology-driven solutions to solve local challenges and thrive as community changemakers.
As for Wetech Incorporated, established by Gabriella Uwadiegwu, it is building Africa’s largest pipeline of women in technology, from training to mentorship to direct employment pathways.
Kenya follows with two organisations, KuzeKuze and STEM Centre Africa. According to the CTO of KuzeKuze, Enock Sangaka Mong’are, the organisation is building “education passports,” as digital records that follow learners throughout their lives, making personalised education measurable and scalable.
While STEM Centre Africa, a non-profit launched in 2017 by two brothers, Dancun, the CTO and Denish Akoum, the CEO, to promote hands-on STEM education, including coding, robotics and 3D design, reaching over 18,000 + students since inception, with 90 per cent gaining proficiency in Python, Scratch and electronics. Operating two centres in Homa Bay County with 10 organisational partners, SCA aims to reach 100,000 learners by 2030.
The remaining four spots are shared by Ghana, South Africa, Cameroon and Tanzania.
In Ghana, BASICS International, founded by CEO Patricia Wilkins, is breaking cycles of poverty by providing education, certified digital skills training and holistic support to underserved children and youth, equipping them to thrive academically, economically and socially.
For South Africa, FunHouse Digital, founded by Ayabulela Yokwana, is turning gaming lounges into self-sustaining education hubs in rural communities – profits from gaming directly fund free coding and digital literacy programs.
In Cameroon, EduCloud, founded by Rosius Ndimofor Ateh, delivers hands-on Cloud and AI workshops across Africa, bridging the gap between academic theory and industry-ready skills.
From Tanzania is Fiqra Academy, founded by CEO Gerald Revocatus. The firm is creating a direct pipeline from digital skills training to employment for East African youth, with certifications that lead to real careers through their digital learning platform.
In collaboration with Deloitte, the accelerator provides technical training, strategic business planning, and ongoing AWS and Deloitte support to help mission-driven organisations scale.
Since 2023, the programme has supported more than 100 social entrepreneurs across 34 countries, bringing together a global community of social entrepreneurs who are working to address some of the world’s most urgent challenges across education, health and climate resilience.
“Africa’s representation in this cohort reflects what we’re seeing across the continent: a generation of founders who don’t wait for conditions to be perfect. They build anyway.
“Our role is to ensure they have access to the same world-class cloud and AI technology as any startup in Silicon Valley and the support to scale impact across borders,” the General Manager for Sub-Saharan Africa at AWS, Jyoti Ball, stated.
By Adedapo Adesanya
The Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) and the Corporate Affairs Commission (CAC) have introduced a new regulatory requirement mandating prior approval for significant changes in the ownership structure of telecommunications companies operating in Nigeria.
This was contained in a statement jointly signed by the Director of Public Affairs at the NCC, Mrs Nnenna Ukoha and Head of Public Affairs at the Corporate Affairs Commission, Mr Rasheed Mahe.
According to a joint press release issued by the two agencies, the directive, which takes immediate effect, requires all licensed telecom operators seeking to transfer ownership or control of shares amounting to 10 per cent or more of their total share capital to first obtain a Letter of No Objection from the NCC before such transactions can be registered by the CAC.
The statement reads in part, “The directive, which takes immediate effect, requires all licensed communications companies seeking to transfer ownership or control of shares amounting to 10 per cent or more of their total share capital to obtain a Letter of No Objection from the NCC before such transactions can be registered with the CAC.
“The requirement is in line with the provisions of Section 90 of the Nigerian Communications Act 2003, Regulation 28(2) of the Competition Practices Regulations 2007, and Regulation 42 of the Licensing Regulations 2019, which empower the NCC to monitor transactions involving licensees and ensure fair competition within the sector.
“Under the new arrangement, the CAC will only process and register requests for changes in shareholding structures of telecommunications companies where the transaction involves 10 per cent or more of the company’s shares and is accompanied by evidence of prior approval from the NCC.
“According to the two regulatory agencies, the measure is aimed at strengthening oversight of significant ownership changes, preventing anti-competitive practices, and preserving a fair and competitive communications market. It is also expected to enhance transparency, boost investor confidence, provide greater regulatory certainty, and support the long-term stability and sustainability of Nigeria’s telecommunications industry.
The NCC and CAC reaffirmed their commitment to fostering a transparent, stable, and investor-friendly business environment. Both agencies pledged continued collaboration to promote fair market practices, strengthen regulatory compliance, and ensure the orderly development of Nigeria’s communications sector.”
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