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SON says Strict Adherence to Standards Vital for Nigeria’s Global Competitiveness

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The Standards Organisation of Nigeria (SON) has urged local producers and importers to adhere strictly to standards to boost economic growth.

Malam Farouk Salim, the Director General of SON, stated this at the flagging off of a campaign tagged, “Standardisation; Panacea for economic growth,” held in Enugu.

The SON boss said that adhering strictly to standardisation and quality assurance would make Nigerian products and services more acceptable at the international market.

Salim, who was represented by the Director South-East Operations of SON, Mr Fred Akingbesote, noted that when all products and services conform to standards, the country and her people would benefit tremendously from it.

The SON boss said standardisation would also lead to cost reduction, less effort on production, strengthen brands and make it convenient and easy for customers to recognise and pick quality products and services.

“If you see any product with SONCAP certification logo, rest assured that you have got a product with quality and satisfaction guaranteed. It provides a company with a competitive edge in the market. Manufacturers and service providers need to ensure that their products and services meet the right specifications and deliver on their customers’ expectations.

“When a company assesses its products and services in accordance with relevant standards, this helps the company to adapt to the latest market trends regarding quality. And avoid the costs related to product returns, buyer complaints, and loss of goodwill in local, regional, and international markets, “he said.

Earlier, the Senior Special Assistant (SSA) to the SON DG, Chief Duru Emeka, who doubles as coordinator of the sensitisation, said it was part of the agency efforts to take culture of standardisation to the grassroots.

“Once the people in rural areas imbibed standardisation as a way of life, the fight against influx of substandard products is almost won. We need collaborative efforts to tackle the menace,” he said.

Duru said Nigerian  products were produced in line with international best practices and enjoy global competitiveness in line with the organisation’s quality infrastructure  strategy under the able leadership of Mallam Farouk Salim.

The Permanent Secretary, Enugu State Ministry of Commerce and Industry, Dr Godwin Anigbo, urged SON to extend its services to the grassroots by creating more awareness on standardisation of products and services.

Deputy Director of National Orientation Agency (NOA) in Enugu State, Mr Felix Odoh said that SON could leverage on the spread of NOA officials scattered in the 774 council areas to reach Nigerians even in their localities.

“This sensitisation and enlightenment should go beyond here and get more Nigerians, especially the people at the grassroots to know the standard for all they produce at their localities,” Odoh said.

A consumer, Mrs Vivian Offor, said that the sensitisation would make more meaning if those at the local areas, whose extract raw materials add value to them could achieve quality standardisation.

Earlier, the Managing Director of Enugu State Investment Development Authority, Dr Sam Ogbu-Nwobodo, lauded SON for its consistence on its engagement of Nigerians to do the right thing and reposition the country’s economy.

“The issue of standardisation is important and it will be helpful to everybody and we must key into it.

”This is the only way to ensure we grow our economy and ensure conformity of our products and services,” Ogbu-Nwobodo said.

An Enugu-based manufacturer, Sir Eric Chime, noted that manufacturers and SON were both partners in progress, adding that SON had continued to ensure Nigerian products met international standard and acceptability.


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Ghana Tasks Africa On Increased Cyber security Investments

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Ghana has urged other African countries to boost investment in cyber security tools and capacity building.

Samuel Nartey George, minister for communication, digital technology, and innovation, made the call while delivering a lecture on Cyber security – Ghana’s Policy and Readiness at the Ghana Armed Forces Command and Staff College as part of the ongoing Defence Management Course 25.

In his presentation, he urged other African countries to establish cyber security resilience while acknowledging the financial and political trade-offs, but emphasised the long-term value of digital security in defending national sovereignty.

The Ghana minister’s call for increased investments comes as analysts argue that cyber security should not be considered as an afterthought, a compliance checkbox, or a last-minute technical fix.

They believe that politicians, technology leaders, and businesses must collaborate to develop governance frameworks that address Artificial Intelligence (AI)-specific threats, invest in secure-by-design solutions, and build local cyber security skills on a scale.

In the case of George, he gave a data-driven presentation on Ghana’s digital transformation agenda and cyber security readiness, stating that cyber security was the new frontier of national security and defence.

‎According to him, all traditional defence mechanisms today rely on secure digital infrastructure.

‎The minister’s presentation covered key thematic areas: the emergence of the digital economy; threats to the digital landscape, ‎Ghana’s journey toward a secure and resilient digital future and a national roadmap for further advancement.

He also demonstrated how government digitisation efforts—such as e-parliament, e-justice, e-passport, e-procurement, e-immigration and smart workplace platforms—are reshaping governance, judicial processes, and public service delivery.

‎Additionally, George disclosed recent successes in cyber-intelligence operations involving collaboration with international partners like the FBI and INTERPOL, which led to arrests and asset recovery tied to transnational cyber-crime syndicates.

‎“Cyber fraud is real, and Ghana has made significant strides in arresting cyber-criminals through advanced digital forensics, AI tools, and coordinated intelligence sharing,” he said.

‎George also revealed ongoing work on updating Ghana’s cyber security laws to address emerging threats including AI abuse, terrorism financing, deepfakes, and online child exploitation.

‎To fellow African states, he cautioned: ‎“Cyber security doesn’t win elections, but its absence can cost lives and state stability. We must prioritise it.”

