Esports in Nigeria

In a room decked out in futuristic decor in an upscale district of Nigeria's economic capital Lagos, several thousand visitors gathered for a giant video game tournament on Saturday.

Whipped up by an emcee, crowds of young spectators cheered all day in front of the competitors whose games were interspersed with concerts of local Afrobeats stars, Victony and Crayon.

Competitors battled it out in popular eSports games like "Call of Duty: Mobile", "Street Fighter" and "FIFA".

The bling of the "Nigerian-style" show lived up to the ambitions of Africa's leading economy as it looks to establish itself as an eSports –- electronic sports –- leader despite the economic and logistics problems the country faces.

South Africa is now crushing the African eSports scene, thanks to numerous investments, followed by Egypt and Morocco, then to a lesser extent by Senegal, Ivory Coast and Kenya.

But Nigeria has something to make its neighbours swoon because its strengths -- and its challenges -- are immense.

Immense especially in size: it is the most populous country in Africa with more than 215 million inhabitants, renowned for being competitive in business, sports and music. And three-quarters of the population is under 25.

In Lagos, in the midst of the din of the tournament he was supervising, Kunmi Adenipebi explained it was almost impossible to know exactly how many players there are in Nigeria.

"Some say there are 60 million players in Nigeria. We did a survey and we know one thing for sure: there are at least 3 million players," said Adenipebi, chief of operations at Gamr, which organised the event.
Feet of clay

The potential pool of Nigerian players is enormous: broadband internet penetration has reached 48 percent, almost all via smartphone, and it continues to grow.

This is only the beginning, however, as Nigeria will be the second most populous country in the world at the end of the century with nearly 790 million inhabitants, just behind India, according to Lancet projections.

But, between widespread poverty, power cuts and the poor quality network, Nigeria remains a colossus with feet of clay.

It has few professional players even if there are more and more since the global Covid pandemic, Adenipebi said.

"Esport is a beautiful opportunity for our youth and to pull people out of poverty. We want it to become a means of living," said Chike Okonkwo, co-founder of Gamic, which promotes eSport.

A few metres from the main hall, Akintoye Arogunmati, who goes by the name "The_Arogs", was participating in the tournament.

Eyes glued to the screen, the 25-year-old, one of Nigeria's best professional players on "FIFA", says he earns an average of 300,000 naira (420 euros) per month. This is 10 times the minimum wage of 30,000 naira.

Last November, he participated in the Paris Games Week, which he called "a dream".

But "there are so many challenges to overcome" before he can get ahead, he said, laughing, his controller in his hands.

"Being a gamer in Nigeria comes with so many challenges. For an average Nigerian, equipment and generators are very expensive. There is no constant electricity in Nigeria. And the network," he said.
Nightmare

To play online, a gamer must obviously have a good internet connection but also a low "ping", a nightmare for many Africans.

Ping is the reaction time between when a player presses a key and when that action actually takes place in-game. It is the round-trip time between the player and the server they are on.

African players are at a disadvantage in online competition because the servers for almost all games are hosted in Europe, North America or Asia. That means it takes longer for African players' actions to register in the system.

"It is so frustrating, you know that the guy is not as good as you but because of the ping, you can't do anything. You can't compete," said Arogunmati.

In the room drenched in purple and blue neon lights, players compete on state-of-the-art giant screens. In the VIP area, the whisky flows freely.

The glitzy scene contrasts with the reality facing pro players, because even when you are a champion, life has "nothing fun" and the rewards are too low, said pro player "K.I.D".

"For a tournament like this one, they can pay you in three months or more," said Kevin Durst, a pro competitor in "Street Fighter".

"The reality is that without my sponsors I wouldn't have anything to eat."

AFP

Related stories: Nigeria hosting event focusing on Africa's potential in the videogame industry

Meet Hugo Obi: Nigerian Entrepreneur Changing The Video Gaming Landscape In Africa

Video - Nigeria leads in adoption of forex trading in Africa

Despite forex trading being viewed as a high-risk venture, hundreds of thousands of Nigerians are diving in every year, as they explore new ways to earn a living. 

CGTN

Video - Nigeria approves operations for over 170 digital lending platforms

The move comes as more Nigerians grow more comfortable and knowledgeable in accessing the digital economy. Mobile lending apps have become an easy source of credit in Nigeria, with the country ranked among the fastest-growing markets in Africa.

CGTN

China beats Tesla to lithium deposits in Nigeria

Kaduna, a state in northwestern Nigeria, has selected China’s Ming Xin Mineral Separation Nig Ltd. (MXMS) to build the country’s first lithium-processing plant, with a plan to manufacture batteries for electric vehicles (EVs).

