E-Business
Smile Boosts First Consultants’ Telemedicine with SMiFi
Smile Communications Nigeria Limited has provided First Consultants Medical Center (FCMC), Obalende, Lagos, with SMiFi routers, in ifurtherance of its Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) activities.
This latest donation by Smile is regarded as a huge boost to the highbrow hospital’s drive towards telemedicine practice.
FCMC was where Liberian-American and ECOWAS envoy Patrick Sawyer was admitted as the first Ebola Virus Disease (EVD) patient in Nigeria, after he fell sick upon his arrival to the country from Liberia.
In all, he infected 11 workers at the hospital including late Dr Stella Adadevoh and late Justina Ejelonu, a nurse. Consequently, the hospital was shutdown and some of its equipment discarded due to exposure to the virus.
Smile Communications Nigeria Limited has therefore joined forces with the Nigerian Telemedicine Network (NTN) and other donors to equip FCMC with an All-Purpose Medical Solution System (APMS) as the hospital ventures into telemedicine services.
Speaking at the event, Tobe Okigbo, chief corporate services officer for Smile Communications Nigeria Limited, assured that the company would provide the hospital with connectivity capacity of 6mbytes per second.
He noted that Smile appreciated the hospital’s effort in saving Nigeria from what could have been a major health catastrophe.
“Smile identifies with you on the incidents that happened, at the same time appreciating your efforts in rescuing the situation. Now you are going into telemedicine, Smile’s SMiFi is the network enabler to reckon with,” he said.
Explaining the products’ uniqueness, Okigbo noted that the donated Smile SMifi“will eliminate the usual slow connection available in Nigeria, because telemedicine is most times, about being able to share ideas and information accurately and promptly.
The service we are bringing will ensure HD quality; so it is like talking to someone next to you.
The SMiFi is mobile in nature and connects up to 10 users.
“The critical thing”, he avowed, “is that in this day and age of Internet of Things (IoT), everything has to be driven by the internet. Now, this hospital was great for Nigeria owing to what they went through. FCMC was ground zero in terms of ebola outbreak in Nigeria. Other establishments might have concealed the fact that the deadly disease had appeared at their doorstep, but FCMC showed unusual integrity and humanity by not only reporting the fact publicly, but also suffering serious financialand personal hardship to ensure containment of the outbreak. Integrity and humanity are values that are core to Smile’s DNA so it was an easy decision to support this project.
“Smile joins other well-meaning organizations, and indeed the country in thanking FCMC for their role during the crisis. Leveraging on another of Smile’s core values, innovation, we expect this project to greatly increase the hospital’s ability to deliver healthcare services to Nigerians in collaboration with their partners worldwide.”
Dr. Dania Simpa, chief executive officer and lead consultant, Health Informatics, Sabaoth Technologies Ltd and coordinator, Nigerian Telemedicine Network, and the coordinator of the All-Purpose Medical Solution System (APMS) CSR projects, collaborated Okigbo’s remarks, adding that the tools provided will showcase how technology has transformed healthcare across board.
“Our partners comprising Smile Communications, Intel, Microsoft and Debonia came up with the All-Purpose Medical Solution System (APMS) as a collective Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR). Our goal is to ensure even better productivity through efficient delivery of services,” he said.
While receiving Smile’s SMiFi devices, Dr. Benjamin Ohiaeri, chief medical director of First Consultant Medical Centre, chronicled the incidents that led to the hospitals’resolve to embark on telemedicine.
He said, “You want to partner with us viz a viz telemedicine. It is like you preempted us. We are already looking at commencing telemedicine. For instance, we created a knowledge center which includes an e-library. Knowledge is the most important commodity in the world and our goal is to ensure that requisite knowledge is at our finger tips at all times.”
He noted that “Nigeria is a great country, but some of us do not appreciate what makes us great. What makes us great is not that we are on uniform. The key is: the good Lord has kept us together in a way and manner that if we would simply have mutual respect for one another and value lives and be able to say “Sorry” and “Thank you” when needed, then the sky is our limit. So, I am saying Thank you for this symbolic act of magnanimity’.
Telemedicine involves the use of information and communication technologies to provide clinical health care remotely, eliminating the distance barriers.It can improve access to medical services that would often not be consistently available in, not just distant, but also developing countries.
