News
Hamonization of Identity Data Between Other Agencies & NIMC in Progress- Lanre Osibona
By Chukwuemeka Fred Agbata
All forward looking nationalities are powering their economies with technology and Nigeria cannot be an exception, if she wants to compete favourably in the comity of nations.
I was recently with Lanre Osibona, Senior Special Assistant to the President on ICT and he shared some of the strategies and policies that the government is putting in place, to ensure that Nigeria, is indeed, positioned to become a nation, powered with technology.
Lanre stated that, the big area that the government is looking at, is the trend word going around, which is that, ‘data is more valuable that crude’. “One of the biggest efforts of this administration, is to make sure we digitize government data, hence, we coined the phrase, smart digital economy, smart Nigeria’, he stated. He stressed that government is the biggest repository of data in the country. “Citizens identification, government processes, government data, government land registry, farm information, etc. We need to bring these into a digital form”, he emphasized.
Lanre stressed that the National Identity Management Commission, NIMC, has been tasked by an Act, to identify all Nigerians, kicked off about 10 years ago, but there has been a lot of issues with the delivery by the Commission. This, he said, gave rise to other Agencies to start pursuing their own identification processes, such as the BVN, the FRSC for Drivers License, NCC, INEC, etc. He said it is time for us to now harmonize all these into one. He explained that the process of harmonization has already commenced and over 23 million have been harmonized quietly without spending a kobo.
On the strategy adopted, Lanre stated that one of the strategies to adopt in capturing the 80% of the rural population, is to register them as they access government services. This, he said has not commenced because, the government is currently busy with the harmonization of data between the other Agencies and NIMC. He stressed that the beauty of that strategy will be that, for instance, as you are being registered for INEC, you are, automatically being registered for NIMC.
“We need to encourage the Agencies of government and that’s the beauty of what NITDA is doing, to implement solutions that allows technology to digitize a lot of these paper based approach that we have today”, Lanre stated. This, he further stressed, will enhance our ease of doing business. “We see government as one Agency and it is connected it is connected to one another because of the benefit of technology and it should be able to share information within itself, seamlessly. If you come into CAC to register a company, for instance, CAC at the backend, can talk to FIRS, can talk to, even, NIMC, can talk to whoever else they want to talk to”, he emphasized. Lanre stated that, a good policy will, is necessary for this to happen, but technology has to make it happen at the backend.
On what the government is doing, to ensure that Startups gets support from government, Lanre stated that he witnessed the growth of the Startups ecosystem and he is proud of it. Some of the efforts of government, he mentioned, include the launching of the Aso Villa Demo Day, where 30 top players emerged and have gone ahead to do big things. He also mentioned the World bank support that have grants to 80 of these Startups as a result of the Aso Villa Demo Day. “That means recognition. That is a means by which they can scale up”, he stressed. He stated that a lot of those Startups have gone on to Silicon Valley and Startup 500. He, however, observed that government should not be too much involved, but rather create policies and enabling environment that will support the Startups ecosystem.
Lanre concluded that, other things the government will focus on, are infrastructure as well as focus on getting the adoption of some of their solutions by the MDA’s and government for their usage.
You can view the full interview here and here
A former Executive Director at Asset Management Corporation of Nigeria (AMCON), Abbas Muhammed Jega, has shed light on the financial dealings between Arik Air and Union Bank, revealing that the airline’s debt to AMCON was over N100 billion as of 2015 and remained unpaid.
Testifying as the third prosecution witness in the ongoing trial of Ahmed Kuru, former AMCON MD/CEO, and four others, Jega disclosed that AMCON acquired Arik’s loans from Union Bank and Keystone Bank, but not Zenith Bank, which was purchased after his exit.
According to Jega, AMCON discovered in a London meeting that Union Bank had sold them a guarantee rather than a loan, which was meant to cover foreign lenders in case Arik defaulted.
“We invited Arik to resolve the issue with Union Bank, but the arrangement disclosed by me never existed,” Jega said.
Jega attributed Arik’s inability to repay to over-trading, which led to their inability to service existing debts. He revealed that AMCON attempted to restructure Arik’s debt and even offered additional loan facilities to help the airline with working capital problems.
However, Arik failed to meet repayment obligations, prompting AMCON to propose two solutions: a debt equity swap and management control. Both options were rejected or delayed by Arik.
Under cross-examination, Jega confirmed that Kamilu Omokide and Captain Roy Ilegbodu played no role in the loan purchase or London meeting.
The matter has been adjourned to June 30, July 1, and July 2, 2025, for further cross-examination.
