Akingate Tech News Digest 01 Oct 2022

A selection of tech news from Nigeria and Africa at large.

Nigeria Internet Speed | Cyber Maturity | Cyber Security | AMBER Alert Programme | Digital Economy

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Nigeria’s internet speed still amongst world’s slowest – Premium Times

Nigeria’s average fixed broadband internet speed is so slow the country ranked 151st amongst 182 countries in the latest Speedtest Global Index published by U.S.-based internet speed analysis firm Ookla.

According to Ookla report, Nigeria came far behind Congo, Mali, Sierra Leone, Togo, and Burkina Faso that are relatively smaller, economically. It recorded 20.97 megabits per second download speed, while the world’s fastest, Singapore, scored 298 mbps.

In the mobile category, Nigeria came 87th of 140 countries with a download speed of 33.29 mbps, while South Africa took 46th with 68.9 mbps. The global leader in that category was United Arab Emirates with 258 Mbps.

Nigeria, however, recorded one of the fastest monthly rise of 15 spots between July and August 2022.

According to Ookla report, it is obvious that the 5G network has an impact in the overall performance as South Africa came first as a result of having 5G network in place. However, it was also noted that Nigeria’s speed is expected to rise in response to network infrastructure investments made by operators and as 5G expands. Read more here.

CPX Holding, Spire Solutions sign MoU to improve organisations’ cyber maturity – NNN News

Spire Solutions, a cyber security provider, says it has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with CPX Holding, a United Arab Emirate-based digital-first cybersecurity solutions to improve organisations’ cyber maturity.

A statement issued by Spire Solution in Lagos on Monday said that the collaboration would assist organisations along their digital transformation journey.

According to the statement, the MoU was signed when cyber attacks in the Middle East was becoming increasingly frequent and more costly for organisations.

“In parallel, 45 per cent of organisations recently surveyed by IDC in the Middle East, Turkey and Africa region are now embedding security into the planning and assessment phases of all new business initiatives.

“The collaboration between CPX and Spire Solutions would review the next wave of technologies that could accelerate organisations’ digital transformation journeys.

“This will include pioneering new strategies that governments and enterprises can use to protect their business-critical assets while contributing to best practices across the region.

“Such efforts will ultimately help organisations unlock business value and drive growth with peace of mind,” it said.

According to the Chief Executive Officer of CPX Holding, Khaled Al Melhi, said: “As governments and businesses race to maintain their competitive advantage by adopting new technologies, they are also being exposed to more sophisticated cyber threats. However, with their strategic partners, they are planning to augment security policies to instil trust for clients and also for the wider cybersecurity ecosystem. Read more here.

Experts to raise cybersecurity awareness – The Punch News

Cybersecurity experts and top government officials have concluded plans to raise awareness about emerging cybersecurity threats at a stakeholders’ conference organised by the Central Securities Clearing System Plc.

The event, themed, “Future of Cybersecurity: Emerging issues and solutions”, is expected to be an avenue for charting a new course towards sustainable solutions for stakeholders in the capital market and other sectors.

According to the organisation, it will feature high-profile ministerial interviews, keynote addresses, interactive sessions and panel discussions with leading experts.

According to the Managing Director/Chief Executive Officer, CSCS, Mr. Haruna Jalo-Waziri, in the statement said that in line with the company’s strategic objectives, CSCS would continue yearly to drive engagement among stakeholders and advocate for the protection of information against unauthorised access. In addition, “Since technological advances marked by the emergence of the internet and social media have made it easier to communicate and reduce the world into a global village resulting in the elimination of boundaries in how people communicate and connect, there are complexities in managing the challenges that come with this interconnectedness. As such, the need to take the conversation much higher this year and broaden the scope of solutions as CSCS bring together industry experts and government officials to tackle this menace”. Read more here.

AMBER Alert by Meta and NAPTIP to Help Find Missing Children – Tech News

Today, Meta announced the launch of the AMBER Alert Programme on Facebook and Instagram in Nigeria.

Working in partnership with the National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons (NAPTIP), this programme is aimed at helping to find abducted children by sending AMBER Alerts to the local Facebook and Instagram community in Nigeria.

AMBER Alert is designed to increase the chances of finding missing children by putting more people on the lookout for them.

When an AMBER Alert is activated by law enforcement, the alert will appear on the Facebook and Instagram Feed of users within the designated search area, enabling them to share the information instantly with friends or contact the authorities if they have leads.

AMBER Alert is designed to include important information about the missing child such as a photo description, location of the abduction, and other relevant and available information to aid in immediately identifying the missing child.

According toEmily Vacher, Meta’s Director of Trust and Safety, although AMBER Alert is already in 28 countries globally, we are proud to partner with NAPTIP to make AMBER Alert available in Nigeria – the second African country to join this programme. Read more here.

Nigeria Takes Global as Pantami Recounts Digital Economy Successes at ITU PPS – Tech Economy Nigeria

Professor Isa Ali Ibrahim (Pantami), Nigeria’s Minister of Communications and Digital Economy, on Wednesday 28th September 2022 informed global sector leaders of the gains and achievements recorded in the nation’s digital economy sector.

Professor Pantami while addressing Heads of delegation and policymakers at the on-going International Telecommunications Union Plenipotentiary Conference (ITU PP2) in Bucharest, Romania noted that “Nigeria’s digital economy is the fastest growing sector in the nation’s economy and the only sector that grew by double digits at the peak of the Covid – 19 pandemic. Furthermore, the sector’s contribution to Nigeria’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP) in the last three years has been unprecedented.”

The Honourable Minister further informed his audience that five, out of the seven unicorns in Africa originated from Nigeria and by implication, Nigeria currently contributes over 70% of the entire unicorns in Africa. Read more here.