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Winners Emerge At Secure Hack 1.0 As Stakeholders Chart Course for Security @Eko Innovation Centre
Three teams emerged as winners at the grand finale of the SecureHack 1.0 event held at the Eko Innovation Centre, yesterday.
L-R: First Keynote Speaker, Oluwasolape Akinde, Head Governance, Risk and Compliance, Seven Up Plc.; Dr. Obadare Peter Adewale, Co-founder, Digital Encode Limited (Final Juror); Victor Afolabi, Founder Eko Innovation Centre and Curator, SecureHack 1.0; Ayodele Olojede, Group Head, Emerging Businesses Africa, Access Bank (Final Juror) and, Imeh Udofia – Chief Security Officer, Leadway Assurance Company Limited (Second Keynote Speaker) at the Grand Finale of SecureHack 1.0 held at the Eko Innovation Centre, Ikoyi, Lagos, on Saturday, April 15, 2023.
The hackathon which was launched in February, garnered over 400 registrations from participants to form 100+ teams from 62 locations in four countries and across two continents.
The grand finale of the hackathon had in attendance innovators, entrepreneurs, policymakers, and security professionals and many others across the world joined the event virtually.
In his welcome address, Victor Afolabi, Founder of Eko Innovation Centre and Curator of SecureHack 1.0, emphasized the importance of cybersecurity and the need for innovation in addressing security threats.
He highlighted the five most efficient cyber defenders: Anticipation, Education, Detection, Reaction, and Resilience. “Security threat is much more than an IT topic and we are doing our bit the Eko Innovation Centre to drive the growth of this ecosystem,” he said.
Keynote address presented by Oluwasolape Akinde, Head, IT GRC & DPO, Seven-Up Bottling Company Limited.
He spoke on the topic, “Strengthening Cyber Security in Africa’s Emerging Digital Economies”. He spoke on the challenges facing cyber security in Africa’s emerging digital economy, best practices for strengthening cyber Security, collaborations and partnerships.
He said, “Collaboration and partnerships allow for the sharing of information and expertise, pooling of resources, and coordination of efforts to address common cybersecurity challenges.
“Overall, emerging technologies such as blockchain and Al have the potential to significantly improve cybersecurity in African countries. By leveraging these technologies, organizations and governments can improve data security, detect and respond to threats in real-time, and prevent fraud and money laundering.
“However, it is also important to be aware of the potential risks and challenges associated with these technologies, and to implement them in a responsible and ethical manner,” he said.
Yet another security expert, Imeh Udofia gave a presentation on Cyber-Physical Security, speaking with on the following: Cyber-Physical attacks: An emerging threat; Cyber-physical attacks: Preventive controls; Layers of Security and Components Of Physical Security, among others.
The event’s highlight was the pitching of ideas by finalist of the hackathon who had emerged from a process that saw teams split into groups of four and were required to work together for three weeks, brainstorming and ideating new concepts based on their focus areas which include cybersecurity, physical security, and biosecurity.
At the end of the process, Team Nexa comprising Peter Adesina, Idris Tijani, Robinson Uche and Muhammed Musa came third in the competition to cart home the sum of N350,000 while Team Cyber Verse comprising Osonuga Steven and Akorede Rasaq clinched the second place position to win the sum of N650,000.
Team HealthWaka comprising the trio of Omolola Oluwadara, Product development manager; Kehinde Abolaji , Technical Lead and Ozemhoya Anthonia, Biologist, beat allcomers to emerge overall winners of the competition.
They also won the grand prize of the hackathon which is the sum of one million naira and an acceleration programme investment of up to $50k equity Investment to get their products ready for the market among other benefits.
During the entire process, 31 selection jurors selected top 10 innovative solutions from 26 teams that pitched. The teams were subjected to coaching, and mentorship for two weeks.
Speaking on the pitching process among other things, Ayodele Olojede who is the Chief Juror of the Hackathon and Group Head, Emerging Businesses , Africa Bank Plc., said, “The underlining factor we looked at among other criteria was that “Civic good”. So, you are able to come up with a solution you can make money with and at the same time, you are solving a challenge that could benefit the society.
