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NOTAP Saved Nigeria ₦140Bn in 10 Years – Ex-DG

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Dr DanAzumi Ibrahim, outgoing Director-General (DG), National Office for Technology Acquisition and Promotion (NOTAP), said it saved Nigeria over ₦140billon through technology transfer agreements between 2012 and 2022.

NOTAP Saved Nigeria ₦140Bn in 10 Years - Ex-DG

Dr DanAzumi Ibrahim,

He stated this in an interview with News Agency of Nigeria on Thursday in Abuja (NAN) as he bowed out after 8 years of leading NOTAP.

Ibrahim said: “The accumulated sum of ₦74.3 billion was saved in the last 9 years that would have left the country via capital flight from 2015 to 2022 under his leadership.”

Reeling out his achievements, the director-general said that 98% of NOTAP’s mandate had been achieved during his tenure.

Ibrahim, who was appointed as DG/CEO NOTAP in October 2015 by former President Muhammadu Buhari, is an Agricultural Technology expert who hails from Bauchi State.

NOTAP is responsible for monitoring, regulating, facilitation and domesticating the inflow of foreign technologies in Nigeria.

The director-general said NOTAP was able to secure 320 patent certificates for inventors and researchers of tertiary, research institutes and individuals from 2010 to date.

He urged African researchers to strive for patentable research and development (R&D) results that were capable of attracting investments, subsequently licensing them for commercialisation and economic benefits.

Ibrahim said for any nation to develop and maximise its potentials, it must have a vibrant Science, Technology and Innovation (STI) ecosystem that encourages demand-driven research for economic sustenance.

“NOTAP, in the course of discharging one of its responsibilities of encouraging development of indigenous technologies, noted the weak Intellectual Property culture in the Nigerian knowledge system.

“This observation encouraged NOTAP to go into partnership with the Patent and Design Registry, and Commercial Law departments of the Federal Ministry of Industry, Trade and Investment.

“The synergy with the departments helped in creating intellectual property awareness and patent support services for Nigerian researchers in the country.

“Through this, NOTAP assisted in processing and filing their claims at no cost, as the office paid the patenting fees,” he added.

Ibrahim said that the agency’s policies aim to foster collaboration between industries and universities to enhance productivity and stimulate Nigeria’s economic growth. He further called on other industries to join in such partnerships, emphasizing the positive impact they have on universities and research institutions.

“NOTAP has fostered partnerships with industries via NOTAP- industry partnership, all aimed at improving Nigeria’s economic development.

“ These partnerships are initiatives for building capacity, including instances where the private sector sponsors research and development projects in universities and intervenes before intellectual property translates into commercial products and services,” Ibrahim stated.

Recall that NOTAP last week,  inaugurated an office complex made up of 60 smart offices, making its technology transfer agreements processes fully automated.

NOTAP also recently signed a Memorandum of Understanding with PZ Cussons Nigeria Limited to equip additional 10 laboratories in selected institutions across Nigeria.


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E-Business

Microsoft Servers Hacked by Chinese Groups

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Chinese “threat actors” have hacked Microsoft’s SharePoint document software servers and targeted the data of the businesses using it, the firm has said.

Microsoft Servers Hacked by Chinese Groups

 

China state-backed Linen Typhoon and Violet Typhoon as well as China-based Storm-2603 were said to have “exploited vulnerabilities” in on-premises SharePoint servers, the kind used by firms, but not in its cloud-based service.

The US tech giant has released security updates in response and has advised all on-premises SharePoint server customers to install them.

“Investigations into other actors also using these exploits are still ongoing,” Microsoft said in a statement.

The firm said it had “high confidence” the hackers would continue to target systems which have not installed its security updates.

It added that it would update its website blog with more information as its investigation continues.

Microsoft said it had observed attacks in which hackers had sent a request to a SharePoint server “enabling the theft of the key material by threat actors”.

