Customize Consent Preferences

We use cookies to help you navigate efficiently and perform certain functions. You will find detailed information about all cookies under each consent category below.

The cookies that are categorized as "Necessary" are stored on your browser as they are essential for enabling the basic functionalities of the site. ... 

Always Active

Necessary cookies are required to enable the basic features of this site, such as providing secure log-in or adjusting your consent preferences. These cookies do not store any personally identifiable data.

No cookies to display.

Functional cookies help perform certain functionalities like sharing the content of the website on social media platforms, collecting feedback, and other third-party features.

No cookies to display.

Analytical cookies are used to understand how visitors interact with the website. These cookies help provide information on metrics such as the number of visitors, bounce rate, traffic source, etc.

No cookies to display.

Performance cookies are used to understand and analyze the key performance indexes of the website which helps in delivering a better user experience for the visitors.

No cookies to display.

Advertisement cookies are used to provide visitors with customized advertisements based on the pages you visited previously and to analyze the effectiveness of the ad campaigns.

No cookies to display.

Connect with us

News

Senate Passes Bill to Restrict NIPOST to Postal Operations

Published

on

Kindly share this post

The Senate on Tuesday passed the Nigerian Postal Service (Repeal and Reenactment) Bill, 2021, which effectively restricted the agency to only postal operations in the country.

Senate Passes Bill to Restrict NIPOST to Postal Operations

The bill also bars agency from tax collection and unbundled the agency by creating a commission to regulate its affairs.

The lingering controversy between NIPOST and the Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS) as to who is statutorily empowered to collect Stamp Duties on behalf of the Federal Government also appeared to have been laid to rest in favour of FIRS as there is no provision in the Bill as to who will to collect the tax.

The passage of the bill during plenary on Tuesday followed the clause-by-clause consideration of the report by the Senate Committees on Communications.

The report was considered after being laid by Senator Oluremi Tinubu (APC, Lagos Central), chairperson, communications committee

Giving a highlight of the NIPOST bill, Tinubu said sub-clause (1)(a) under clause 3 which deals with the Establishment and Membership of the Governing Board of the Public Postal Operator was amended to give the Governing Board power to formulate policies and adopt strategies for the overall development of the postal sector.

She added that sub-clause (1)(b) was deleted as the Board cannot borrow or raise funds for the entity while sub-clause (1)(c) was amended to align with existing legislation.

According to the lawmaker, clause 5(2) was also inserted to specify the minimum qualifications for the appointment of the Postmaster-General.

Tinubu further said that clause 8 which deals with the Application of Pensions Act was amended to align with the Pension Act.

In addition, clause 10 which provide for the Exclusive Powers of the Public Postal Operator was amended to enable the Public Postal Operator to accredit digital or e-certificate as appropriate.

Among other amendments made to the NIPOST Act 2004, was an amendment to clause 15 which deals with National Postcode System and Technical Standards.

The clause was amended to enable the Public Postal Operator, subject to existing legislation, to enter into a Public Private Partnership (PPP) or other similar arrangement to carry out any of its obligation.

During consideration of the report, the Senate amended sub-clause 3 to provide that, “the Minister may, with the approval of the President, at any time remove any member of the Board from office on the grounds of misconduct, conviction, infirmity or disease of the mind.”

The chamber also amended clause 5(1) to make the appointment of the Postmaster General the exclusive prerogative of the President as against the recommendation of the Minister.

The amendments were made following a proposal to that effect by Ovie Omo-Agege (APC, Delta Central), deputy Senate president, and seconded by Aliyu Sabi Abdullahi, deputy whip.

 

 

 

 


Kindly share this post

Nigeria CommunicationsWeek believes that technology makes life more exciting and helps improve the lives of people around Nigeria and indeed the world. So since 2007, we have devoted our energy to independent reportage of technology and how they affect lives.

News

NITDA, RHI, Commission IT Community Centre in Ibadan

Published

on

L-r: Kashifu Inuwa CCIE, DG, NITDA; Wife of Oyo State Governor Engr (Mrs) Tamunominini Makinde; Oyo State Governor, Engr. Oluseyi Makinde; Sen. Oluremi Tinubu, First Lady Federal Republic of Nigeria; Dr Bosun Tijani, HM, Communications, Innovation and Digital Economy; former Minister of Trade, Chief (Mrs) Onikepo Akande and Ooni of Ife, Oba Adeyeye Enitan Ogunwusi.
Kindly share this post

The National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA), in partnership with the Renewed Hope Initiative (RHI), has officially commissioned a state-of-the-art IT Community Centre in Ibadan, Oyo State, as part of ongoing efforts to bridge the digital divide and empower youth and women across the state.

