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Gbajabiamila Extols Impact of ICT in Addressing Poverty in Africa

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Hon. Femi Gbajabiamila, speaker of the House of Representatives, has said that the effective deployment of Information Communication Technology (ICT) tools in rural communities would help empower rural dwellers and stimulate increased economic activities in Africa.

He said by having access to adequate and the right information, the poverty level in rural communities in Africa could greatly be reduced.

Speaker Gbajabiamila expressed these views in a paper titled ‘Enhancing Information Communication Technology (ICT) Use in Providing Life-Changing Solutions in Rural Communities’ which he delivered at the ongoing 50th Regional Conference and the Annual General Meeting of the Commonwealth Parliamentary Association (CPA), Africa Region, taking place in Zanzibar, Tanzania.

A statement from the Speaker’s office signed by his Media Adviser, Lanre Lasisi stated that Gbajabiamila, who led the Nigerian delegation to the conference, moved a motion for the commencement of proceedings and the debate on the second day of the conference, saying policymakers must, through the policy-making and legislative process, ensure that the opportunities created by technological advancements are available to the people.

“Everywhere, from Africa to Europe, Asia to the Americas, policymakers are still trying to figure out this brave new world. It often feels as if the moment we reach an understanding of one paradigm, it changes again to reveal new vistas, new challenges, and opportunities. We cannot, and we do not seek to halt the march of technological progress. “In fact, we embrace it because we have seen how technology properly used can improve the circumstances of human life in every sector from education to health care, security, and commerce,” he said.

On how ICT could address poverty, Gbajabiamila said: “it can play a major role in addressing rural poverty and improving the economic well-being of the people through access to the adequate and right information.

“Rural communities in Nigeria and Africa as a whole are faced with the challenges of infrastructural deficit that would help stimulate development.

“This affects access to adequate and right information by the rural communities. The challenge is how to leverage the bountiful opportunities in the sector to improve service delivery in rural communities.”

In the area of agriculture, the Speaker said the deployment of ICT in the sector would increase efficiency, productivity, and sustainability of small-scale farms.

“The agricultural sector will be strengthened with the application of ICT as it opens up access to information. ICT increases the knowledge base and choices of farmers in terms of quality of soils, seedlings, management of drought and erosion as well as pest and disease control.

“It also provides farmers with useful and timely information on crops, animal husbandry, fertilizer and market prices. The corollary effect of all these is increased productivity and high income.”

On education, Gbajabiamila said: “The use of ICT in a dedicated manner within the education sector in the rural areas would help increase the literacy level of the rural population. There is a need to embark on an aggressive sensitization drive to educate the rural communities on the importance of ICT.

Speaker Gbajabiamila added that ICT could help connect rural areas to the outside world, which would make them enjoy access to information sharing for greater economic activities.

“The contact with the outside world would no doubt increase the volume of economic activities in the rural areas as the rural population becomes more aware of untapped opportunities and new ways of doing business.

“ICTs can increase access and mobilization of financial assets, particularly through the instrumentality of mobile banking and mobile finance. This would ultimately increase general economic activities in rural communities.”

In the area of healthcare, the Speaker said: “The use of ICT to deliver healthcare will enable healthcare professionals and institutions to address the critical medical needs of rural communities. This will bring about improvement in the health of rural dwellers and their economic well-being.”


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Human Hacking: When Cyber Criminals Target You

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By Nancy Werteen

When you get anti-hacking advice, you’ve probably heard “Don’t use a simple password,” or “Don’t plug in that USB you found on the ground.”

Human Hacking: When Cyber Criminals Target You

But there’s one form of hacking that doesn’t always require a computer, and it costs businesses about 4.88 million dollars a year.

Modern hackers aren’t trying to get into your computer; they’re trying to get into you.

“They’ll try to learn about you a little bit, and they’ll try to use that information against you to try to get you to complete some action, maybe to send somebody some money,” said Kevin Moran, PhD, Assistant Professor of Computer Science, Cyber Security and Privacy Cluster, University of Central Florida.

IBM calls this human hacking, because it exploits human error instead of system error.

“With people just being busy and maybe not very carefully checking some of the emails or the phone calls that they get, can be something unfortunately that people can fall victim to,” said Moran.

Also known as social engineering, this often takes the form of phishing, where the hacker tries to “fish” the information out of you by impersonating family, friends, or even your bank.

