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Startups Ecosystem Development in Nigeria

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The city of Abuja is not necessarily regarded as the city for Startup Entrepreneurs, but all that is changing with the likes of Abuja Technology Village, Box Office incubator, Ventures Platform, VP, and many other incubators, providing co-working space and physical infrastructure that Startups require to turn their ideas into viable businesses.

I recently met with Kola Aina, Founder, Ventures Platform and our discussion centered on issues in the Startups ecosystem and some of the challenges facing this model of Entrepreneurship.

Speaking on how the journey has been so far with building a community in Abuja, Kola stated that it has been an amazing journey, so far. He stressed that, when he started out, he had big ambitions and he is excited that the Abuja community has received his Startup well with the size of patronage that his co-working space has received, so far.

Speaking on numbers, he said that about 175 co-workers actively use its co-working facilities everyday and these include companies that work out of the park, Startups, Freelancers, Graphic Designers, etc. He stated that there are also 18 people living within the community at any given point in time, and also using the other facilities, such as the gym facility, etc. Kola stated that, up to date, Venture Platform has invested in about 14 companies. He further said that, on the average, these companies have a minimum of 2 or 3 Founders and employ 4 or 5 other people, hence, the spiral effect of that is really something worthwhile, but not yet reconciled to place a figure on.

In terms of events, Kola said that the platform also has events that many people have benefited from. He said he is really amazed at the impact, so far, even as he sees it as just the beginning, he is excited to see what happens next.

Giving reasons why he is building an ecosystem in Abuja that is seen as a city of civil servants and contractors, Kola said, he believes that a community that relies on rent is not sustainable. This, according to him, is because, many of them had to close up because of recession. Kola said he beliefs that tons of young people, if given the right environment and empowerment, can build amazing things and solutions that can then become  sustainable businesses. He said that is what is happening now in Benue, Niger and Kano States, etc., where new tech communities are springing up with young people building solutions and the volume of applications coming up is amazing.

Kola stated that the community on his platform has developed about 900 applications to solve problems in payment, health issues, etc., so, it’s amazing what people can do when empowered.

Reacting to a question on why local investors are not interested in investing in Startups, Kola stated “it is really a sad thing and what we hear is more of talk than action in Nigeria”. He believes that, if the community is able to get the big money bags to support and invest in the Startups, it will be better for the Startups. “Startups may have the best ideas, but if they run out of money, they are dead”, Kola emphasized. “There is more foreign participation in our Startups than we have from within Nigeria and before we know it, many of our Startups are going to be owned by foreign investors” he further stated.

Kola is of the opinion that the government can utilize just between 2% to 5% of the Sovereign Wealth Fund in backing up local VC’s and accelerators, it will make a huge impact.

Kola is of the view that there is no need reinventing the wheel for wealthy Nigerian investors to invest in the tech ecosystem. All they need to do is to take a look at the existing state of the ecosystem and decide where to come in. He stated that, truly, we have enough resources within Nigeria to solve our problems, but the problem we have is that, we are used to the old ways of making money, which are real estate, oil and gas, etc., however, until local investors start to support the tech ecosystem, the nation is not likely to move forward on the continent.

One of the challenges that Startups in the tech ecosystem face is the problem of infrastructure, especially, power. Another problem he identified is the inadequacy of bandwidth. The biggest challenge, according to Kola, however, is that of getting local investors to invest in the tech ecosystem. One other challenge he identified is the quality and commitment of Nigerian Founders, who, he thinks should raise the level of their ambition.

On support from government, Kola was emphatic that Ventures Platform has never received any support from government in any form.

Kola stated that, with VP investing in 14 companies within its accelerator program, the goal is to build companies that can achieve $1 billion valuation and this is possible. This is because some foreign investors, such as Startups from Belgium and Cameroon are interested in teaming up with our Startups and doing business here in Nigeria.

Kola concluded by saying that, the training program that VP carries out has graduated about 10,000 people, so far and that there are also plans of expanding the campus across Africa.

CFA is the Founder, www.CFAtech.ng & Co-producer/Presenter,Tech Trends on Channels Television


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Microsoft Servers Hacked by Chinese Groups

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Chinese “threat actors” have hacked Microsoft’s SharePoint document software servers and targeted the data of the businesses using it, the firm has said.

Microsoft Servers Hacked by Chinese Groups

 

China state-backed Linen Typhoon and Violet Typhoon as well as China-based Storm-2603 were said to have “exploited vulnerabilities” in on-premises SharePoint servers, the kind used by firms, but not in its cloud-based service.

