News
HP out with Mobile Authentication of Products

HP has invented a sophisticated security technology meant to help protect customers against counterfeit print cartridges as the problems of counterfeiting continue to grow in leaps and bounds.
Rita Amuchienwa, channel development manager, HP IPG English Africa, at local HP demo day on the mobile authentication platform,said that the company spends about 500 million euros per annum on research and development aimed at finding measures to thwart plots of fakers of her products, like the print cartridges.
According to her, counterfeit activities supplies, for example, are increasingly undermining legitimate business standards and practices in the country and defrauding Nigerian, who believe they are buying original brand-name quality.
She disclosed that newly released HP-commissioned research from Forrester, showed that Nigeria is, in fact, home to the highest number of African businesses that have either been offered or unintentionally purchased counterfeit cartridges, as cited by 50 percent of business survey respondents. Printer failure was reported as the primary concern when buying printing supplies (64 percent).
Amuchienwa said “While original manufacturers in various industries are considering how to protect their customers against counterfeit goods, HP has already deployed a number of measures to ensure that its customers receive only authentic HP printing supplies.
“HP is dedicated to ensuring that customers are able to identify counterfeit inkjet and LaserJet cartridges, protecting them from unreliable and compromised print quality, both prior to and after purchase. “We are happy to share that HP’s Mobile Authentication technology is now widely available for original HP LaserJet cartridges in Nigeria. She added
Amuchienwa stated that customers can now verify the authenticity of their cartridge using HP Mobile Authentication to check the security labels of both inkjet and LaserJet toner cartridges. At HP´s Authentication Demo Day which took place today, Rita
After verifying cartridge purchases with HP mobile authentication, customers can also validate cartridge authenticity by using the HP software authentication technology for LaserJet cartridges.
The HP-commissioned Forrester research was conducted in April 2012 and included 77 interviews with businesses and customers in the UAE, 76 in Nigeria, 75 in Kenya and 75 in Morocco. Qualitative research was conducted in the Ukraine and Kazakhstan around a series of focus groups.
The Channel Development Manager added that HP is not resting on its oars to educate her business partners on the imperatives of stamping out fakes in the markets.
News
Firm Warns Against AI Password Generation @ World Password Day

Most online services and apps require the user to create a password. Chances are many of those passwords are not being used daily and due to this overabundance, there’s a high probability that many of the passwords are being reused.
Poor password management is compounded by a reliance on common combinations of names, dictionary words and numerals. Not only are these passwords relatively easy to decipher, but if a cybercriminal gains access to a password on one site, that could result in access to a plethora of other sites.
People are urged to create unique, random passwords to counter the vulnerability posed by using the same password multiple times. However, password creation and management can be an arduous task.
To tackle the burden of password creation and management, people might be tempted to use large language models (LLMs) like ChatGPT, Llama or DeepSeek to generate their passwords.
The appeal is clear. Rather than struggling to come up with a strong password, users can simply ask AI, “Generate a secure password” and get an instant result.
AI produces strings that look random, which helps avoid the human tendency to create predictable, dictionary-based passwords. But appearances can be deceptive, AI-generated passwords may not be as secure as they appear.
Alexey Antonov, Data Science Team Lead at Kaspersky, tested this by generating 1,000 passwords using some of the more prominent and trusted LLMs including ChatGPT (from OpenAI), Llama (model from Meta group), DeepSeek (newcomer from China).
“All of the models are aware that a good password consists of at least 12 characters, including uppercase and lowercase letters, numbers and symbols. They report this when generating passwords,” says Antonov.
“In practice, though, the algorithms often neglected to insert a special character or digits into the password: 26% of passwords for ChatGPT, 32% for Llama and 29% for DeepSeek. While DeepSeek and Llama sometimes generated passwords shorter than 12 characters.”
In 2024, Alexey Antonov developed a machine learning algorithm to test password strength and found that almost 60% of passwords can be cracked in under an hour using modern GPUs or cloud-based cracking tools.
When applied to AI-generated passwords, the results were alarming, they were far less secure than they appeared: 88% of DeepSeek and 87% of Llama generated passwords were not strong enough to withstand attack from sophisticated cyber criminals. While ChatGPT did a little better with 33% of passwords not strong enough to pass the Kaspersky test.
“The problem is LLMs don’t create true randomness. Instead, they mimic patterns from existing data, making their outputs predictable to attackers who understand how these models work,” notes Antonov.
News
NBS Unveils Crowd-Sourcing Initiative for Accurate Statistical Data