On January 13, the Kaduna Investment Promotion Agency tweeted pictures of its leadership team reviewing the plant’s construction. According to Kaduna State’s mining company, the plant is being built on 9.3 hectares of land. Khalil Nur Khalil, the executive secretary of the state’s investment promotion agency, told Rest of World that the plant is a “game changer,” which he believes will lay the foundation for Nigeria’s ambitions to build “battery factories” and produce “EVs in Kaduna.”

This comes more than five months after the Nigerian government claimed it had rejected Tesla’s proposal to purchase raw lithium from the country.

Ayodeji Adeyemi, special assistant to the minister of mines and steel development, told Rest of World that Tesla’s proposal was rejected because it did not align with the country’s new mining policies.

“Our new mining policy demands that you add some value to raw mineral ores, including lithium, before you export to create jobs and build industries,” Adeyemi said. “They don’t have to turn ores into finished goods. We are only asking them to add some value before exporting.”

In January, Elon Musk, the co-founder and CEO of Tesla, said he sees the company’s biggest competition coming from China. That same month, Tesla even slashed the prices of its cars in China for the second time since September last year.

According to the International Energy Agency (IEA), China already controls 60% of the world’s lithium processing and is exploring new frontiers, like Nigeria, to expand its dominance. Kaduna is one of several Nigerian states with lithium deposits. At least seven other states in the country are confirmed to have the mineral — essential in the manufacturing of EV batteries — in commercial quantities.

The Nigerian government has relied significantly on funding from China for several landmark projects, including the Abuja Light Rail project, planned terminal expansions at four major airports, and the National Public Security Communications System project. According to Nigeria’s debt management office, Chinese loans represented 3.94% of the country’s total public debt as of March 2020.

Despite increasing Chinese interest in infrastructure financing and construction, the U.S. is still one of Nigeria’s top five sources of imported capital. In 2021, Nigeria received over $2.2 billion from the U.K., over $677 million from the U.S., and $10 million from China, official records from the National Bureau of Statistics show.

Analysis from the IEA shows that to reach net zero emissions by 2050, about 2 billion EVs and hybrids need to be produced and used. However, global lithium reserves can only make about 2.5 billion EVs. This means that lithium will continue to be a valued, in-demand mineral, given that it has alternative uses apart from making EV batteries. It is used to make batteries for laptops, phones, and digital cameras and is also essential in the manufacturing of planes and trains.

“Nigeria can take advantage of this market by leveraging the domestic value-added process to the mineral,” Oghosa Erhahon, a lawyer and energy transition analyst, told Rest of World. “For example, manufacturing batteries for exports. It’s one thing to limit foreign activities, but not building sustainable infrastructure for lithium mining is not favorable, especially with the national plans to diversify exports.”

By Temitayo Lawal, rest of world  

Related stories: First phase of light rail project by Chinese company completed in Nigeria

Nigeria becomes first country in Africa to have Starlink

Nigeria becomes first country in Africa to have Starlink

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Space Exploration Technologies Corporation, SpaceX, on Monday announced that it has commenced the operation of Starlink services in Nigeria, the first African country to receive such.

Starlink is a satellite internet constellation operated by SpaceX launched in 2019. It provides satellite internet access coverage to about 46 countries, which is also targeting the global mobile phone service after 2023.

“Starlink is now available in Nigeria – the first African country to receive service!” a tweet posted on the official page of the satellite firm read.

SpaceX is an American spacecraft manufacturer, launcher, and a satellite communications corporation headquartered in California.

It was founded by Elon Musk, the billionaire owner of Tesla and the micro-blogging site Twitter, with the aim of reducing space transportation costs to enable the colonization of Mars.

Although Starlink’s internet services have been said to be accessible from any part of the country, bridging the existing internet connectivity gap across rural communities in Nigeria where other network operators could not deploy their services, analysts say that the high cost of Starlink may prevent many Nigerians from accessing this service.

Last week, Nigeria’s Communications Minister, Isa Pantami, while presenting the scorecard of President Muhammadu Buhari’s administration in the ICT sector, hinted that the country achieved a 100 per cent broadband coverage following the licensing and operation of SpaceX’s Starlink.

“Based on the National Broadband Plan, we were to have 90% broadband coverage by December 2025. However, we recently gave a licence to Starlink to provide services and this has given us 100% coverage, about 3 years ahead of schedule,” the minister said. 