Smile Communications’ SMifi has invariably become pivotal in the quest for efficient communications services with the provision of superfast and super reliable internet access. The SMifi connects multiple users, comes in a pocket friendly size and has up to 10-hours battery life. More importantly, it can be used with any handset, laptop or device that is Wi-Fi enabled.
E-Business
NFIU Credits AML/CFT Reforms behind Nigeria’s Nears Exit from FATF Greylist

Nigerian Financial Intelligence Unit (NFIU) has credited a series of strategic reforms under the national Anti-Money Laundering, Counter-Financing of Terrorism, and Counter-Proliferation Financing (AML/CFT/CPF) framework, behind Nigeria’s significant strides toward exiting the Financial Action Task Force (FATF) greylist, marking a critical milestone in the country’s fight against money laundering, terrorist financing, and financial crimes.
In a statement, Chief Executive Officer of NFIU, Hafsat Bakari, praised the collective efforts of government agencies and stakeholders. “Congratulations and a job well done as Nigeria comes closer to exiting the FATF grey list. The results achieved as part of the strategic reforms must be applauded,” she said.
She said the NFIU, serving as the Secretariat of the Inter-Ministerial Committee on AML/CFT/CPF, spearheaded the development of a comprehensive roadmap to address deficiencies highlighted in Nigeria’s 2021 mutual evaluation report. She explained that the roadmap was recently reviewed and endorsed at the FATF Plenary in Strasbourg, France, where it was acknowledged that Nigeria has completed the implementation of its Action Plan within the agreed deadline—a rare achievement among listed jurisdictions.
Bakari emphasised the pivotal role of political leadership in this success: “The clear focus and leadership of His Excellency, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu GCFR, provided an enabling environment for the reform processes. His dynamic leadership, alongside the support of the Federal Executive Council and the National Assembly, has been a critical success factor.”
She also highlighted the crucial contributions of the Judiciary, which has demonstrated the effectiveness of Nigeria’s legal framework in combating financial crimes. The Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister of the Economy, and the Minister of Interior, who led the Inter-Ministerial Committee, were credited for providing strategic direction.
“The commitment of these key officials, along with support from the National Security Adviser and various ministers, has been instrumental in driving the reforms forward,” Bakari noted.
A broad coalition of agencies formed the backbone of the national effort, including the Central Bank of Nigeria, Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS), Nigeria Customs Service, Nigeria Police Force, and many others. Their coordinated efforts have strengthened Nigeria’s defenses against illicit financial activities.
Despite the progress, Bakari cautioned that key steps remain before Nigeria can officially exit the greylist. “A critical upcoming milestone is the onsite assessment by the FATF in the next few weeks. This assessment is an opportunity to demonstrate Nigeria’s highest political commitment to sustaining the reform programme and to showcase the impressive results achieved by both public and private sectors in preventing, detecting, and disrupting serious crimes.”
She reaffirmed the NFIU’s dedication to the ongoing fight: “The NFIU remains committed to supporting and working with all stakeholders in strengthening our collective defenses against money laundering, terrorist financing, and other serious crimes.”
E-Business
AfCFTA Positions Africa to Tap into $712bn Digital Trade Market by 2035

The African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) is strategically positioning Africa to tap into a $712 billion digital trade market by 2035, leveraging key partnerships and trade-enabling infrastructure to deepen continental integration and economic sovereignty.
Wamkele Mene, Secretary General of the AfCFTA Secretariat, made this known on Wednesday at the 2025 Afreximbank Annual Meetings (AAM2025) in Abuja.
According to him, the Protocol on Digital Trade is central to AfCFTA’s strategy for unlocking the potential of Africa’s growing digital economy.
“We intend to harness this significant market, which is estimated to be over $712 billion by the year 2035, presenting opportunities for young entrepreneurs, investment in data centres, the commercialisation and movement of data, and the development of digital public infrastructure,” Mene said.
He emphasised the critical role of Afreximbank in providing the financial architecture required to support the AfCFTA’s implementation, especially in reducing and eliminating tariff and non-tariff barriers.
“Without the support of Afreximbank, the AfCFTA will not succeed. It requires trade finance tools, support for industrial development, green trade, and green industrialisation,” he added.
Among the tools introduced in collaboration with Afreximbank is the Pan-African Payment and Settlement System (PAPSS), which enables intra-African payments in local currencies, reducing dependence on the US dollar and lowering transaction costs. Mene stressed that trading in foreign currencies like US dollar between African countries is no longer sustainable.
