News
DDoS Attacks Up by 300% in Africa Since 2019

Distributed denial-of-service (DDoS) attacks in Africa have increased by 300% in 2021, compared to the same period in 2019. The continent experienced a similar spike in February 2020, coinciding with global COVID-19 related lockdowns.
This is according to pan-African ICT service provider Seacom which added that with the unprecedented shift toward online working, cybercriminals have had access to a larger attack surface and more vulnerable home networks.
Unfortunately, this surge in attacks shows no sign of slowing down, the company stated.
“A DDoS attack is a type of targeted cyberattack on servers and networks that takes advantage of the specific capacity limits of network resources. The attackers will send multiple requests to a network, such as a company’s website, with the aim of overwhelming the network and saturating traffic volumes.
“This causes the network or services to stop functioning, making it inaccessible to normal users, as well as more vulnerable to further attacks,” said Seacom.
The company added that Africa experienced 382,500 DDoS attacks between January and July 2021. Of these, a massive 59% took place in Kenya and South Africa.
While South Africa experienced fewer attacks in 2021 than in 2020, there was still a sizeable 188% increase in attacks in 2021 compared to 2019.
Kenya, alternatively, saw a staggering 2400% increase in attacks in 2021 compared to the same period 2019. It’s clear that the tech-focused nations of Kenya and South Africa are taking the brunt of the onslaught. And, what should probably come as no surprise, the information services industry has been particularly impacted.
Increased cyber threats
According to a report by McAfee Enterprise and FireEye, Cybercrime in a Pandemic World: The Impact of COVID-19 , during the pandemic, 81% of global organisations experienced increased cyber threats with 79% experiencing downtime due to a cyber incident during a peak season.
In South Africa, the threat was even greater, with 90% of organisations experiencing increased cyber threats during COVID-19, and 85% of them experiencing down time due to cybersecurity risks during peak seasons, such as Black Friday, and the retail high season ahead of Christmas.
“It is imperative all businesses prioritize security technology to keep them protected, especially during the peak holiday season,” said Bryan Palma, CEO of the newly combined company. “Ninety-four percent of IT professionals want their organisation to improve its overall cyber readiness. Businesses must do more and need an intelligent security architecture for managing today’s sophisticated threat landscape.”
Across the continent, 78% of all DDoS attacks that took place this year were targeted at this sector. Other affected industries include professional, scientific and technical services, finance and insurance, manufacturing, as well as retail trade.
What does this mean for business?
Seacom has asserted that DDoS attacks have a significant impact on businesses and can result in data breaches, financial losses due to recovery costs, downtime for critical business functions, and even loss of business reputation.
As cybercriminals continue to develop and discover new attack vectors that exploit vulnerabilities exacerbated by the pandemic, it is crucial for businesses to ensure that they can adequately protect their IT infrastructure – or find managed services with the security expertise to do it for them.
Service providers and security experts are rising to the occasion to mitigate these increasing threats.
Seacom recently partnered NETSCOUT, a leading provider of cybersecurity, service assurance, and business analytics, to roll solutions out in Africa.
Steve Briggs, Chief Sales and Marketing Officer at Seacom, said, “While many businesses are in the process of undergoing rapid digital transformation, cyberattacks are also reaching record-breaking figures in 2021.
Fortunately, even as cyberattacks become more sophisticated year-on-year, so do the means to protect against them. Now, it is more important than ever for businesses to take a proactive, rather than reactive, approach to cybersecurity.”
News
ARCON to Tackle Digital, Recommits to Ethical Standards

Advertising Regulatory Council of Nigeria (ARCON) has declared its full readiness to confront emerging challenges in the country’s dynamic advertising landscape—particularly those arising from digital media proliferation and unregulated content distribution.
Speaking at the 2025 Advertising Standards Panel (ASP) Stakeholders Forum held recently in Lagos, Dr. Olalekan Fadolapo, director general, ARCON, reaffirmed the council’s commitment to upholding ethical advertising standards and protecting public interest, especially in an era where virtually everyone has become a content creator.
“The digital economy has become massive, and the boundaries are no longer defined by geography. Ensuring compliance in this space is one of our greatest regulatory hurdles,” he said.
Responding to criticisms that ARCON and the ASP may be stifling creativity, Fadolapo insisted that regulation does not equate to censorship but rather ensures alignment with national values and cultural sensitivities.
“Creativity is vast and fluid, but it must be exercised within the limits of the law and ethical standards. We won’t allow so-called creativity to ignite social unrest or breach advertising codes,” he noted, citing examples where ads had violated laws under the guise of creative license.
Earlier in his presentation, Dr. Emmanuel Agu, chairman of the Advertising Standards Panel (ASP), Nigeria’s statutory body for advertisement vetting and regulatory compliance, reaffirmed the panel’s commitment to upholding ethical advertising standards and protecting public interest, especially in an era where virtually everyone has become a content creator.
“The Panel is aware of the challenges that confront it and is taking deliberate steps to address them,” Dr. Agu said. “We are not oblivious to the current advertising realities, including the increasing volume of digital content and the corresponding need for rapid vetting processes.”
Dr. Agu acknowledged that the digital boom and content decentralization have complicated ASP’s regulatory mandate, with social media platforms now flooded with promotional materials that often evade proper scrutiny.
He warned that misleading product claims, unverified influencer content, and the inappropriate use of minors in advertising are among the most pressing concerns currently facing the panel.
“We’ve observed an increase in digital content disguised as entertainment that essentially functions as unvetted advertising. This undermines consumer trust and can negatively affect public morality,” he stated.
Dr. Agu was unequivocal in stressing that all promotional content, regardless of format or platform, must be vetted by ASP before public exposure.
News
NGX Group Chairman Seeks Regional Collaboration to Unlock West Africa’s Trade, Investment Potential