National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) has introduced a crowd-sourcing initiative aimed at providing more accurate statistical information and data to policymakers and the general public.
According to a statement issued by Folorunso Alesanmi, head of Public Relations, the initiative, which commenced several months ago, involves compiling daily price data from a wide range of sources.
These include open markets, supermarkets, neighbourhood shops, bulk and discount stores, street outlets, and large retail shops.
Data collection has been conducted across all 36 States, the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), and every senatorial district.
However, the Bureau clarified that price data gathered through crowd-sourcing differs from the data used in computing the Consumer Price Index (CPI).
While CPI data is collected at specific, pre-determined outlets during the second and third weeks of each month, crowd-sourced price data is gathered randomly from different respondents daily.
By leveraging the power of crowd-sourcing, the Bureau has been able to gather a vast amount of data that offers a more nuanced picture of price trends in the economy.
“We are thrilled to release our first price data compiled through crowd-sourcing. This initiative represents a major step forward in our efforts to harness the power of technology and innovation to improve the quality and timeliness of our statistical data,” said Prince Semiu Adeyemi Adeniran, Statistician-General of the Federation and NBS CEO.
The newly released data offers insights into the prices of essential food items commonly consumed by Nigerians, such as local rice, white beans, white maize, garri, yam, and more. It provides a daily snapshot of food costs.
The NBS plans to update this data on a daily basis, offering entrepreneurs, policymakers, and researchers a valuable tool for monitoring price fluctuations and making informed decisions.
The data is accessible to the public through a dedicated dashboard, where users can view, analyze, and download it in real-time—enhancing transparency and accessibility.
“To this end, the agency has implemented a range of quality control measures, including data validation and verification processes, to ensure that the data is reliable and trustworthy,” the statement added.
The release of this crowd-sourced price data underscores the NBS’s commitment to innovation and collaboration.
By working with citizens and embracing technology, the Bureau aims to provide more timely and accurate statistics to drive economic growth and development
News
AFC Appoints Ireti Samuel-Ogbu as Chair of Board of Directors

Africa Finance Corporation (AFC), the continent’s leading instrumental infrastructure solutions provider, has announced the appointment of Mrs Ireti Samuel-Ogbu as Chair of its Board of Directors. She succeeds Mr. Emeka Emuwa who has completed 12 years of meritorious service to the Corporation.
Mrs. Samuel-Ogbu brings a wealth of experience spread over three decades leading and transforming the banking sector in Europe, Middle East, and Africa. Until recently, she led Citi’s institutional businesses in Nigeria and Ghana, with oversight across Banking, Markets and Services.
During this period, she steered the franchise through significant macroeconomic and regulatory headwinds, strengthening its strategic momentum and resilience.
Her international career within Citibank included senior leadership roles across over 50 countries in the Europe, Middle East, and Africa region, during which time she worked in the United Kingdom, Nigeria, and South Africa.
Mrs. Samuel-Ogbu has extensive boardroom experience including Citibank Nigeria where she was a Non-Executive Director for 6 years and Chair of the Risk Committee prior to becoming the Managing Director.
She also served on the board of CHAPS Clearing UK, the high value payment system now operated by the Bank of England and a UK-based charity, Opportunity International.
Her extensive experience and unwavering dedication to the advancement of Africa make her a valuable asset to AFC at a time when the Corporation is more committed than ever to accelerating Africa’s transformation through bold investments, innovative financing models and catalytic partnerships.
AFC recently delivered a record-breaking FY2024 financial performance, with total revenue increasing by 22.8% to US$1.1 billion, surpassing the US$1billion milestone for the first time.
This strong performance was driven by several transformational projects including acting as the Lead Project Developer for the Lobito Corridor, a transformative multi-country transport network connecting Angola, Zambia and the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), financing of the expansion of the Kamoa-Kakula Copper Complex in the DRC — one of the world’s highest-grade, low-carbon underground copper mines and financing support for the commissioning of the Dangote Refinery, the largest in Africa.
Speaking on the appointment, Samaila Zubairu, President& CEO of AFC, said: ” We are delighted to welcome Mrs Ireti Samuel-Ogbu as Chair of the Board.
Her wealth of experience, visionary leadership and deep understanding of Africa’s financial landscape will be invaluable as we navigate our next phase of growth- expanding our impact, mobilising urgently needed capital and delivering transformative projects that enable inclusive and sustainable prosperity across the continent.”
Mrs Ireti Samuel-Ogbu commented: “I am honoured to take on the role of Chair at AFC, an institution that serves as a trusted bridge between international capital and Africa’s dynamic growth opportunities.
I look forward to working closely with the board, management, and all stakeholders to advance the Corporation’s mission and strengthen its role as the leading provider of strategic, investment-driven solutions that unlock Africa’s full economic potential.”
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