The US tech giant has released security updates in response and has advised all on-premises SharePoint server customers to install them.

“Investigations into other actors also using these exploits are still ongoing,” Microsoft said in a statement.

The firm said it had “high confidence” the hackers would continue to target systems which have not installed its security updates.

It added that it would update its website blog with more information as its investigation continues.

Microsoft said it had observed attacks in which hackers had sent a request to a SharePoint server “enabling the theft of the key material by threat actors”.

Charles Carmakal, chief technology officer at Mandiant Consulting firm, a division of Google Cloud, told reporter, it was “aware of several victims in several different sectors across a number of global geographies”.

Carmakal said it appeared that governments and businesses that use SharePoint on their sites were the primary target.

A number of adversaries who stole material encoded by cryptography were then able to regain ongoing access to the victims’ SharePoint data, he said.

“This was exploited in a very broad way, very opportunistically before a patch was made available. That’s why this is significant,” Carmakal said.

Carmakal said the “China-nexus actor” was deploying techniques similar to previous campaigns associated with Beijing.

Microsoft said Linen Typhoon had “focused on stealing intellectual property, primarily targeting organizations related to government, defence, strategic planning, and human rights” for 13 years.

It added that Violet Typhoon had been “dedicated to espionage”, primarily targeting former government and military staff, non-governmental organizations, think tanks, higher education, the media, the financial sector and the health sector in the US, Europe, and East Asia.

Meanwhile, Storm-2603 was “assessed with medium confidence to be a China-based threat actor”.

 

 

 


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NIMC Warns Nigerians of Fake NIN Website

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National Identity Management Commission (NIMC) has issued a public warning that it is not associated with NINcard.com.

NIMC Warns Nigerians of Fake NIN Website

According to the commission, the website has been circulating online to offer services for Nigerians seeking National Identification Number (NIN) services.

NIMC, in a post on its official X account on Wednesday, said, “NINcard.com is not in anyway affiliated to NIMC. Stay vigilant!”

The warning was accompanied by screenshots of fake payment receipts and OTP request pages from the website, both of which were boldly stamped “FAKE” by NIMC to alert the public.


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NITDA, API Partner Against Harmful Online Content

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National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA), in partnership with the Advocacy for Policy and Innovation (API), has convened a one-day workshop in Abuja to advance dialogue on the draft Online Harm Protection (OHP) Bill to confront harmful online content.

NITDA, API Partner Against Harmful Online Content

The bill, a rights-based, locally rooted, and multi-stakeholder initiative, is aimed at addressing the challenges of the digital age.

The event, which held yesterday, brought together government officials, civil society, academics, digital platforms, and legal experts to shape a policy framework designed to combat online ills such as cyberbullying, disinformation, hate speech, digital exploitation, and gender-based violence, while safeguarding democratic freedoms and digital inclusion.

In his keynote remarks, Kashifu Inuwa, director general, NITDA urged a paradigm shift in the way society engages with digital technologies.

“For almost two decades, we have viewed digital technology through a consumer lens. But these technologies are not just products and services. They are transforming how we live, work, and interact. They shape our politics, our society, and our democracy,” he said.

Warning against unaccountable digital power in the hands of private corporations, the DG likened the digital journey to the tale of Alice in Wonderland, where initial fascination with innovation has given way to deeper concerns about privacy, autonomy, and manipulation by big tech platforms.

“We thought we were using Google, but now we realise Google is using us. Social media, once a tool of expression, has become a tool of surveillance and influence,” Inuwa noted.

He, therefore, emphasised the urgency of developing a democratic and accountable framework.  He explained that following the 2021 Twitter ban, NITDA facilitated dialogue between the government and platform operators, leading to a Code of Practice that stressed Nigeria’s sovereignty and legal standards.

According to him, the same process birthed the multi-stakeholder steering committee and the OHP White Paper in December 2024, laying the foundation for the current legislative push.

Earlier in her opening remarks,  Victoria Manya, co-founder, API, observed the moral and civic necessity of the bill.

Her words: “The internet did not break society, it merely revealed its unfiltered version. Every day, Nigerians are exposed to harassment, disinformation, exploitation, and even algorithmic violence. The OHP Bill is not a war on the Internet. It is a peace offering to its users, a social contract for a digital future that is safe, inclusive, and democratic.

“We cannot answer the question of algorithmic power with unchecked state control. We must answer it with shared, rights-based governance. This bill must not be written for the people, but with them.”


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