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First Term: Experts Score Buhari Administration High On ICT

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Experts Score Buhari Administration High On ICT
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By Funmilola Gboteku and Florence Onuegbu

The Information and Communications Technology (ICT) Sector in Nigeria has witnessed tremendous growth during the first four years of President Muhammadu Buhari’s administration.

Information Technology (IT) experts attribute the growth to the various friendly ICT policies put in place by the Federal Government.

Gbenga Adebayo, Chairman, Association of Licensed Telecommunications Operators of Nigeria (ALTON) in his candid assessment, says the Federal Government has done quite well in the last four years.

“I think it will be fair to say a score of 80 per cent, owing to the progress the administration has made in the past years, ‘’ he notes.

Adebayo says the industry has made a lot of progress in terms of broadband penetration; hence, achieving the broadband target and even surpassing it.

“We have more Foreign Direct Investments (FDIs) coming into the ICT sector and because of the relatively stable policy of government, the industry has been able to support a number of other sub-sectors of the economy.

“So, on the average, we are able to say that the Buhari’s administration has done quite well in the last four years,’’ he says.

Adebayo says unfortunately it appears that the progress of ICT in the country is being taken for granted.

He laments that telecommunication no longer has a mention by the government as one of the priority sectors.

According to him, it should not be, because ICT is a major driver of the economy.

“We are the infrastructure of infrastructure and we think that wherever issue of development is being discussed, ICT should be in the forefront.

“Other sectors that the government is making efforts to develop are all dependent on ICT in one way or the other.

“So it would appear that we are no longer in the first line of interest of government; which should not be.

“As you know, we are in technology industry and technology is changing by the day; hence, the need for new investments, for new hardware and software.

“So we think that as part of our development as a nation, ICT should continue to be one of the issues of development that we should consider,’’ Adebayo explains.

He says there is no enough protection of the industry by government, as there are issues of base stations’ closure and seizure.

Adebayo says the industry is quite vulnerable and such vulnerability has exposed the issues of multiple taxation and multiple regulation.

According to him, taxes and levies have increased to 39 across all tiers of government in the country.

“I think that government should consider harmonisation of the taxes and levies. Telecom is on the exclusive list of the Federal Government.

“It is the responsibility of the Federal Government to protect the sector, even from issues of interference, multiple taxation and regulation.

“So in my view, the major problem that we face is the issue of site closure and multiple taxation.

“We have issue of foreign exchange and government solved the problem. So the issue of multiple taxation is something the Federal Government must look into.

“I think the time has come that government should take up ownership and protection of infrastructure. We continue to require investments both foreign and local investments; and people will not invest if the industry is unstable,’’ he says.

Ikechukwu Nnamani, the Chief Executive Officer, Medallion Communications says the Buhari’s administration has done well in the arrangement reached by the National Executive Council in respect of Right of Way (RoW) fee.

Nnamani says a number of states have been able to lower their RoW rates, which has enabled deployment of more fibre infrastructure.

Muhammed Rudman, the President of Nigeria Internet Registration Association (NIRA) wants the Federal Government to prioritise significant investments in ICT infrastructure in the next four years.

Rudman notes that although through government’s contributions to the ICT, the  industry has been able to deepen broadband penetration by 33 per cent but more effort needs to be made in ensuring that the rural areas also benefit from it.

He explains that the government already has laid-down policies regarding the ICT industry.

“The best time to implement the policies, which include the deepening of broadband penetration and building infrastructure is now.

“My advice is actually to have an ICT roadmap, that would ensure both the government and private sector identify all the stumbling blocks in the industry and address them.

“The players in the ICT industry should actually have an agenda that they will push to the government every year, so that the sector can grow,’’ he suggests.

Rudman points out that it will go a long way if the president can also resolve the issue of RoW and multiple taxation which are some of the major challenges faced in the industry, most especially by telecom companies.

He notes that those challenges were some of the things slowing down the telecommunications industry, while urging the government to address the issues.

The NIRA boss adds that the government needs to continue investing heavily in the sector, because it has played a big role in terms of revenue generation and also creating employment for citizens.

Also speaking, Chief Deolu Ogunbanjo, the President of the National Association of Telecommunications Subscribers (NATCOMS) says a lot has been achieved in terms of broadband penetration during the President’s four-year tenure.

“In 2014 to 2018, broadband was between 18 to 20 per cent.

“However, according to Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC), we now have 33 per cent broadband peneration, which shows that a lot has been achieved in last four years of the Buhari’s administration.

“To sustain the growth, the government should set another benchmark for 2019 to 2023 where we should be looking at a minimum of 70 per cent or more broadband penetration.

“The government through some of its agencies like NCC is ensuring that Infrastructure Companies (InfraCos) develop both the rural and sub-urban areas.

