E-Business
Vodacom Building Nigeria’s Smart Grid
Vodacom Nigeria, has said it is engaged in leveraging broadband to turn Nigeria’s regions, cities, and towns to smart-connected, chip based, remotely & pro-actively managed areas.
Ms Mickey Mashale, managing executive, Public Enterprises, Vodacom in a presentation at the Commonwealth Telecommunications Organisation (CTO) conference 2013, said that communications is not just part of the “black box”, modem or meter, however managing components like large volumes of SIM cards in the field can be demanding.
She said that Vodacom is concerned with mitigating communications related challenges, especially through contained and managed costs.
On Vodacom’s quest to containing challenges faced in health, education, governance, among others, she said the Company has developed seamless infrastructure supported solutions, particularly hardware that support future needs.
Mashale quoting McKinsey CIO survey, IDC, Gartner, William Blair analyst report, Jan 2012, Global Insights WMI, Machina Research, said that five major tech. trends are reshaping Enterprise customers’ business models.
They include consumerisation of IT, Security and Control, Fixed-Mobile Convergence, Everything Connected and hosting and cloude.
“What’s shaping Nigeria and why do we see it as a partnership; government alone could not achieve the 5year plan; Citizens alone could not achieve the 5year plan and Private sector alone cannot achieve the 5 year plan.
Speaking on impact of broadband, she said the infrastructure can improve the efficiency, cost and reach of public sector services in areas of high government interest, such as health, education and government services.
The Managing Executive said that “Broadband is an economic enabler; it is an enabler of e-business and new market opportunities, allowing firms, including small and medium-sized enterprises (SMMEs) to realise growth through productivity increases stemming from improved information exchange, value chain transformation, and process efficiency (OECD, 2003).
“Knowledge Creation, it Improves the skills and education of individuals through the use of broadband services and widespread and affordable broadband access can contribute to productivity, economic growth and social inclusion.
Illuminating on Vodacom’s studies across different strata of the economy, highlighted that, for instance, broadband enables improved quality of education and training through smart deployment of ICT solutions; using Broadband Network for Administration and Curriculum delivery; enables teachers and students/learners to meet the challenge of the Information Age and Bridging the Digital Divide and ICT integration into the learning and teaching process and impacts of ICT on access, cost effectiveness and a robust quality delivery of Education.
Nevertheless, Vodacom preferred solutions for over and above connectivity to address the teacher, the learner and the administrator challenges include Learning Management Systems (LMS)/ Learning Content Management System (LCMS), School Management, Analytics & Reporting, Curriculum Content aligned to NCS & CAPS or Tertiary Institution, Course Delivery Management, Education Portal Management, Learner & Teacher Personal Workspaces, Video & Online Collaborative tools – Social Media for Learning, Identity & access management and digital rights, Repositories/ Databases.
She also hinted on Vodacom solutions for social security, health and governance related issues.
E-Business
Naija Shopping Festival: Konga Offers Unbeatable Christmas Deals
Nigeria’s leading e-commerce platform, Konga, has unveiled the Naija Shopping Festival, a Christmas sales event designed to offer shoppers extraordinary discounts and unbeatable deals.
This exciting shopping extravaganza begins on December 1 and runs through December 30, promising an unforgettable experience for all.
With discounts of up to 70% off on your favourite products, the Naija Shopping Festival is Konga’s way of spreading festive cheer and ensuring no one misses out on amazing deals.
This event caters especially to those who could not participate in Konga Yakata, giving everyone a chance to save big this holiday season.
The festival boasts a wide array of incredible offers across multiple categories, including mobile phones, electronics, FMCG, fashion, groceries, and accessories.
Shoppers can also enjoy specially curated deals such as Christmas Eve Deals, Flash Sales, Santa Shop, and Hamper Packs, ensuring there’s something for everyone this festive period.
Konga is partnering with top global brands such as Apple, Starlink, HP, Zinox, CeraVe, Lenovo, Haier Thermocool, Samsung, and Infinix to deliver the best possible deals. Customers can expect discounts of up to 70% on premium products, ensuring maximum value on every purchase.
Speaking on the launch, Onochie Melvin, E-commerce Manager at Konga, stated, “The Naija Shopping Festival is our way of giving back to our customers and making this Christmas season special for every Nigerian.
“We remain committed to easing the financial burden on Nigerian consumers, especially during challenging economic times. Also, we want to ensure shopping is fun, affordable, and stress-free. With our trusted partners, we’ve curated the best deals to meet the needs of every shopper during this festive period.”
As always, Konga is committed to making shopping easy and convenient for Nigerians.
“By offering substantial price cuts and collaborating with trusted brands, Konga continues to set the standard for e-commerce in Nigeria.
To have a feel of Konga’s Naija Shopping Festival, visit www.konga.com today and make your Christmas shopping a joyful experience.
E-Business
TD Africa Joins Forces with Check Point to Enhance Cybersecurity in Nigeria
TD Africa, a leading technology distributor in Sub-Saharan Africa, has joined forces with Check Point Software Technologies Ltd., a global cybersecurity leader, to enhance Nigeria’s cybersecurity resilience.