Umaru Kwairanga, chairman, Nigerian Exchange Group (NGX Group), has called for stronger regional cooperation to harness the untapped potential of West Africa’s trade and commodity markets.
Speaking at the inaugural West Africa Economic Summit (WAES) 2025 held under the theme “Unlocking Trade and Investment Opportunities in the Region”, Kwairanga highlighted the critical role of capital markets and commodity exchanges in transforming the region’s abundant natural resources into organised, transparent capital that fuels industrialisation and inclusive economic growth.
The summit brought together key stakeholders from across West Africa to deliberate on strategies for accelerating regional integration, strengthening capital markets, and unlocking the full potential of intra-African trade.
In his remarks during a high-level panel on “Commodities as Capital: Regional Commodities Exchange & Reserves”, Kwairanga noted that despite West Africa’s wealth of raw materials, the region continues to face a paradox of resource abundance coexisting with capital scarcity.
“As a nation and region, we are abundantly rich in raw materials, but often poor in capital outcomes. This paradox is not due to a lack of resources, but due to the way these resources have historically been excluded from structured financial ecosystems.
Commodities, whether agricultural, mineral, or energy, must be seen not just as tradeable goods, but as investable assets capable of powering industrialisation, job creation, and macroeconomic stability,” he said.
Kwairanga emphasised NGX Group’s commitment to building resilient market infrastructure that supports price discovery, clearing, settlement, and investor protection, systems that can underpin thriving regional commodity markets.
He highlighted NGX Group’s role in mobilising capital for commodity value chains through IPOs, bonds, and structured funds, citing the success of NGX-listed companies like Presco and Okomu Oil as models for attracting long-term investment.
On the question of regional versus national commodity exchanges, Dr. Kwairanga advocated for a dual approach that combines the strengths of national platforms with the scale and integration benefits of regional frameworks.
“National exchanges address local needs and build depth, but for West Africa to unlock the full potential of commodity trade, we must connect these markets under a regional structure.
“Regulatory harmonisation will be key, and this is where NGX Group’s experience in governance, coupled with platforms like the African Exchanges Linkage Project and the Pan-African Payment and Settlement System, can help align standards and enable seamless cross-border transactions,” he stated.
Addressing liquidity challenges, Kwairanga outlined the need for harmonised rules, trustworthy infrastructure, product innovation, and incentives to drive participation. He called for public-private partnerships and regional integration to deepen market liquidity and ensure efficient price discovery.
Beyond the panel discussions, Kwairanga commended the vision of President Bola Tinubu and the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Ambassador Yusuf Maitama Tuggar, for spearheading the summit. “There is power in unity and prestige in size. The great economic powerhouses of the 21st century, such as the United States and China, have risen to prominence partly because of the scale of their markets.
A united West Africa can achieve the same if we work together on initiatives like this,” he said, expressing optimism that the summit would produce actionable frameworks to reduce trade barriers, encourage regional investment, and fast-track economic growth across ECOWAS.
NGX Group, he added, remains committed to supporting cross-border investments, citing its participation in the African Exchanges Linkage Project and the increasing regional footprint of NGX-listed companies such as Dangote Cement, First Bank, Zenith Bank, Access Bank, and Ecobank.
News
DBN Awards N13m in Grants to Tech Startups

Development Bank of Nigeria (DBN) has awarded a total of N13 million in grants to three standout tech startups at the 2025 Techpreneur Summit held in Lagos, reinforcing its commitment to innovation and inclusive growth among Nigeria’s micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSMEs).
The winners include: BuyScrap, a digital marketplace for recyclable materials – N6 million; Qiqi Farms, which connects local farmers to hospitality and export markets – N4 million; Eco-Cyclers, a youth-led recycling initiative based in Enugu – N3 million
Alongside the grant awards, DBN also launched a new digital data asset, a first-of-its-kind platform aimed at enabling data-driven decisions within the MSME ecosystem.
The platform offers deep insights into business trends, sector-specific challenges, and growth opportunities—supporting smarter policymaking and targeted investments.
In his keynote address in Lagos, Tony Okpanachi, managing director/ CEO, DBN, described the event’s theme, “CTRL + SHIFT: Tech Empowered Movement for Naija,” as a strategic call to reimagine enterprise development in Nigeria.
“This isn’t just a keyboard shortcut,” he said. “It’s a mindset reset—powered by technology—to build a more inclusive, innovative, and resilient business landscape. From financing to innovation, DBN remains committed to enabling MSMEs to thrive.”
Okpanachi emphasized that the Summit aligns with DBN’s AMPLIFI Strategy, which integrates digital transformation, sustainability, and scalability into its core programs.
He highlighted initiatives such as the Digital Shift Workshops and the Eco-Innovation Challenge as key steps toward embedding innovation in Nigeria’s MSME sector.
Encouraging young innovators, he added: “The future belongs to those bold enough to imagine and build it. DBN is proud to support the ideas that will shape tomorrow.”
A major highlight was the unveiling of the DBN Data Asset—a digital platform designed to provide real-time, evidence-based insights into Nigeria’s MSME landscape.
The platform combines DBN’s proprietary data with external sources like the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) to offer a comprehensive view of MSME performance by region and sector.
Jeremy Dan Okayi, DBN’s Head of Strategy, Policy & Innovation, described the platform as: “A reservoir of insight, potential, and direction—built on two years of collaboration and shared vision. This tool will support informed decision-making across the public and private sectors.”
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