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DDoS Attacks Up by 300% in Africa Since 2019

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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.”


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IHS Nigeria Reaffirms Commitment to raising Nigeria’s Next Tech Giants from the Ilorin Innovation Hub

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Telecommunications infrastructure provider, IHS Nigeria, has reiterated its commitment to transforming the Ilorin Innovation Hub into a leading destination for talent and technology development across North-Central Nigeria. The company envisions the Hub as a launchpad for future unicorns and a magnet for young innovators from Kwara State and the surrounding regions.

Speaking during a virtual town hall session organized by the Ilorin Innovation Hub with the theme “From Ilorin to the World: Building a Globally Recognized Technology Hub,”, Mr. Kazeem Oladepo, Senior Vice President & Chief Operating Officer of IHS Nigeria, emphasized the importance of collaboration, mentorship, and community engagement in nurturing the next generation of entrepreneurs.

“We see the Ilorin Innovation Hub as a platform to attract top talent—not just from Ilorin, but from across the region’s tertiary institutions and tech ecosystem,” Oladepo said. “This is an opportunity to build globally impactful companies by harnessing local brilliance with global insight.”

Mr. Temi Kolawole, Managing Director/CEO of the Ilorin Innovation Hub, described the town hall as a homecoming for top minds with roots in Kwara State.

“This is a convergence of visionaries—people who’ve built, scaled, and invested in world-class companies—now giving back to shape a collective future,” Kolawole said. “Our partnership with IHS Nigeria exemplifies what’s possible when public sector ambition meets private sector expertise.”

Responding to a participant’s question on how individuals could contribute towards the growth of the hub, Mr. Oladepo encouraged industry experts present to engage directly with the Hub’s program managers – future Africa and Cc-Hub, provide mentorship, and help in aligning the training modules with local and global market realities.

“IHS is already investing financial, technical, and intellectual resources into the Hub. But to truly thrive, we need champions within the ecosystem—mentors who’ve built real businesses—to guide young people as they develop transformative ideas,” he noted.

Highlighting long-term sustainability, Oladepo called for the inclusion of successful professionals and entrepreneurs in the Hub’s activities to ensure relevance and adaptability.

“Let’s bring in those who’ve succeeded in fields like e-commerce, logistics, Healthtech, and Data Mining. Their insights can help refine the Hub’s programs and ensure participants extract real value,” he added.

Other speakers at the session included Ms. Anu Adasolum, Founder & CEO of Sabi, and Mr. Chris Folayan, Founder of Founder Centered. The virtual townhall was well attended with participants including tech enthusiasts, founders, startups drawn from both within and outside Nigeria.


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Airtel Nigeria Promotes World Environment Day with Nationwide Sustainability Activities

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L-r: Chief Technology Officer, Airtel Nigeria, Harmanpreet Singh Dhillon; Director, Human Resources & Administration, Airtel Nigeria, Adebimpe Ayo-Elias; Chief Executive Officer, Airtel Nigeria, Dinesh Balsingh; Director, Sanitation Services, Lagos State Ministry of the Environment and Water Resources, Dr. Hassan A. Sanuth; Director, Corporate Communications & CSR; and Marketing Director, Airtel Nigeria, Ismail Adeshina; at the sustainability seminar hosted by Airtel Nigeria in commemoration of World Environment Day at the company’s head office in Lagos on Wednesday this week.
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Telecommunications provider, Airtel Nigeria has reaffirmed its commitment to environmental sustainability with a nationwide campaign to combat plastic pollution in commemoration of World Environment Day 2025.

Themed “Ending Plastic Pollution”, this year’s events demonstrated the corporate mission of Airtel to champion environmental stewardship.

Tagged #UnPlasticAfrica, the company’s campaign began on June 3, mobilizing employees across six operating regions for a week of education, advocacy, and cleanup activities aimed at promoting sustainable living, in alignment with global efforts to reduce plastic pollution.

The activities kicked off with a Sustainability Seminar, led by Dr Hassan A. Sanuth, Director of Sanitation Services at the Lagos State Ministry of the Environment and Water Resources, and focused on the role of the individual in reducing plastic waste while promoting practical recycling habits.

