E-Business
Prof. Obadare Underscores Critical Role of Cybersecurity in Nigeria’s AI-Driven Digital Growth
Prof. Obadare Peter Adewale, founder and CVO of Digital Encode, represented by Oluwakayode O. Olatunji, CISO and Group Head of InfoSec & GRC Advisory, emphasized the need for Nigeria to understand the threat landscape and the critical role of cybersecurity in protecting against these threats.
Nigeria CommunicationsWeek reports that the emphasis made by Prof. Obadare is essential for driving sub-sectoral digital growth through Artificial Intelligence (AI).
In his presentation at the one-day ICT Growth Conference organized by the Nigeria Information Technology Reporters’ Association (NITRA) at the Citi Height Hotel, Lagos, he noted that many African countries lag behind in cybersecurity.
Read Also: Oluyemi Obadare Accepted into Forbes Business Council
Even in Nigeria, the financial sector has been at the forefront of leveraging AI and cybersecurity, contributing about 25%-30% of AI involvement based on local statistics.
He highlighted the potential of AI across various sectors, including finance, health, energy, transportation, defense, medical, and agriculture.
He underscored AI’s ability to predict productivity and its diverse benefits but quickly cautioned against the dangers of AI misuse, stemming from issues such as bias and fairness, inadequate transparency, security vulnerabilities, data privacy concerns, and ethical and moral dilemmas.
The cybersecurity expert discussed the use of AI in threat landscape profiling, crime detection and prevention, and reporting capabilities.
He stressed the importance of responsible AI usage and the need for continued investment in AI and cybersecurity.
Identifying AI Governance, Architecture, Implementation, Operations, and Monitoring (GAIOM) as key elements for effective cybersecurity strategies in responsible AI development, he emphasized the importance of AI architecture, including business and data architecture, technology-infrastructure architecture and the necessity of a security architecture which includes cybersecurity and data privacy protection respectively.
Data protection and privacy are crucial components of AI implementation. The process of implementing AI, from setting goals to security monitoring, is vital.
The role of education and investment in education for driving AI adoption and economic growth cannot be overemphasized.
To fully realize the impact of AI on national development, he advocated for explicitly defined governance objectives, an AI ethical framework, an interdisciplinary approach, robust local content data management, all-inclusive regulatory compliance, tailored best practice risk assessment and mitigation, transparency and explainability, sustained human capacity development, and robust processes to address AI implementation challenges.
He also argued that monitoring AI usage and ensuring its alignment with set goals during the implementation process is critical.
In addition, he called for increased public sector and government investment in education to drive AI adoption and economic growth, noting that the role of education in providing the necessary skills and knowledge for AI implementation cannot be ignored.
He introduced the concept of “knowledge banking,” where knowledge can be monetized to address various economic sectors.
He pointed out that in countries using AI to drive their economies, education is a fundamental prerequisite, and positively disruptive education leads to the needed transformation by developing tailored skill sets.
“When we examine this, it becomes evident that many challenges we face in this part of the world will become easier to address.
“As a country, we have the potential to be a leading light in the knowledge economy because Nigeria is blessed with brilliant men and women,” he said.
Prof. Obadare, who was recently appointed a Professor of Practice by MIVA Open University, Abuja, also proposed a disruption of the educational sector to improve data quality.
He emphasized that relying too heavily on outsourced data libraries can lead to AI biases and stressed the importance of maintaining excellent data quality as a local content treasure.
“To address this, we need to disrupt the educational sector, particularly from primary to tertiary institutions, to focus more on institutional or research-based education.
“For example, during the COVID-19 pandemic, much of the global data was sourced from Johns Hopkins Hospital research center, indicating the importance of local research centers.
“We should encourage partnerships with the private and public sectors to create local content hubs, which would attract global tech companies like Meta and Google to invest in our ingenuity.
“Our tertiary education sector should be research-oriented and local content-focused to improve data quality and upskill the workforce, adapting to the challenge of training AI rather than traditional skills,” he concluded.
Temu is set to enchant the holiday season with its unique blend of green magic, bringing a touch of festive wonder to Christmas celebrations. The initiative, themed “Ride the ‘Wicked’ Wave,” promises to deliver an unforgettable experience, combining technology, entertainment, and commerce to create a magical holiday atmosphere.
