Author: ITPulse

9Mobile has launched what it tagged 9Lives Rap Battle competition, which is targeted at celebrating talented and emerging artists in the Nigerian music industry. The competition, which is nationwide is designed by 9mobile to unearth and promote the next generation of rap superstars, and is open to unsigned and undiscovered talents and encourages participants to bring their unique style and lyrical prowess to the fore. “As a telecommunications company deeply embedded in the Nigerian culture, 9mobile recognizes the significance of music as a powerful expression of identity and aims to support the growth of the local music scene. We want…

A recent global survey shockingly reveals that 85% of respondents are oblivious to the fact that their private digital footprints are being harvested and sold at scale by technology companies. How Your Data is Harvested In the digital sphere, your actions leave a ‘digital footprint’. Every website visit or online interaction gets recorded, and these chronicles are your digital history. Some tech corporations systematically assemble this information, forming data profiles. “These data profiles can provide an oddly omniscient perspective of your online persona. Frighteningly, these profiles are transacted continually and lucratively in the unregulated data marketplace,” states Steffan Black, a…

Key findings from the 2024 edition of the Top 100 Business Opportunities in Africa to Watch, an annual selection of the continent’s most lucrative business ideas and investment opportunities curated by Activator HQ, have shown that the food sector and digital economy top the continent’s business opportunities to watch in 2024. Other areas of interest are circular economy, energy value chain and financial services. According to the report, Africa will be one of the fastest-growing regions in 2024 despite rising food and fuel costs, weakening currencies, climate change effects, security threats, political instability, rolling power cuts, infrastructure limitations, and several…

The Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) has suspended all forms of processing fees charged on all cash deposits above N500,000 for Individuals and N3,000,000 for corporate thresholds with immediate effect. According to a circular to all banks, other financial institutions and non-bank financial institutions issued today and signed by Dr. Adetona S. Adedeji, Ag. Director Of Banking Supervision, the suspension shall remain in effect until April 30, 2024. “The Central Bank of Nigeria hereby suspends the charging of processing fees of 2% and 3% previously charged on all cash deposits above these thresholds with immediate effect. This suspension shall remain in…

In an era of rapid digitalization where organizations worldwide are heavily investing in digital assets, the persistent threat of cybersecurity breaches has underscored the critical need for robust cybersecurity partners. Rising to meet this demand is Zoracom, a technology company for cybersecurity, observability and infrastructure management based in Lagos that has achieved significant milestones since the establishment of its Network and Security Operations Center (NSOC), touted as one of the most sophisticated in both Nigeria and Sub-Saharan Africa. Zoracom’s NSOC has made remarkable advancements in capacity building for cybersecurity experts and the mitigation of digital breaches. Speaking at a media…

One of the factors limiting financial inclusion among the unbanked is the perception that banks are not safe to store money. This concern increases exponentially with digital banking platforms as the suggested mode of banking. News headlines such as “Electronic Fraud: I called my bank to block my account but the criminals still cleared my money” and “78,584 e-payment fraud cases recorded in one year” do not help the assertion that digital payments are safe and secure. However, the truth is that your money is safer in a bank than it is hidden under your bed at home and safer…

By Sunny Tan In today’s interconnected world, the importance of robust cybersecurity cannot be overstated. With an ever-expanding digital landscape, the role of Chief Information Security Officers (CISOs) has evolved to become pivotal in ensuring the integrity, resilience, and compliance of an organization’s cybersecurity infrastructure. As guardians of data, privacy, and digital assets, CISOs are at the forefront of shaping the future of cybersecurity governance, effectively bridging the gap between technology and strategic business objectives. In their strategic role, CISOs are also instrumental in adapting cybersecurity to the evolving digital landscape. This adaptability has proven crucial, as we’ve observed a…

A whopping 5.2 billion messaging interactions were recorded during this year’s Black Friday and Cyber Monday, data from Infobip has shown. This is an indication of the dominance of conversational experiences, mostly messaging, for customer communications. While Black Friday saw 2.7billion conversations, Cyber Monday recorded 2.5billion compared to 2.4billion and 2.1billion last year.  According to the data, this is a 210 percent increase in mobile app messaging interactions on Black Friday and a 223 percent increase on Cyber Monday compared to a typical November day. Meanwhile, multimedia messaging (MMS) interactions increased by 178percent on Black Friday and 167percent on Cyber…

The Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) has outlined how to manage competition among the various telecom companies operating in the country.  The Executive Vice Chairman of the Commission, Dr. Aminu Maida, who gave the highlight when he received a delegation of management of Airtel Networks Limited in Abuja, said the best way to manage competition among the various players is to create a level playing ground for all our licensees.  He noted that having a win-win strategy and regulatory framework in place to ensure sustainability of the telecom industry.  “We know that the rising cost of business is affecting every sector,…

Nigeria has been urged to explore and use Artificial Intelligence (AI) in bolstering productivity in critical sectors of the Nation’s economy, as the world increasingly leverages cutting-edge technology in shaping lives and businesses. The Director-General of the National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA), Kashifu Inuwa made the call while delivering a Keynote Address on “Artificial Intelligence: Effective Communication for National Security” at the 2023 Security and Spokespersons Awards and Conference held in Abuja. According to the DG, Artificial Intelligence is already changing daily lives, almost entirely in ways that improve human health, safety and productivity. Thus, AI is beyond a…