Following this educational session, all Airtel Nigeria employees took the “Eco Pledge” to commit to reusable containers.

In his remarks at the seminar, Chief Executive Officer of Airtel Nigeria, Dinesh Balsingh, reaffirmed Airtel`s dedication to sustainability.

“As we invest in Nigeria’s digital future, we are equally committed to protecting the environment that sustains us. From AI-powered services that reduce paper use to partnerships that connect rural areas without environmental disruption, we are embedding sustainability into every layer of our operations,” he said.

Speaking at the workshop, Dr. Sanuth emphasized the urgency of addressing the plastic pollution crisis, particularly in urban centers like Lagos.

“Plastic waste is choking our drains, polluting our water bodies, and threatening public health. Every little action counts, from individuals making conscious choices to organizations taking bold steps and together, our collective efforts can make a significant impact in ending plastic pollution,” he noted.

He also highlighted the dangers of plastic waste, noting that microplastics have been traced in food, water, and even human blood and called for stronger policies and corporate accountability.

The highlight of the week was a market clean-up and sensitization drive held by Airtel employees in Abuja, Oyo, Benin, Enugu, and Kano. Airtel staff volunteers, in collaboration with local partners, led plastic collection efforts, conducted environmental hygiene training, and distributed over 3,000 branded reusable bags and parasols to market vendors and shoppers.

The World Environment Day campaign, nicknamed Earth Fest 2025, is part of Airtel Nigeria’s broader CSR Strategy, which continues to integrate environmental stewardship into its organizational practices.


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NOTAP Boss Laments Loss of IPR by Nigerian Researchers

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Dr. Obiageli Amadiobi, director general, National Office for Technology Acquisition and Promotion (NOTAP),  has expressed displeasure over the level of Intellectual Property Right (IPR) losses by Nigerian researchers due to insufficient knowledge of the benefits of IPR protection.

NOTAP Boss Laments Loss of IPR by Nigerian Researchers

Speaking at a one-day Coordinator’s Forum organized by the Office in Uyo for the South-South geopolitical zone of the country, the Director General, represented by Mrs. Caroline Anie-Osuagwu, director of Technology Acquisition and Research Coordination (TARC) department,  said that prior to the establishment of the Intellectual Property and Technology Transfer Offices (IPTTOs) in Nigerian knowledge establishments, Nigerian researchers had no deep knowledge of the importance of IP protection, hence losing their IP rights.

In a statement signed by Raymond Onyenezi Ogbu for the head, Public Relations and Protocol Unit of NOTAP, the DG advised researchers to always file for a patent each time they anticipate a breakthrough and avoid publishing before patenting, as any research work published in a paper is already in the public domain and can no longer be patented.

“IP rights are rights granted to a researcher or inventor by the government to have a monopoly over the financial exploitation of their inventions for a period of time to recoup the expenditure on their research undertaking”. the DG said.

She challenged patent owners to license or commercialize their inventions, adding that patents that cannot metamorphose into tangible products and services are not worth keeping, as they are liabilities to the owners.

The DG said that researchers with patented inventions can license their invention for royalty purposes or sell them outrightly to venture capitalists if they cannot commercialize.

“Over the years, the nation has depended on the consumption of products from foreign research, while Nigeria is blessed with skilled human resources but only needs to be strategic in their research understanding”.

“The aim of organizing the IPTTO coordinator’s forum was to interact with the coordinators, know their challenges and achievements, and encourage the centers that are not very progressive to strengthen their centers.” She added.

The DG stressed that while a number of centers are performing well, some are struggling to find their fit, occasioned by bureaucratic bottlenecks.

She expressed confidence in the ability of the research communities engaging in demand-driven and market-driven research to fast-track development adding that technology development is a product of research work, and knowledge institutions are duty-bound to engage in critical research to advance the IPR ecosystem in Nigeria.

Participants from the South-South Zone took turns to commend NOTAP for the impactful program and requested the Office to assist them with links to venture capitalists for the commercialization of their research results.

All the IPTTO coordinators presented their scorecards and were advised to get ready for the 2026 IPTTO ranking that would be organized by the Office.

 

 

 

 


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