General News
RisingRose is Customer-Centric -Linda
Linda Austin-akuta is the managing director of RisingRose Nigeria Limited. Linda, a pious manager is a graduate of Lagos State University (LASU), obtaining Bachelor of Science in Political Science. Upon completion of her National Youth Service she joined UPS in 2002 as a Client Services Executive. She rose to the position of Accounts Executive after she gathered many awards. She spoke to peter ugwu on matters that need urgent attention by the government in a quest to open courier industry for national development.
RiseRose’s Mission
The mission is to provide the best possible delivery service to our customers by curbing the inconsistencies in mails and financial documents delivery system. RisingRose wants to ensure end to the mishandling of the investors’ documents. Sometimes, the documents are lost in transit.
Part of the processes of ensuring safety is by packaging the documents in accordance with international best practices.
We are committed to offering superior levels of service with the most flexible options available at shortest possible time. We have been doing this for the past three years and our clients can testify to our integrity and reliability.
We believe in high effective customer service. For instance, there are practitioners that wouldn’t know that during packaging if one misses the address labeling, one are creating room for confusion for those that pick the package.
When the names and addresses are blurred or not conspicuously written the delivery may end up in a wrong hand or place. We believe in integrity and trust.
Assessment of Courier Industry
Since we started operations, we have discovered the need to deliver customers’ items on time.
For instance, our customers, most of whom we deliver dividends warrants, would want it delivered as scheduled.
If one fails to do that, it may end up in the hands of people that will mis-represent it.
That becomes a problem to the registrar. These documents are time sensitive.
Once we have this kind of job, we make sure we deliver; even if it implies stepping down other things. Moreover, all mails in our care are very important to us and must be treated very urgent.
Expansion Plans As e-Dividends Have Emerged
The conversion of annual reports, dividend certificates, et cetera to compact discs has already been taken care of, especially by the concerned authorities.
When the conversion started, it was still given to us (couriers) to deliver, but the prices crashed. For instance, annual reports that cost N150.00 were reduced to N60 per CD. Even if one is given 100,000 copies to deliver, the revenue was not enough.
However, Nigeria Postal Service (NIPOST) intervened, because CDs are more fragile to handle. The process of packaging the CDs needs extra care; the packaging was different.
So, it attracted extra charges. Presently, it cost N150.00 per CD to deliver.
Rising Rose Expectations
There are many expectations in the industry, like the regularization of the sector. Everybody is expectant that it will become a reality soon.
Meanwhile, in the interim, Courier Regulatory Department (CRD) of NIPOST has been doing what they could, within the limited resources at their disposal to quail some challenges in the industry.
Some people are of the opinion that they are not doing much. But, we believe that they are on the right track.
For instance, one cannot establish a courier company without obtaining a licence; otherwise one is going against the law. The CRD will provide all necessary rules and regulations to guide in the obtaining of courier licence and operation.
The rules form the operational basis for courier companies. We have witnessed in the recent past that some firms were axed by CRD for their inability to play according to the rules. Nevertheless, we feel they can do better if they are made to operate as courier regulatory commission.
Kicks Against Yearly Renewal of Licence
With regards to the annual licences renewal, well, the ANCO EXCOS are working on it and I hope they will come out with something more favourable to all operators.
Caging Portfolio Courier Firms
I believe that CRD is always after those people. It also behooves on the media and industry players to fight the old trends by consistent campaign against that and alerting the regulators when we see any of them in operation.
In ANCO, we can identify our members. It is an illegality that must stop. These people are architects of the downfall of many practitioners, because they would approach unsuspecting customers, collect parcels to deliver and later dump such packages thereby bringing bad name to the courier industry.
Although, they are not magicians, but their operations affect the genuine companies; they are threats to our integrity as an industry.
It boils down to the call for a Commission to manage the affairs of this industry. Meanwhile, the new ANCO executives have sounded the gong; if you are not a member of NAICA or ANCO, you should not be in the industry.
That will help in fishing out the bad eggs. Both the Government, regulators, registrars, recognized practitioners and the customers must unite to cage them.
Unharnessed Potentials
There are many of them. When I was in UPS, we started the warehousing project. Before then, we knew nothing about it in the country.
It has been yielding revenue for the company. Warehousing is an area that courier companies should look into. A lot of people do not want to have warehouse due to safety requirements, so others can leverage on that opportunity.
The online retailers may require such services too. In the actual sense, the online shops ought to partner with courier firms in terms of warehousing and delivery of goods to customers. Even Bulk post should tighten their noose on them.
The potentials in the industry can better be harnessed when players play according to the rules in the industry. They will become templates that future investors will emulate.
Meanwhile, the sector can be equated with the oil and gas. If we get a Commission today, a lot of jobs will be created in the industry.