Temu’s green magic initiative aims to captivate audiences with a variety of festive offerings, from fashion to home decor, handmade crafts, beauty items, chic clothes, shoes, and more.
The platform’s innovative approach ensures that customers can enjoy a seamless shopping experience, with free shipping on all orders1.
As part of the celebration, Temu has also introduced a magical winter Christmas backdrop, perfect for creating a festive ambiance at home.
This backdrop, made from high-quality polyester, is designed to bring the spirit of the season to life, making it an ideal addition to any holiday decor.
With its commitment to providing exceptional products and services, Temu continues to set new standards in the e-commerce industry, ensuring that customers can enjoy the magic of Christmas in style
With the holiday season here, it’s not only a time for magic and celebration but also a prime opportunity for fraudsters to exploit the festive rush for gifts and bargains.
Amid the sparkle of year-end celebrations, cybersecurity experts at Kaspersky have identified several prominent scams targeting consumers across various regions and languages.
Fake holiday shops
Deceptive online stores mimic the look and feel of legitimate e-commerce sites, offering seasonal items such as decorations, gifts, and even trees at steep discounts.
These sites often appear highly localised, adapting their language and currency based on the user’s geographic location, leveraging data extracted from browsers.
Victims typically encounter these stores by following links in ads or pop-ups.
These sites aim to steal funds. Often, these fraudulent stores exist only for a short period, as they get flagged by the vendors of goods.
Free mobile data offer
This scam plays on the allure of free services, claiming to provide free mobile data valid across all major telecom providers.
In order to receive the free data, victims are required to share the promotion link with 10–15 contacts via WhatsApp, ensuring the scam spreads exponentially.
After sharing, victims are prompted to enter their personal details — name, phone number, and email — into a form.
The collected data is then sold on the Dark Web or used in other fraudulent activities.
In some cases, victims unknowingly download malware that compromises their devices, leading to further exploitation.
Holiday payments on behalf of government agencies
Fraudsters impersonate government authorities, promising fictitious payments in celebration of the holidays.
This scam has been reported in several African countries, including Kenya and Nigeria.
To receive payment, victims are directed to fill out a survey which requires personal details like name and phone number.
Once the survey is completed the user is asked to share the link to the announcement with their connections via WhatsApp.
These details are collected and added to fraudulent databases, then sold to third parties or used for phishing attacks and identity theft.
This scam exploits trust in government systems and the festive spirit of giving.
Christmas recipe scam
This scam begins with a seemingly harmless email promoting a holiday cake recipe.
Victims are encouraged to pay a small fee to access the recipe.
Once payment is made, the victim’s credit card information is stolen. The fraudsters also collect other personal information essential for accessing banking services.
“Holiday scams are not a new phenomenon, but they have evolved to become increasingly sophisticated, leveraging regional traditions and technology to exploit unsuspecting victims.
The rush of the holidays makes people more vulnerable — they’re distracted, eager to grab a deal, or trust promotions that align with festive themes. Cybercriminals are not just stealing money — they’re building massive databases of personal information that fuel future fraudulent schemes.
The holiday season is a time for joy and giving, but users need to remain vigilant to ensure they’re not unknowingly giving fraudsters the tools to exploit them further,” said Olga Svistunova, Senior Web Content Analyst at Kaspersky.
Cybercriminals have persisted in targeting Nigerian government websites, with the most recent attack on the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS).
The NBS confirmed the development in a brief statement posted on its X (formerly Twitter) account
It said that its newly redesigned official website has been hacked.
The NBS disclosed the incident and assured the public that efforts are underway to recover the website.
It urged the public to disregard any messages or reports posted until the full recovery of its website.
The statement on X read: “This is to inform the public that the NBS website has been hacked, and we are working to recover it. Please disregard any message or report posted until the website is fully restored.”
The NBS plays a vital role in Nigeria’s development, serving as the official statistical agency responsible for collecting, analyzing, and disseminating statistical data on the country’s economy, governance, and development
This marks the latest in a series of attacks on Nigerian government websites, a trend that has been ongoing for some years.
From government ministries to officials, cyberattacks in Nigeria have surged to alarming levels, with even financial institutions falling victim.
The Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) and National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA) frequently issue warnings of cybercriminals targeting individuals, government entities, banks, and telecom companies.
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