“We must use our own currencies. We must ensure the economic sovereignty of our continent and guard ourselves against ever-shifting global geopolitical tensions that affect payment systems,” he said.
He also disclosed that $10 billion has been mobilised under the AfCFTA Adjustment Fund to support countries implementing the agreement, with an initial ZIP package of $1 billion. Furthermore, a $1 billion AfCFTA Automotive Fund has been established to support component manufacturers and vehicle assembly on the continent. The sector, if well-supported, could generate $46 billion by 2035.
Additional initiatives include the AfCFTA E-Tariff platform, the Rules of Origin Manual, and the soon-to-be-launched Transit Guarantee System, which are all geared towards simplifying trade procedures and boosting intra-African trade.
“We have moved beyond political aspirations to establishing a functional and legally binding multilateral African trading system. This includes protocols on investment, competition policy, and digital trade,” Mene said.
Despite these milestones, he warned that numerous challenges persist. These include inefficient customs systems, high trade costs that limit SME market entry, political instability, and persistent food insecurity which blocks smallholder farmers from accessing markets. He called for continued collaboration between political leaders and development finance institutions to address these obstacles.
“We should be proud of what we have achieved, but also mindful of the difficult journey ahead. Conflict and instability, particularly in rural regions, continue to prevent millions of farmers from accessing markets. We must tackle these issues with urgency if the full potential of AfCFTA is to be realised,” Mene said.
During a question and answer after the launch of African trade and economic outlook report, Yemi Kale, Group chief economist and managing director of Research and Trade Intelligence at the African Export Import Bank, said between May 2024 and 2025 transaction volume through Pan-African Payment and Settlement System (PAPSS) increased by over 1,000 percent, reflecting increased adoption of the payment system.
E-Business
Kaspersky Discovers SparkKitty a New Trojan Spy on App Store and Google Play

Kaspersky researchers have discovered a new Trojan spy called SparkKitty which targets smartphones on iOS and Android. It sends images from an infected phone and information about the device to the attackers.
This malware was embedded in apps related to crypto and gambling, as well as in a trojanised TikTok app, and was distributed on App Store and Google Play, as well as on scam websites.
Experts suggest that the goal of the attackers is to steal cryptocurrency assets from residents of Southeast Asia and China. Users in Nigeria are also potentially at risk of facing a similar cyber threat.
Kaspersky has notified Google and Apple about the malicious apps. Certain technical details suggest that the new malware campaign is linked to the previously discovered SparkCat Trojan — malware (the first of its kind on iOS) with a built-in optical character recognition (OCR) module that allows it to scan image galleries and steal screenshots containing cryptocurrency wallet recovery phrases or passwords. The SparkKitty case is the second time in a year that Kaspersky researchers have found a Trojan stealer on App Store, following SparkCat.
iOS
On App Store, the Trojan pretended to be an app related to cryptocurrencies — 币coin. On phishing pages mimicking the official iPhone App Store, the malware was distributed under the guise of TikTok and gambling applications.
“One of the vectors for the Trojan’s distribution turned out to be fake websites where the attackers tried to infect the victims’ iPhones. iOS has several legitimate ways to install programs not from the App Store. In this malicious campaign, the attackers used one of them — special developer tools for distributing corporate business applications.
In the infected version of TikTok, during authorisation, the malware, in addition to stealing photos from the smartphone gallery, embedded links to a suspicious store in the person’s profile window. This store only accepts cryptocurrencies, which increases our concerns about it,” explains Sergey Puzan, a malware expert at Kaspersky.
Android
The attackers targeted users both on third-party websites and on Google Play, passing off the malware as various crypto services. For example, one of the infected applications — a messenger called SOEX with a cryptocurrency exchange function — was downloaded from the official store over 10,000 times.
Experts also found APK files of infected apps (these can be installed directly on Android smartphones bypassing official stores) on third-party websites that are likely related to the detected malicious campaign. They are positioned as investment crypto projects. The websites on which these applications were posted were advertised on social networks, including YouTube.
“After the apps were installed, they functioned as promised in their description. But at the same time, photos from the smartphone gallery were sent to the attackers. The attackers may later try to find various confidential data in the images, for instance, crypto wallet recovery phrases to access the victims’ assets.
There are indirect signs that the attackers are interested in people’s digital assets: many of the infected apps were related to crypto, and the trojanised TikTok app also had a built-in store that accepted payment for goods only in crypto,” comments Dmitry Kalinin, a malware expert at Kaspersky.
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