“NCC is supporting infracos by giving them some money to develop their structures and services,’’ Ogunbanjo notes.

He also suggests that government needs to have refined policies that will gear the industry toward achieving 75 per cent penetration by 2025.

Ogunbanjo urges the Federal Government to invest more in the sector because the ICT industry is the future of Nigeria, aside from oil and agriculture.

Most ICT industry experts are of the opinion that President Buhari’s administration has done quite well in the ICT sector of the economy and can do better in the second term.

The expert, however, note that the industry is a work in progress.

They point out that it is imperative to tackle the challenges of multiple taxation and multiple regulation, if further growth must be achieved in the ICT industry.

InfoTech

FIFA Hides More than 10 million Hate Posts, Comments

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International Federation of Association Football (Fédération Internationale de Football Association)
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 Football’s ruling body FIFA on Thursday said that it has hidden more than 10 million abusive comments in its fight against hate speech.

FIFA said it has analysed some 33 million posts and comments on 15,302 accounts since it launched its Social Media Protection Service (SMPS) at the 2022 World Cup, and made it available to all its members and players in 2024.

It said that SMPS has been used at 23 tournaments as well as in qualifying and friendly matches.

It is also available at the current Club World Cup for the 32 teams and 2,019 accounts of players, coaches and officials.

FIFA said it is using Artificial Intelligence (AI) to filter abusive posts and hide them from the account owners.

A FIFA survey has revealed that women’s players are more subjected to abuse than the men. (dpa/NAN)

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Cloud Security and its Role in Healthcare Cybersecurity

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By Engineer Olusola Omotunde

The advent of cloud technology can be traced back to the 1960s according to https://www.cloudzero.com/blog/history-of-the-cloud/.

Cloud technology has evolved from a myth to a revolution in the global space.

In fact, it forms one of the best ways to secure data and save organizational funds.

A drift from the era of physical data centers has become the norm.

Cloud platforms like Amazon and Azure have taken over the scene even in developing climes. How much space does an organization need for its operations and what is the cost effect?

Another pertinent point would be, the security of organizational data.

In this paper, we will provide a synopsis of cloud security and its role in healthcare cybersecurity.

The healthcare industry is one of the most critical aspects of any nation. How safe are patient’s data? What are the mitigating factors? How regularly does the IT team carry out an assessment of the security in place? In all of these, cloud security comes into play.

Cloud security is critical in healthcare cybersecurity because it provides the tools, processes, and policies required to protect sensitive patient data and assure regulatory compliance in an increasingly digital environment. Healthcare organizations that use cloud services for electronic health records (EHRs), telemedicine, patient portals, and other services face specific cybersecurity challenges, such as protecting huge amounts of personally identifiable information (PII) and protected health information (PHI).

Below are some aspects where cloud security contributes or plays pivotal roles in healthcare cybersecurity:

1. Data Protection

• Data Backup and Recovery: Cloud solutions provide backup and disaster recovery capabilities, which assist healthcare organizations in protecting data from loss due to cyberattacks or system failures.

• Encryption: Cloud providers provide sophisticated encryption options for data at rest and in transit. This is critical for healthcare providers to safeguard sensitive patient information from unauthorized access.

2. Prevention and Detection of Threat

• Real-time Monitoring and Alerts: Cloud security solutions can provide 24-hour monitoring and notifications if suspicious behaviour is discovered. This quick response capability is crucial for healthcare organizations to avoid or mitigate the effects of cyber events.

• Advanced Threat Protection: Cloud providers provide services that include threat detection features like intrusion detection, malware scanning, and vulnerability assessments. These services assist healthcare organizations in identifying and addressing hazards before they cause harm.

• Automated Patch Management: Cloud providers frequently handle patch management for their infrastructure, ensuring that systems are up to date against the most recent vulnerabilities, which can dramatically minimize the risk of attack.

  3.  Flexibility and Scalability

• Scalable Security: As healthcare organizations expand, cloud security can scale with them, allowing for the installation of additional security measures without requiring major infrastructure upgrades.

• Adaptable Infrastructure: Healthcare organizations can quickly respond to emerging threats with cloud-based solutions that include updated security tools and services. This adaptability is critical in a dynamic threat context.

4. Cost Efficiency

• Pay-as-you-go Model: Many cloud services use a pay-as-you-go model, which allows healthcare providers to only pay for the security services they use. This can help organizations manage costs while still providing high-quality security tools.

• Reduced IT Costs: Cloud providers manage and maintain the infrastructure, eliminating the need for healthcare companies to invest heavily in on-premises security hardware and personnel.

5. Regulatory Compliance

• HIPAA and GDPR Compliance: Cloud providers that service healthcare organizations frequently offer solutions designed to comply with industry-specific standards such as the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) in the United States and the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) in Europe.