The centre, which was donated to Oladipo Alayande School of Science in Oke-Bola, Ibadan, Oyo State, was named in honour of Mrs. Onikepo Akande, a distinguished daughter of Oyo State, and is aimed at providing digital skills training, particularly for women and young people. It is expected to offer participants a competitive edge in the evolving global tech industry.

Her Excellency, the First Lady of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, Senator Oluremi Tinubu CON OON, delivered special remarks at the event, emphasising the centre’s role in achieving one of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s key priority areas which is to accelerate economic diversification through digitisation, industrialisation, innovation, and the creative arts.

She disclosed that the commissioning of the centre is a step forward in the collective mission to empower Nigerians, especially women and youth, with the skills needed to thrive in a digital economy.

“We are not stopping here. I am pleased to announce that ten more IT Centres will soon be commissioned across various states,” she added.

While noting that other digital economy centres have been fully equipped with computers and ICT materials in 5 other states, she urged members of the community to take full ownership of the centre.

She said, “The success of this centre depends on your active participation and utilisation of available resources.”

The Oyo State Governor, Engr. Oluseyi Makinde, who delivered a goodwill message during the event, praised NITDA and RHI for bringing the initiative to the state.

He highlighted the high standards of the facility and pledged the state government’s support to ensure its sustainability and maximum impact on the people of Oyo State.

“Information Technology, Artificial Intelligence, that is the road to the future, and I am glad that under the Renewed Hope Initiative, you’ve brought this to Oyo State, and I can give you the assurance that we will take full advantage of it,” he promised.

In his remark, the Minister of Communications, Innovation and Digital Economy, Dr. Bosun Tijani stated that the centre will serve as an avenue for youths to acquire globally relevant digital skills, build startups and create solutions that can compete on the global stage.

While giving his welcome remarks earlier, the DG NITDA, Kashifu Inuwa, described the collaboration with the Renewed Hope Initiative as a strategic intervention to boost Nigeria’s digital talent pool.

He explained that the Ibadan IT Community Centre is equipped with cutting-edge technologies designed to provide a smart and personalised learning experience and lauded Senator Tinubu for her leadership and passion for empowering underrepresented groups.

“Your Excellency’s vision and commitment have been instrumental in actualising this initiative. You are giving Nigerians the tools to unlock their potential in the digital economy,” he said.

Noting that the newly commissioned centre is part of a broader national agenda to enhance digital literacy, reduce unemployment, and foster innovation-driven development across the country, Inuwa disclosed that the agency has worked with the Ministry of Education to develop digital literacy and skills curriculum that will be infused as part of the formal education in schools.

While encouraging the school administrators and community leaders to ensure its accessibility and sustainability, the NITDA DG said, “The centre is open to all, and we want to see a cross-pollination between the school and the community.”

 


Kindly share this post
Continue Reading

News

Presidents Mahama, Tinubu Honor Dr. Mike Adenuga on 72nd Birthday

Published

on

Kindly share this post

Presidents John Dramani Mahama of Ghana and Bola Ahmed Tinubu of Nigeria have celebrated the Chairman of Globacom, Dr. Mike Adenuga Jr., on the occasion of his 72nd birthday.

In congratulatory messages, both leaders praised Dr. Adenuga’s outstanding contributions to the economic development and growth of both Ghana and Nigeria. They commended his remarkable entrepreneurial spirit, resilience, and commitment to excellence.

President Mahama described Dr. Adenuga’s life as “a shining example of vision, resilience, and extraordinary accomplishment.” He noted that through his entrepreneurial endeavors, Dr. Adenuga has not only built enduring businesses but also contributed significantly to the socio-economic advancement of the African continent.

He noted that Dr. Adenuga’s leadership and philanthropic endeavour remain a beacon of inspiration for generations across Africa.

Also President Tinubu stated that Dr. Adenuga’s humility and diligence have enabled him to succeed in various sectors, including banking, telecommunications, oil, and gas. He praised Dr. Adenuga’s innovative approach to business, citing Globacom’s pioneering per-second billing, which expanded telephony and digital access to millions of Nigerians.

“In addition, Conoil has proven that an indigenous firm can compete with international oil companies, fostering energy independence and security for our country.” He added.

President Tinubu who expressed the gratitude of Nigerians to Dr. Adenuga for his immense contributions to the country’s progress and prosperity, also commended him for extending his investments to other African countries and Europe, “a bold effort which earned you well-deserved honours as Commander of the Legion of Honour (France) and Ghana’s Companion of the Star of Ghana”.

 


Kindly share this post
Continue Reading

News

Firm Warns Against AI Password Generation @ World Password Day

Published

on

Kindly share this post

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.

 


Kindly share this post
Continue Reading

Trending