IT and Courier
What we are doing is not pleasure inclined. Emails are pleasure writings. What we deliver are sensitive and time bound documents. They are physical documents that must be seen and felt at the other end. We still deliver them. So, email or no email we are moving on.
After e-dividends and e-certificates, for instance, we still carry the e-advice, which is meant to notify the shareholders involved that their accounts have been credited. In fact, technology is a plus to what we do. More people are beginning to trust the system.
They can use the internet to track movement of their packages. If you are doubtful of the capital market, you can use your system to monitor how the share is fairing in the market. That has restored shareholders’ confidence.
Encounter with Government Agents
We have a lot of challenges in this regard; Government agencies do obstruct the movement of courier dispatch riders on essential duties because of tax collection. These taxes we pay. I am of the opinion that if a special identification is given to us for the dispatch riders, it will enhance our inter-state operations and could reduce some legal risks to us.
Automation
Before now, when we have registered mails we recorded them in note books. This takes longer times. Presently, we give our customers soft copy that helps them to monitor the shareholder’ registered manifest. This makes it easier and more convenient to access their customers’ share registration.
Kaspersky experts have revealed the inner workings of FunkSec — a ransomware group that illustrates the future of mass cybercrime: AI-powered, multifunctional, highly adaptive and operating on volume with ransoms as low as $10,000 to maximise profits.
Kaspersky’s Global Research and Analysis Team (GReAT) constantly monitors the ransomware threat landscape, where attacks continue to rise. According to the company’s latest State of Ransomware report, the share of users affected by ransomware attacks worldwide increased to 0.44% from 2023 to 2024, up by 0.02 percentage points.
While this percentage may appear modest compared to other cyber threats, it reflects the fact that attackers typically prioritise high-value targets rather than mass distribution, making each incident potentially devastating. Within this evolving landscape, FunkSec has emerged as a particularly concerning threat.
Active for less than a year since its emergence in late 2024, FunkSec has quickly surpassed many established actors by targeting government, technology, finance and education sectors. What sets FunkSec apart is its sophisticated technical architecture and AI-assisted development.
The group packages full-scale encryption and aggressive data exfiltration into a single Rust-based executable, capable of disabling over 50 processes on victim machines and equipped with self-cleanup features to evade defenses.
Beyond its core ransomware functionality, FunkSec has expanded its toolkit to include a password generator and a basic DDoS tool — both showing clear signs of code synthesis using large language models (LLMs).
FunkSec’s approach reflects the evolving landscape of mass cybercrime, combining advanced tools and tactics. Kaspersky’s GReAT experts highlight the key features that define their operations:
Password-Controlled functionality
GReAT experts discovered that FunkSec ransomware features a unique password-based mechanism that controls its operation modes. Without a password, the malware performs basic file encryption, while providing a password activates a more aggressive data exfiltration process in addition to encryption to steal sensitive data.
FunkSec packs full-scale encryption, local exfiltration and self-cleanup into a single Rust binary—without a side-loader or a companion script. That level of consolidation is uncommon and gives affiliates a plug-and-play tool they can deploy almost anywhere.
Use of AI in development
Code analysis shows that FunkSec is actively using generative artificial intelligence to create its tools. Many parts of the code seem to be automatically generated rather than manually written. Signs of this generic placeholder comments (such as “placeholder for actual check”) and technical inconsistencies, like commands for different operating systems that don’t align properly. Additionally, the presence of declared but unused functions—such as modules included upfront but never utilised — reflects how large language models combine multiple code snippets without pruning redundant elements.
“More and more, we see cybercriminals leveraging AI to develop malicious tools. Generative AI lowers barriers and accelerates malware creation, enabling cybercriminals to adapt their tactics faster.
By reducing the entry threshold, AI allows even less experienced attackers to quickly develop sophisticated malware at scale,” comments Marc Rivero, Lead Security Researcher at Kaspersky’s GReAT.
High-volume, low-ransom strategy
FunkSec demands unusually low ransom payments, sometimes as little as $10,000, and pairs this with the sale of stolen data at discounted prices to third parties. This strategy appears designed to enable a high volume of attacks, helping the group quickly establish its reputation within the cybercriminal underground. Unlike traditional ransomware groups that seek million-dollar ransoms, FunkSec employs a high-frequency, low-cost model — further underscoring its use of AI to streamline and scale operations.
Expands beyond ransomware
FunkSec has expanded its capabilities beyond the ransomware binary. Its dark leak site (DLS) hosts additional tools, including a Python-based password generator designed to support brute-force and password-spraying attacks, as well as a basic DDoS tool.
Advanced evasion
FunkSec employs advanced evasion techniques to avoid detection and complicate forensic analysis. The ransomware is capable of stopping over 50 processes and services to ensure thorough encryption of targeted files. Additionally, it includes a fallback mechanism to execute certain commands even if the user launching FunkSec lacks sufficient privileges.