There’s also baiting, where the hacker baits you with something of value. Remember the Nigerian prince scam?

That’s a famous example of baiting. There’s also pretexting, where the hacker will claim the victim has already been hacked, and that the hacker can fix it if you just send over your passwords. So, what can you do?

“Just as a rule of thumb, instead of clicking on links and emails, just go to the website yourself. And that will prevent, a lot of these types of attacks from happening,” explained Moran.

Phishing can take many forms.

Spear phishing targets people with access to confidential information, often to get access into an entire business, and whale phishing targets CEOs or political figures.

Search engine phishing is when hackers create fake websites promising services or goods you’ll never receive.

Angler phishing is when hackers create fake social media accounts impersonating famous people or companies.

Finally, vishing and smishing is phishing done through phone calls and texts respectively.

 

 

 

 

 


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FG Enrolls 59,786 Inmates on NIN Platform

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Federal government  has said that it has successfully captured 59,786 inmates, representing approximately 74 percent of the total prison population into the National Identity Number (NIN) database.

FG Enrolls 59,786 Inmates on NIN Platform

This figure is based on a total of 80,879 inmates across 256 custodial centres across the country.

Abubakar Umar, spokesman, Nigerian Correctional Service (NCoS), Deputy Controller of Corrections, who made this disclosure in a statement issued on Sunday in Abuja, dismissed recent media reports alleging that the NIN registration had yet to begin in custodial centres.

Umar described such report as misleading, inaccurate, and not representative of the current situation.

According to Umar, the NIN registration exercise within the correctional facilities was ongoing and has achieved substantial progress.

He credited the achievement to collaboration between the NCoS and the National Identity Management Commission (NIMC), which has enabled successful enrollment of majority of inmates into the national identity database.

According to him, “As of June 7, 2025, a total of 59,786 inmates, roughly 74 percent cent of the total inmate population have been captured on the NIMC platform,” Umar said.

“Efforts are ongoing to register the remaining inmates, and necessary mechanisms have been established to ensure the seamless completion of the process.”

He emphasised that the assertion that NIN registration has not started in custodial centres was factually incorrect and overlooks the extensive work already carried out.

The Service reaffirmed its commitment to integrating all inmates into national data systems, including NIN registration, as part of broader efforts to support rehabilitation, reintegration, and digital inclusion for individuals in custody.

Umar also urged media outlets to confirm their information with appropriate authorities before publication to prevent the spread of misinformation that could undermine the Service’s progress and public understanding.


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NIMC Denies Blocking Police Commission from Verification Server

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National Identity Management Commission (NIMC) has clarified that all its verification service platforms remain fully functional and accessible to all authorized partners, including security agencies.

NIMC Denies Blocking Police Commission from Verification Server

Abisoye Coker-Odusote, DG, NIMC

In a statement on Thursday, the Commission firmly denied claims that it had denied the Police Service Commission (PSC) access to its verification server.

Dr. Kayode Adegoke, head of Corporate Communications, NIMC, described the reported “inability of the Police Service Commission to access the NIMC verification server” as misleading and inaccurate.

He suggested that any challenges faced by the PSC may be due to internal issues within the commission itself, not from NIMC’s end.

The statement reads: “To set the record straight, the NIMC granted verification access to all Nigerian Police formations for the verification of the National Identification Number (NIN). The NPF, PSC and other security agencies have been enjoying uninterrupted verification services for over five years.

“NIMC has provided top-notch verification services for recruitment into the Nigeria Police Force, as conducted by the PSC and at no time have there been any complaints or issues regarding NIN Verification by the NPF or PSC.

“The Commission has a robust and harmonious working relationship with the Nigerian Police Force and the Police Service Commission. The Information Communications and Technology (ICT) department of the Nigeria Police Force is actively managing the long-standing verification and integration service between the NIMC and all Nigeria Police formations.Entertainment tourism packages

“NIMC will continue to provide flawless verification services for the purpose of recruitment, security mapping, cybercrime control, and any other security matters.

“The framework by which NIMC provides services to the security agencies was recently restructured for standardization and effective implementation, following consultation with the Office of the National Security Adviser, and NPF has confirmed the verification services have continued to be available. We therefore believe that any service interruption experienced by PSC may be due to internal matters.

“NIMC is committed to providing excellent verification services to the PSC, NPF and all its partners but the terms and conditions inherent must be adhered to for uninterrupted flow of service.”


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