By Abdulkareem Mojeed, Premium Times

Related story: Artermis Accords signed by Nigeria and Rwanda

Nigeria Becoming Destination for Africa’s Promising Tech Startups

Video - Olubenga Olubanjo Powering Nigeria One Electric Capsule at a Time

Olubenga Olubanjo, founder of Reeddi, says he’s found a way to provide affordable, reliable and sustainable electricity to all Nigerians. 

Bloomberg

 

How a grandmother in Nigeria became an internet start

Hamsatu Izang sings out as she hammers rocks into small gravel pieces for the construction industry. Singing brings her joy and peace, she says, amid this hard manual labour. But when a local music producer hears her song, her life takes a surprising turn and a whole new world opens up. This film follows Mama Hamsatu as she navigates two very different realities, her work as a lifelong stone crusher and a new role as a singing star, in the hope that her new success might bring lasting change. Dorcas Sheffy Bello is a multimedia journalist and filmmaker from Jos, Nigeria. She is the founder of Unzipped Stories Africa, and has won awards for scriptwriting and reporting. Her documentary on polio, Not All Darkness, has won many regional plaudits. 

Al Jazeera 

Related story: Nigerian kids 'Ikorodu Bois' get Hollywood invite after recreating movie trailer

 

Nigeria to possibly make Bitcoin usage legal

 

 

 

 

A local Nigerian newspaper has reported that Babangida Ibrahim, chairman of the House of Representatives Committee on Capital Market and Institutions of Nigeria, claimed the country will soon pass a law making the usage of bitcoin and cryptocurrencies legal. The bill would amend the 2007 Investments and Securities Act and would recognize bitcoin as legal capital for investment.

Back in February of 2021, Nigeria effectively banned the usage of bitcoin with a letter prohibiting regulated financial businesses from “dealing” with cryptocurrencies. In the same year, Bitcoin Magazine reported Nigeria soaring to the largest volume of bitcoin peer-to-peer trading in the world, and Chainanalysis reports showed that Nigeria had greatly accelerated bitcoin adoption.


The newspaper report described how Ibrahim pointed to Nigeria being behind in regards to regulation of the industry, saying “Like I said earlier during the second reading, we need an efficient and vibrant capital market in Nigeria. For us to do that, we have to be up to date global practices.”

If the proposed regulation properly addresses the growing bitcoin usage within the country, it could be a major catalyst for the African continent’s most populated country.

Bitcoin has had a large presence in the country despite the current ban, including the construction of a Bitcoin village, Nigerian Bitcoiners participating in all sorts of development, philanthropic work from Bitcoin companies and mining being an active industry there. 

Bitcoin Magazine

Related stories: Thriving Under Pressure: Why Crypto Is Booming in Nigeria Despite the Banking Ban

Digital art thrives among crypto-curious Nigerian artists

Nigeria church attack video restored to Instagram by Meta's Oversight Board

Meta's Oversight Board on Wednesday overturned a decision to remove a video that was shared on Instagram showing the gruesome aftermath of an attack on a church in Nigeria that killed at least 40 people.

The video showing motionless, bloodied bodies on the floor, apparently the aftermath of the church attack that took place on June 5 in Owo, southwest Nigeria, was shared by an Instagram user on the same day.

Meta removed the video, saying hashtags added by the user could be read as glorifying violence and minimizing suffering. The user appealed against the removal to the independent board.

The board on Wednesday asked Meta to restore the post with a "disturbing content" warning screen, saying this would protect victims' privacy while allowing for discussion of events.

"Nigeria is experiencing an ongoing series of terrorist attacks and the Nigerian government has suppressed coverage of some of them, though it does not appear to have done so in relation to the June 5 attack," the board said.

"The Board agrees that in such contexts freedom of expression is particularly important."

Nigerian authorities have accused insurgents from the Islamic State in West Africa group of carrying out the attack on St Francis Catholic Church, which took place during Pentecost Sunday mass. Five suspects were arrested in August.

The Nigerian government has been exploring ways to regulate social media use in the country, Africa's most populous. Millions of Nigerians are active users of YouTube, Twitter , Facebook (META.O) and TikTok.

The West African country has asked Google to block the use of YouTube channels and livestreams by banned groups and terrorist organizations in the country. 

By MacDonald Dzirutwe, Reuters

Relates story: Video - Nigeria church attack: Survivors face grief, trauma

Nigerian government closely monitoring Nigerians using Twitter after ownership change

The Nigerian Government said that it is closely monitoring the use of Twitter by Nigerians.

Speaking at the media briefing on the achievements of President Muhammadu Buhari’s (2015-2023) series, the Minister of Information and Culture, Lai Mohammed, said the monitoring has become imperative following the change of ownership of Twitter.