• Audit Support: Many cloud services provide logging and monitoring capabilities to assist healthcare organizations in tracking and auditing data access and usage, which is critical for regulatory compliance.

Key Considerations for Healthcare Providers across the globe

When healthcare providers deploy cloud solutions, they must address a number of security concerns to safeguard sensitive patient data, ensure regulatory compliance, and manage possible risks. It is also important that they scrutinize the security certificates held by cloud providers, ensure that they clarify ownership rights to their data with their cloud providers, training staff on the security best practices which include training on data handling, phishing awareness and secure access protocol.

There is no one-size fits all rule other than being careful!

Engineer Olusola Omotunde is an IT expert and writes from Lagos, Nigeria


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The World Today, Data Ethics and Privacy

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By Emmanuel Oye-Adeniran

Data is becoming a vital resource in the digital age, propelling innovation and decision-making in many sectors of the economy such as Construction, Healthcare, Agriculture and Finance. However, data ethics and privacy worries have increased along with data gathering, storage, and analysis growth.

Discussions concerning the ethical use of data and the defence of individual rights in a society that is becoming more interconnected revolve around these issues.
This article looks at the importance of data privacy and ethics as it affects today’s world.

Many years ago, before the advent of digitalization, it was of no consequence to share an individual’s information with or without consent which made it quite interesting as there were no laws safeguarding individual’s data, in fact, people did not bother much.

However, in the new era of digitalization, a person’s data must be treated as private.

They have entrusted you with their bank details, contact addresses, etc and they must be kept private.

Cybercrime has become so prevalent globally that many have argued it has come to stay. Well, this might not be untrue considering how long it has become an issue on the front burner.

A synopsis of data privacy between the 16 and 19th centuries reveals that privacy was mostly a problem with physical areas and communications. The necessity of maintaining communication secrecy was brought to light by the development of the postal system in the seventeenth century (Ref: Mark ElliotAnna M. MandalariMiranda MourbyKieron O’Hara).

In today’s age of online shopping, social media interactions and AI technology, it has become evident that various platforms usually collect people’s data for various purposes, ranging from marketing intelligence to improved user experience.

A look at some of the elements which are related to Data privacy and ethics in today’s world:

(i)Transparency and Accountability:

Stakeholders are holding digital businesses more and more responsible for their ethical behaviour and data policies. Gaining the trust of users requires being open and honest about the goals, techniques, and possible risks associated with data collecting. Businesses should make their policies on the gathering, handling, and distribution of personal data easily understandable.

User permission and data control procedures should also be simple to understand and intuitive. Accountability techniques, such recurring audits and impartial supervision, can guarantee that businesses follow legal and ethical criteria.

(ii) Bias and Fairness:

The computer is obviously not intelligent without human input, and so it must be fed with the right unbiased information. If the Algorithm is discriminatory towards a social class for instance, then this nullifies the essence of Data ethics.

Algorithmic bias poses a significant ethical challenge in technology use. Machine learning algorithms, while powerful, can perpetuate and amplify biases present in training data. This can result in discriminatory outcomes, reinforcing existing social inequalities.

Ethical technology use requires ongoing efforts to identify and mitigate bias in algorithms. Companies must prioritize fairness and equity in designing and implementing AI systems, ensuring that technology serves diverse populations without perpetuating discrimination. 

(iii)Consent and its role:

The use of ambiguous policies often makes it almost impossible for users to make very safe and informed choices about the implications of sharing their data and so it is imperative that policies be made simpler for users to understand. This would by a long shot, provide a proper decision-making process.

(iv)Empowering users:

Enabling consumers to take control of their data is essential to using technology ethically. It is critical to give people easily available tools for controlling privacy settings, comprehending data usage, and making defensible judgments about disclosing personal information. Initiatives aimed at raising user knowledge and education can support people in advocating for their right to privacy and navigating the digital world. By enabling people to take charge of their digital identities, businesses can cultivate a climate that values data security and online privacy. People must be given more rights to their data.

Conclusion

In today’s ever-evolving world of digitalization, it is imperative that stakeholders especially corporations adhere to the rules of data ethics and privacy.

Every clime must ensure that their users are protected by establishing laws and reviewing such existing laws to protect their users. Some of the data protection and ethics laws like the Pan-African initiatives of 2014, the Nigeria Data Protection Regulation (NDPR) issued in 2019 and the European GDPR which came into effect on the 25th of May, 2018 are some of the efforts by various governments across the globe to stem the abuse of peoples’ rights to their Data. The laws are quite clear and focus on some salient points such as, Increased accountability & transparency, Empowerment of individuals, Standardization across the EU and Encouragement of best practices. These laws must be adhered to.

Big world corporations must put the customer’s rights at the front burner.

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