Charles Carmakal, chief technology officer at Mandiant Consulting firm, a division of Google Cloud, told reporter, it was “aware of several victims in several different sectors across a number of global geographies”.

Carmakal said it appeared that governments and businesses that use SharePoint on their sites were the primary target.

A number of adversaries who stole material encoded by cryptography were then able to regain ongoing access to the victims’ SharePoint data, he said.

“This was exploited in a very broad way, very opportunistically before a patch was made available. That’s why this is significant,” Carmakal said.

Carmakal said the “China-nexus actor” was deploying techniques similar to previous campaigns associated with Beijing.

Microsoft said Linen Typhoon had “focused on stealing intellectual property, primarily targeting organizations related to government, defence, strategic planning, and human rights” for 13 years.

It added that Violet Typhoon had been “dedicated to espionage”, primarily targeting former government and military staff, non-governmental organizations, think tanks, higher education, the media, the financial sector and the health sector in the US, Europe, and East Asia.

Meanwhile, Storm-2603 was “assessed with medium confidence to be a China-based threat actor”.

 

 

 


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NIMC Warns Nigerians of Fake NIN Website

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National Identity Management Commission (NIMC) has issued a public warning that it is not associated with NINcard.com.

NIMC Warns Nigerians of Fake NIN Website

According to the commission, the website has been circulating online to offer services for Nigerians seeking National Identification Number (NIN) services.

NIMC, in a post on its official X account on Wednesday, said, “NINcard.com is not in anyway affiliated to NIMC. Stay vigilant!”

The warning was accompanied by screenshots of fake payment receipts and OTP request pages from the website, both of which were boldly stamped “FAKE” by NIMC to alert the public.


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NITDA, API Partner Against Harmful Online Content

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National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA), in partnership with the Advocacy for Policy and Innovation (API), has convened a one-day workshop in Abuja to advance dialogue on the draft Online Harm Protection (OHP) Bill to confront harmful online content.

NITDA, API Partner Against Harmful Online Content

The bill, a rights-based, locally rooted, and multi-stakeholder initiative, is aimed at addressing the challenges of the digital age.

The event, which held yesterday, brought together government officials, civil society, academics, digital platforms, and legal experts to shape a policy framework designed to combat online ills such as cyberbullying, disinformation, hate speech, digital exploitation, and gender-based violence, while safeguarding democratic freedoms and digital inclusion.

In his keynote remarks, Kashifu Inuwa, director general, NITDA urged a paradigm shift in the way society engages with digital technologies.

“For almost two decades, we have viewed digital technology through a consumer lens. But these technologies are not just products and services. They are transforming how we live, work, and interact. They shape our politics, our society, and our democracy,” he said.

Warning against unaccountable digital power in the hands of private corporations, the DG likened the digital journey to the tale of Alice in Wonderland, where initial fascination with innovation has given way to deeper concerns about privacy, autonomy, and manipulation by big tech platforms.

“We thought we were using Google, but now we realise Google is using us. Social media, once a tool of expression, has become a tool of surveillance and influence,” Inuwa noted.

He, therefore, emphasised the urgency of developing a democratic and accountable framework.  He explained that following the 2021 Twitter ban, NITDA facilitated dialogue between the government and platform operators, leading to a Code of Practice that stressed Nigeria’s sovereignty and legal standards.

According to him, the same process birthed the multi-stakeholder steering committee and the OHP White Paper in December 2024, laying the foundation for the current legislative push.

Earlier in her opening remarks,  Victoria Manya, co-founder, API, observed the moral and civic necessity of the bill.

Her words: “The internet did not break society, it merely revealed its unfiltered version. Every day, Nigerians are exposed to harassment, disinformation, exploitation, and even algorithmic violence. The OHP Bill is not a war on the Internet. It is a peace offering to its users, a social contract for a digital future that is safe, inclusive, and democratic.

“We cannot answer the question of algorithmic power with unchecked state control. We must answer it with shared, rights-based governance. This bill must not be written for the people, but with them.”


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