He noted that with an increase in the dissemination of fake news in the country, many have expressed fears of the possible banning of Twitter again.

“Many have asked for our reaction following reports that there has been a spike in fake news, disinformation, and
hate speech since the micro-blogging site changed ownership. Many have even asked us if another ban is in the offing”, he said.

The Minister however informed that the government has no intention of further banning any social media platform. He added that while the government upholds freedom of speech, it will not watch mischief makers destabilize the country through fake news.

“It has never been our intention to ban any social media platform or stifle free speech. Not at all. What happened in the case of Twitter is well-known to all.

“Twitter became a platform of choice for those who want to destabilize Nigeria, using fake news, disinformation, and hate speech.

“No nation will allow any social media platform to plunge it into anarchy. Definitely not Nigeria. But we have continued to engage positively with the different social media platforms, including Facebook, Google (owners of YouTube), and Twitter.

“We have no intention of banning any social media platform again. But we will also not sit by and allow any platform whatsoever to throw our nation into crisis.”

The Federal Government between June 5 2021 and January 13, officially banned Twitter, restricting it from operating in the country after it deleted tweets made by President Muhammadu Buhari.

The Guardian, by Bridget Chiedu Onochie

Related story: Nigerians launch legal action against government’s Twitter ban

Amazon Web Services opens office in Nigeria

Amazon Web Services, Inc. (AWS) has announced the opening of its first office in Lagos, Nigeria.

Disclosing this in a statement on Wednesday, the company said the new office was part of its support for the growing number of customers and partners in Nigeria.

AWS is a subsidiary of Amazon, an American e-commerce company, that provides on-demand cloud computing platforms and APIs to individuals, companies, and governments, on a metered pay-as-you-go basis.

The development is Amazon’s latest investment in Africa, and it comes five years after its first office was opened in Johannesburg in 2017.

The e-commerce company said the office will support organisations of all sizes, including startups, enterprises, and public sector agencies as they make the transition to AWS cloud.

With the Lagos office, it said, AWS can better address the increase in customer and partner adoption of its services in Nigeria.

Commenting on the development, Amrote Abdella, regional manager of Sub-Saharan Africa, AWS, said with its local presence, the company will support new and existing clients looking to use its products and services to innovate, lower their information technology (IT) costs, and grow their organisations in the cloud.

“We are excited to open our first AWS office in Nigeria. Lagos offers a highly skilled and creative talent pool, and the area is home to many fast-growing startups and notable Nigerian enterprises leading the way in digital innovation,” Abdella said.

“We look forward to fostering the country’s pioneering spirit and helping our customers accelerate their digital transformation as they deliver innovative new products and services to the Nigerian community.”

Regarding plans for businesses, Amazon said it would actively support Nigerian startups and the community with educational programmes.

“AWS activate provides startups with the resources they need to get started on AWS, including up to $100,000 in AWS credits, training, support, and contact with incubators, accelerators, and venture capital firms. AWS academy helps university students and educators develop knowledge and skills about AWS cloud computing, to accelerate cloud-related learning,” it added.

“…member institutions in Nigeria include the University of Benin, University of Jos, and Igbinedion University. AWS re/Start is a 12-week, in-person, skills-based training program that covers fundamental AWS cloud skills and practical career skills, such as interviewing and resume writing, to help prepare individuals for entry-level cloud positions.

“AWS also has a vibrant user group in Lagos, with hundreds of members that organise local meetups for developers to network and share best practices and knowledge. To join the AWS Nigeria user group, visit the AWS User Group page.”

On his part, Isa Pantami, minister of communications and digital economy, said having such a development will boost the digital economy of the country.

Pantami said the service infrastructure pillar of the national digital economy policy and strategy (NDEPS) emphasises the importance of “digital platforms in the development of a robust digital economy”.

“The programs of Amazon Web Services support the development of such platforms and we look forward to partnering with AWS to accelerate the implementation of NDEPS,” he said. 

The Cable, by Busola Aro

Related story: Amazon Prime Video launches local service in Nigeria

Video - Amazon Prime Video signs deal with Nollywood

Sony unveils new products in Nigeria

Sony Middle East and Africa in collaboration with Kontakt Pro Nigeria Limited have unveiled its cinema line cameras in Nigeria.

At the event in Lagos, the firm also used the event to engage emerging talents, key players and stakeholders in Nollywood and the media production industry.

The experiential event, which included hands-on demonstrations, in-depth product presentations and discussions with Sony experts from United Arab Emirate (UAE) and Japan, was also used to announce the arrival of its newest addition to the brand’s prestigious Cinema Line – the FX30 (model ILME-FX30).