This strategic partnership, announced at a partner roundtable event in Lagos and attended by industry executives, stakeholders, and IT professionals, facilitated discussions on emerging cybersecurity trends and fostered strategic partnerships.
Participants explored innovative approaches to digital security, concluding with a networking session designed to spark future collaborations and strengthen Nigeria’s digital ecosystem.
Abiodun Idowu, Assistant General Manager for TD Africa, highlighted the company’s dedication to delivering cutting-edge technology solutions, saying: “This partnership with Check Point reflects our commitment to providing advanced tools that safeguard businesses against today’s complex cyber threats.”
Check Point’s Security Manager, Victor Ugwu, who underscored the partnership’s significance in strengthening cybersecurity frameworks in Nigeria, said, “With this collaboration with TD Africa, we aim to deploy innovative solutions like Harmony and CloudGuard to protect organizations across the country.”
TD Africa now offers Check Point’s Harmony and Email Collaboration solutions, incorporating Secure Access Service Edge (SASE) technology to enable secure connectivity for remote and hybrid work environments.
Additionally, the partnership provides CloudGuard, an end-to-end cloud security solution, and Quantum Firewall appliances, which scale to meet the needs of businesses of all sizes.
This partnership reinforces TD Africa’s position as a driving force in Nigeria’s technological advancement. By delivering robust cybersecurity solutions, TD Africa empowers businesses to navigate the digital age with confidence and resilience.
E-Business
Kaspersky Contributes to Joint INTERPOL-AFRIPOL Operation Combating Cybercrime Across Africa
Kaspersky has recently assisted its partner law enforcement agencies INTERPOL and AFRIPOL in a joint effort to disrupt cybercrime across the African region.
Dubbed “Serengeti,” the operation has led to the arrest of more than 1,000 individuals suspected of links to cybercrimes such as ransomware operation and business email compromise (BEC) attacks, resulting in nearly US $193 million in financial losses worldwide.
As Africa is going through a rapid digitisation, the threat of cybercrime on the continent is also escalating. In the African region in general and West Africa in particular, ransomware emerges as one of the most prominent attack vectors, targeting critical infrastructure, financial institutions, and manufacturing facilities, among others.
During the first 10 months of 2024, ransomware detections in West Africa surged by 36% year-on-year, according to Kaspersky data. Other noticeable cyberthreats targeting users and organisations in the region include spyware and password stealers.
Conducted from September 2 to October 31, operation Serengeti dismantled 134,089 malicious infrastructures and networks linked to cybercrimes including ransomware operations, BEC attacks, digital extortion and online scams — all identified as prominent threats in INTERPOL’s 2024 Africa Cyber Threat Assessment Report.
Kaspersky has contributed to the operation by sharing information on threat actors, data on ransomware attacks and malware targeting the region, as well as up-to-date indicators of compromise (IoCs) for malicious infrastructure across Africa.
Among the malware targeting African countries was also a well-known Brazilian banking trojan Grandoreiro – Kaspersky recently released new findings on this trojan at its Security Analyst Summit. Additionally, ransomware families detected in attacks on African organisations among others included LockBit, Rhysida, and Medusa.
The operation has also resulted in the identification of more than 35,000 victims of cyber offenses investigated.
Valdecy Urquiza, Secretary General of INTERPOL, said: “From multi-level marketing scams to credit card fraud on an industrial scale, the increasing volume and sophistication of cybercrime attacks is of serious concern.
Operation Serengeti shows what we can achieve by working together, and these arrests alone will save countless potential future victims from real personal and financial pain. We know that this is just the tip of the iceberg, which is why we will continue targeting these criminal groups worldwide.”
Ambassador Jalel Chelba, AFRIPOL’s Acting Executive Director said: “Through Serengeti, AFRIPOL has significantly enhanced support for law enforcement in African Union Member States. We’ve facilitated key arrests and deepened insights into cybercrime trends. Our focus now includes emerging threats like AI-driven malware and advanced attack techniques.”
“We are proud to contribute to this multi-stakeholder operation orchestrated by INTERPOL and AFRIPOL,” comments Yuliya Shlychkova, Vice President, Global Public Affairs, Kaspersky. “The emerging dynamics of the threat landscape in Africa requires a stronger regional dialogue on mitigating acute cybersecurity risks.
Kaspersky firmly supports INTERPOL’s and AFRIPOL’s efforts to prevent and disrupt cybercrime attacks across Africa and shares the holistic approach towards creating a more cyber-resilient environment within the continent.”
Thanks to the cooperation with INTERPOL and AFRIPOL, Kaspersky has been an active contributor to fostering a more cyber-savvy environment in the African region.
In addition to the vast record of joint operations in Africa, with the latest being INTERPOL-led operation Synergia II, Kaspersky has recently sealed a five-year cooperation agreement with AFRIPOL to further strengthen its role in creating a more cybersafe climate on the continent by sharing Kaspersky’s extensive data on local cyberthreats and cybercrime trends with the organisation.
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