The case involves alleged financial misappropriation amounting to N76 billion and $31.5 million, with Ahmed Kuru, Kamilu Omokide, Captain Roy Ilegbodu, Union Bank Ltd, and Super Bravo Ltd as defendants, presided over by Justice Mojisola Dada.
Alhaji Mohammed Idris, Minister of Information and National Orientation is to chair the public presentation of the book Nigeria Media Renaissance: GOCOP Perspective on Online Publishing, a publication of Guild of Corporate Online Publishers (GOCOP). The event is scheduled for 110am on Tuesday June 17, 2025 at the Continental Hotel, Abuja.
President of GOCOP, Maureen Chigbo, who confirmed this development said the book presentation will be graced by eminent personalities from all walks of life, including government officials, captains of industry, media practitioners and other professionals, representatives of international organisations, directors of non-governmental organisations.
Alhaji Idris was sworn in as Minister of Information and National Orientation on August 21, 2023, following his appointment by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu. With over three decades of experience in broadcasting, newspapering, public relations, and advertising, Idris has brought a wealth of expertise to the role.
His academic background includes degrees in English Studies from Uthman Danfodio University, Sokoto, and Bayero University, Kano. As an entrepreneur, he established notable media outlets such as Blueprint, WE FM radio station, and Rapid Television in Abuja.
He is a prominent figure in professional associations such as National Institute of Public Relations, African Public Relations Association, Public Relations Consultants Association of Nigeria, and Newspaper Proprietors Association of Nigeria.
As the founder of Bifocal Communications, a leading public relations and communications consultancy, Idris has served both local and transnational corporations.
Beyond his professional endeavours, Idris is committed to social responsibility through the Mohammed Idris Malagi (MIM) Foundation, which has positively impacted many lives. As a reward for his contributions to the development of his immediate environment and beyond, The Etsu Nupe conferred “Kaakaki Nupe” on him.
A press statement by the GOCOP Publicity Secretary, Ogbuefi Remmy Nweke, quoted the GOCOP president as saying that the proceeds of the book will be used to fund the N2.3 billion GOCOP MEDIA CENTRE, a multi-purpose resource centre comprising a secretariat, a 21st Century library and event halls, among others.
Nweke further noted that the Guild of Corporate Online Publishers (GOCOP) was established to promote professionalism in online publishing, ensuring its members uphold the fundamental principles of journalism.
Comprising seasoned editors and senior journalists with distinguished career in print and electronic media, GOCOP’s membership has traversed the online publishing, recognizing its pivotal role in shaping the future of journalism globally. With 120 corporate publishers as members, GOCOP continues to uphold the highest standards of online journalism.
Advertising Regulatory Council of Nigeria (ARCON) has issued a stern warning to marketers, content creators, and social media influencers amid an alarming rise in fraudulent, AI-generated advertisements circulating across digital platforms.
Dr. Olalekan Fadolapo, director-general, ARCON, during a press briefing at its Lagos headquarters, decried the “porous” state of Nigeria’s online ad ecosystem and pledged to prosecute offenders to the fullest extent of the law.
Dr. Fadolapo opened the media parley by highlighting how easily unscrupulous operators deploy artificial intelligence tools to produce convincing—but entirely fabricated—advertisements.
“Our social media space has become so porous that people now freely post fake adverts, some of which claim outrageous and bogus benefits,” he remarked.
According to the Director-General, these deceptive campaigns often promise “miraculous cures” or “guaranteed returns” without any credible data or verifiable sources to back them.
Among the most alarming examples cited was an herbal remedy advertisement alleging to cure over 200 ailments—ranging from HIV to cancer—through a single “miracle” concoction.
“Imagine an advert claiming that a single herbal drug could cure HIV, cancer, and more than 200 other diseases,” Dr. Fadolapo said.
ARCON’s DG emphasized that such misleading advertisements not only jeopardize public health—by luring vulnerable individuals into purchasing untested or harmful products—but also undermine consumer confidence in legitimate businesses operating within advertising guidelines.
Dr. Fadolapo pointed to the regulatory vacuum that allows bad actors to exploit the anonymity of social media.
Unlike traditional broadcast or print media—where advertisements must pass through editorial or legal vetting—online platforms can be manipulated with minimal oversight.
Creating an ad using AI-powered design and voice generators, he warned, takes only minutes, making it difficult for regulators to identify the original perpetrators.
“The CBEX case is a painful reminder of what can happen when digital platforms are left unchecked,” Dr. Fadolapo said, explaining that the scheme purportedly defrauded unsuspecting Nigerians of nearly $2 trillion through slick, unregulated social media promotions.
He described how the CBEX promoters used AI-generated video testimonials, falsified financial statements, and cloned websites to entice victims with promises of triple-digit returns on cryptocurrency trades.
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