George asked that they enhance their investment in cyber security.


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Microsoft to Cut About 4% of Jobs Amid Hefty AI Bets

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Microsoft, will lay off nearly 4% of its workforce, the company said on Wednesday, in the latest job cuts as the tech giant looks to rein in costs amid hefty investments in artificial intelligence infrastructure.

The company, which had about 228,000 employees worldwide as of June 2024, had announced layoffs in May, affecting around 6,000 workers. It was planning to cut thousands of jobs, particularly in sales, Bloomberg News reported last month.

The Windows maker had pledged $80 billion in capital spending for its fiscal year 2025. However, the soaring cost of scaling its AI infrastructure has weighed on its margins, with its June quarter cloud margin expected to shrink from last year.

Microsoft said on Wednesday it planned to reduce organizational layers with fewer managers and streamline its products, procedures and roles.

The Seattle Times first reported on the layoffs earlier on Wednesday. Separately, Bloomberg News reported Microsoft’s Barcelona-based King division, which makes the Candy Crush video game, is cutting 10% of its staff, or about 200 jobs.

Microsoft confirmed to Reuters that its gaming division was impacted by the layoffs, although not the majority of the unit, but did not provide further details.

Big Tech peers, which are investing heavily in artificial intelligence, have also announced job cuts.

Facebook parent Meta, earlier this year said it would trim about 5% of its “lowest performers”, while Alphabet’s, Google has also laid off hundreds of employees in the past year.

Amazon, has also cut jobs across its business segments, most recently in its books division. The company had earlier laid off employees in its devices and services unit, and communications staff.

Economic uncertainties and rising costs have triggered layoffs across sectors in Corporate America, as companies rush to streamline operations and hedge against further cost pressures.

 


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Kaspersky Explains how to Protect Smart Home Devices

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It is expected that by 2028, more than 33% of households worldwide will be equipped with smart home systems. Voice assistants, kitchen robots, smart lights and many other intelligent devices have become an integral part of our everyday life, transforming the way we interact with our living space.

However, with the rise of smart technology comes the need for robust protection against potential vulnerabilities. Kaspersky shares useful tips on how to look after smart home devices’ security on a daily basis, to make your home not only comfortable, but also secure.

Why do we call it “smart”?

Smart home systems integrate various devices, creating a “living” environment, enabling seamless interaction between gadgets and users. Usually, it has a central hub or controller, which acts as the brain of the smart home.

Smart home systems can include a wide variety of devices and appliances such as cameras, sensors, actuators and multiple household gadgets such as fridges, toasters, washing machines and vacuum cleaners. These devices connect with each other and other systems via the Internet.

Users can choose between different options when interacting with their smart home:

  • Mobile apps that allow users to control devices, set schedules, and receive notifications even outside the house
  • Voice assistants, which enable voice commands to control devices
  • Web Portals and online dashboards that provide access to device settings and monitoring afterloggingin to the user’s

Comfort and ease of use are the main advantages of a smart home system. Users can set specific times for devices to perform actions, for example, turning on lights at sunset. Devices can also be programmed to respond to specific events, such as turning on the thermostat when the user arrives home.

Even TVs with built-in AI technology, which can help you to discover dishes in shows as they appear on screen, find the recipe, and then compare the products needed for its preparation with those that are in your fridge and make a shopping list doesn’t sound like a fantasy anymore.

Despite the advantages that a smart home system offers, its Achilles’ heel is the Internet connection. Connectivity of all devices to a local Wi-Fi network as well as the need to log into personal accounts makes intelligent gadgets potentially vulnerable to hacking.

There are already examples when attackers gained unauthorised access to Ecovacs robot vacuums to spy on their owners and disturb them by making loud noises and uncontrolled moves. Even an Internet-connected mattress system in theory can be hacked, making the gadget potentially unsafe to use.

The vacuum cleaner is watching you

The idea that the regular household items surrounding you every day might be sharing personal data, overhearing, or even watching you, sounds terrifying. However, there is no need to stop using your favourite gadgets. Though examples of smart home device attacks are still rare, basic security rules are essential to safely enjoy the benefits of smart technology, preventing hackers from using them against you.

  1. Secure your Wi-Fi network. It’s highly recommended to change the system password that many Wi-Fi routers have by default to a more complex and secure one. Here are some tips on how to create stronger passwords.
  2. Monitor your network regularly. Look out for any suspicious activity on your local network or even consider using specific monitoring tools like Kaspersky Wi-Fi Security Check, which alerts you if Wi-Fi security settings are weak or if there are open ports that could allow unauthorised access to your Wi-Fi or smart home devices and Smart Home Monitor, which notifies you when a new device joins your Wi-Fi network so you can disconnect it.
  3. Track your device’s activity. Any device’s unusual behaviour might be a signal that somebody has access to it. If you notice suspicious activity it’s recommended to change your account password (if you are logged in on the device) and check your local network traffic.
  4. Review the settings regularly. Less is more. Disable any unnecessary features or services on your device that could pose a risk to your privacy or security. For example, you can disable access to a device’s camera and microphone if you are not currently using these functions.
  5. Make rational choices. The prospect of using as many smart devices as possible seems very tempting, but remember that every new gadget increases the potential risk to your security, so choose carefully and opt for responsible manufacturers.

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