The African Continental Free trade Area (AfCFTA) has created an opportunity for truckers, airlines and other players in the logistics and transportation sector.
About 2.2 million trucks, valued at $345 billion, will be needed for trade facilitation under the AfCFTA between now and 2045, according to the African Export-Import Bank (Afreximbank).
Similarly, 243 aircraft, valued at $25 billion, will be required, with 169,000 rail wagons estimated at $36 billion needed for the continental trade.
Also, more than 130 vessels, valued at $4 billion, will be required to trade under the AfCFTA, Afreximbank said.
“Road, rail, air, and maritime infrastructure are inadequate,” said Gain more Zanamwe, director of trade facilitation and investment promotion, Afreximbank, said at a roadshow in Lagos on Monday.
“Most of the intra-African trade – about 77 percent – is done by road, and this needs to change,” he further said.
He noted that Nigeria is not playing in vehicle market due to a cacophony of poor policies.
“I have had conversations with original equipment manufacturers (OEMs). They said why they are not in Nigeria is because of lack of a comprehensive auto policy. If Nigeria fixes the policy, the country can surpass what South Africa is doing,” he noted.
The AfCFTA creates access to a market of 1.4 billion people or $3.4 billion. It also provides an opportunity for Africans to trade with each other and tap from continent’s resources.
Africa’s trade with each other stands at merely 15 percent as against Europe’s 60 percent -70 percent, Asia’s 50 percent -60 percent and North America’s 40 percent.
“We need an ‘Africa-First mentality,” said Kanayo Awani, executive vice president, intra-African trade and export development, Afreximbank, stressing the need for Africans to deepen trade with each other.
The World Bank says the AfCFTA offers a promising opportunity to revive stagnant investment and development.
According to World Bank research, fully implementing the AfCFTA Aagreement could drive intra-Africa FDI by 68 percent and external investment by 122 percent.
“But the devil is in the details: to achieve these gains, countries need to implement the AfCFTA Agreement and its protocols, including the Investment Protocol.
“Drawing on regional integration successes in the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) and the European Union (EU), we know it is imperative to proactively initiate and organize efforts to implement investment reforms,” the World Bank noted.
Nonye Ayeni, chief executive of the Nigerian Export Promotion Council (NEPC), said Africa needs to move beyond the fragmented trade units existing today. She said a nation like Nigeria must begin to produce to export to Africa’s large market.
“Everything needed to produce electric cars could be obtained here. From lithium to rubber, we do not need to import them. We have the tool to bridge the trade gap through collaboration, commitment and cooperation.”
Nigeria’s non-oil export sector recorded a 24.75 percent increase in the first quarter (Q1) of 2025, compared to the same period in 2024.
Non-oil products valued at $1.791 billion were exported between January and March 2025, up from $1.436 billion in the first quarter of 2024.
Cocoa beans accounted for 45.02 percent of total non-oil exports, while urea/fertilizer ranked second with 19.32 percent, with cashew nuts coming third with 5.81 percent.
However, these are agro-based products and insignificant when compared with other emerging markets.
Bangladesh’s exports hit $50 billion in 2024, driven by manufactured goods such as ready-made garments (RMG), jute and jute products, frozen fish and seafood, and leather and leather products, official data said.
Vietnam achieved a record export turnover of $405.53 billion, representing a 14.3 percent increase compared to the previous year.
Malaysia’s exports rose by 4.8 percent to $263.1 billion in 2024, with manufactured goods accounting for 86 percent of its total exports, , according to the nation’s MATRADE.
“It is time we began to think of what we can sell. What value chain can I play in, and what can we do? The world is watching,” said Jumoke Oduwole, minister of industry, trade and investment.
First Bank of Nigeria Ltd. has introduced a new facial biometric feature on its mobile banking application, FirstMobile, aimed at simplifying user enrollment and device activation.
The bank, in a statement, said the innovation was part of a series of enhancements rolled out to improve customer experience.
According to the statement, the facial biometric system allows users to register or activate the FirstMobile app using facial recognition, eliminating the need for a debit card.
It said the feature included advanced anti-spoofing technology designed to strengthen account security and prevent identity fraud.
The bank said the new upgrades would benefit new and diaspora customers without cards, users with lost or expired cards, and others facing verification or access challenges.
Other key features introduced include the issuance of virtual credit cards for secure online shopping, instant credit card activation, and flexible salary advance options with up to three months repayment.
It added that general performance improvements and bug fixes were also part of the latest app update.
Chukwuma Ezirim, Group Executive of E-Business and Retail Products, said the development aligned with the bank’s drive to provide seamless, secure, and stress-free digital banking.
“We are committed to leveraging technology to simplify banking for our customers anywhere in the world,” Ezirim said.
The bank reiterated its commitment to ensuring data security while delivering innovative digital financial services across its customer base.
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