“We looked at how great the contestants’ ideas were and also checked if there is a team that can progress this, we looked at quality of the delivery, how they responded to questions and also looked at their business models,’’ she said.
Eko Innovation Centre is one of the leading tech hubs in Nigeria, curating events like Art of Technology Lagos, and The Lagos Smart Meter Hackathon amongst others.
Galaxy Backbone (GBB), the information technology and shared services provider of the Federal Government of Nigeria, has announced the successful expansion of its state-of-the-art fibre optic network to Lagos, Ibadan, the capital of Oyo State in southwestern Nigeria, and Ilorin, capital of Kwara State in the north-central region.
What is described as a remarkable milestone is part of Phase II of the country’s National Information and Communication Technology Infrastructure Backbone (NICTIB) project.
With a robust cross-country optical fibre backbone now extending over 5,000 kilometres and across 27 state capitals, GBB says it has solidified its role as the digital backbone of Nigeria. This development seamlessly integrates the nation’s six geopolitical zones.
The newly completed Abuja-to-Lagos route, traversing key cities such as Minna, Bida, Mokwa, ilorin, Ogbomoso, Oyo, Ibadan and Lagos, is a strategic enhancement designed to strengthen network reliability. By establishing a closed network ring linking Lagos – the nation’s economic hub – to Abuja, the capital city, GBB says it ensures service redundancy and minimises potential downtime.
Professor Ibrahim A Adeyanju, managing director/CEO of Galaxy Backbone, says: “The expansion of our fibre optic network to Lagos, Ibadan and Ilorin is a significant step forward in our mission to bridge the digital divide and position Nigeria as a leader in the global digital economy. This advanced infrastructure empowers us to deliver innovative, customer-centric solutions that serve the needs of both the public and private sectors.”
He adds: “This expansion not only supports the government’s digital economy agenda but also sets the stage for meaningful collaboration with private sector organisations seeking to leverage our infrastructure.”
National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) has reported that over 25 million phone thefts between March 2023 and April 2024, according to its Crime Experience and Security Perception Survey 2024.
The Crime Experience and Security Perception Survey 2024, indicated that an estimated 17,965,741 people had their phones stolen during the reference period
Phone theft, which is a common individual crime in the country, shows that seven out of every 10 stolen phones happened at home or public places, with a mere 11.7% of people who reported to the police expressing satisfaction with their response.
Less than 10% of the victims of phone theft reported the case to the police, while over 90% failed to report to the police for various reasons.
“At the individual level, 21.4 per cent of Nigerians reported being victims of crime, and the most common crime was phone theft (13.8%),” the report read in part.
Airtel Nigeria has once again been recognized for its commitment to sustainable development, carting away the Partnership of the Year award at the 18th edition of the Sustainability, Enterprise, and Responsibility Awards (SERAS) held at the Oriental Hotel, Victoria Island, Lagos, on Saturday, 14th December, 2024.
The award celebrates Airtel’s continued success with its Re-imagine Education Initiative, a ground-breaking collaboration with the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) aimed at transforming education in Nigeria through technology.
Airtel’s consistent focus on creating social value through strategic partnerships reflects its position as a key enabler of progress in the Nigerian education sector.
Commenting on the award, Femi Adeniran, Director, Corporate Communications and CSR, highlighted the significance of the winning the Partnership of the Year award for the second time with the Airtel collaboration with UNICEF to provide digital access to quality educational resources for more than 1,200 schools in Nigeria.
“Winning this award for the second consecutive year is a reflection of our enduring belief in the transformative power of technology in education. We are deeply committed to making a meaningful difference in the lives of Nigerians, and this recognition fuels our resolve to do even more,” he said.
The SERAS Awards, widely regarded as Africa’s most prestigious platform for celebrating sustainability and corporate social responsibility, brought together leaders from various industries to honour organizations driving impactful change.
Airtel Nigeria remains steadfast in its mission to foster inclusive growth, empower communities, and champion a sustainable future for its stakeholders and the environment.
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