Also, showcased at the event were the FX3, the FX6 and the FX9 full-frame digital cameras, with superior colour science technology, high-resolution sensors up to 6k, exceptional dynamic range for any light setting and fully optimised for a fast workflow. A key highlight of these cameras is their Netflix Production Technology alliance, a delight for today’s content creators.

Product Marketing Manager at Sony Middle East and Africa, Arvin Orsua, said: “It is important to Sony to make the life of a cinematographer easy. As a cinematographer, Sony fulfils its promise to support creators’ needs with camera features that make operation simple and output outstanding.”

For decades Sony has worked with the creative community by providing support and supplying tools made by cinematographers for cinematographers. The DNA (genetic makeup) from top film industries and the frontier of digital imaging come together to create a line of powerful creative tools designed to capture emotion in every frame and unleash the true power of visual storytelling from every corner of content creation.

Head of Digital Imaging at Sony Middle East and Africa, Sajeer Shamsu, said: “The new FX30 is a great fit for anyone looking to get started in filmmaking.

“It features many of the professional features of our high-end cameras at a price point that makes it easily accessible for filmmakers in the Middle East and Africa region at any level. This camera is an excellent starting point for our full line-up of Cinema Line Cameras.”

“We live in a new age of content consumption, where we can choose to connect with distant people, unseen places, exotic cultures, and untold stories at will. We can change the way we experience the world, and connecting people’s emotion through powerful storytelling is the motivation behind Sony’s cinema production technology” Shamsu noted.

In a statement, the Country Manager for Product Marketing, Nigeria, Ms. Bukola Oloyede, expressed delight in the film technology that Sony is making available to content creators. 

The Guardian

Nigeria regulator seeks $70M penalty in lawsuit against Meta

A Nigerian advertising regulator has sued Meta, accusing the owner of Facebook and WhatsApp of publishing unauthorized ads and seeking a 30 billion naira ($70 million) fine.

The lawsuit filed in a local court by the Advertising Regulatory Council of Nigeria, or ARCON, is the regulator’s latest action that analysts say could hurt businesses highly dependent on digital ads for their growth.

Nigerian advertising laws require the regulator to approve ads based on certain criteria with the involvement of an advertising practitioner in Africa’s largest economy.

“Before you put out anything, it should be vetted and approved by ARCON first before exposure,” the agency said Tuesday. “Anything that has not been vetted and approved by ARCON is a violation of our law.”

A Meta spokesperson said the company doesn’t comment on ongoing legal claims.

The regulator published some details from the court filings, including a request for a declaration “that the continued publication and exposure of various advertisements directed at the Nigerian market through Facebook and Instagram platforms by Meta Platforms Incorporated without ensuring same is vetted and approved before exposure is illegal, unlawful and a violation of the extant advertising Law in Nigeria.”

The Nigerian government said Meta displaying unvetted ads has cost the country a loss of revenue, without providing details.

The agency warned against “unethical and irresponsible advertising on Nigeria’s advertising space,” raising questions over what constitutes such advertising.

The court case against Meta comes about a year after the Nigerian government began moves to get social media networks to run local offices in the country. That followed a seven-month ban on Twitter, which the government had accused of allowing “persistent use of the platform for activities that are capable of undermining Nigeria’s corporate existence.”

By Chinedu Asadu

AP

Flutterwave adds Nigeria's eNaira as payment option for merchants

Africa-focused fintech firm Flutterwave said on Wednesday it has added Nigeria's eNaira as a payment option for merchants, a move that could help boost adoption of the digital currency.

Nigeria, the first African nation to launch a digital currency, is targeting 8 million users for the app launched in October. But adoption has been slow as lenders worry the app would compete with their online platforms and reduce fee revenue.

Flutterwave said that over 1 million merchants now accept eNaira payments from their customers.

"We... are confident that this number will grow further as we continue to innovate and expand," Flutterwave said in a statement.

Nigeria aims to expand usage of its eNaira digital currency by attracting users without bank accounts after a first phase adoption saw 850,000 downloads by bank customers.

The west African country is battling to stabilise its weakening currency, curb rising inflation and boost growth after economic disruption from the COVID-19 pandemic.

By Chijioke Ohuocha

Reuters

Nigeria’s first Technology Reality Show opens in Lagos

Unveiling the show, known as Scinovate, the Lagos State Commissioner for Science and Technology, Mr Hakeem Fahm, said the show would boost innovation in the state, especially among the younger segment of the population.

Farm said that the state government was open to innovative ideas provided by individuals and corporate bodies to accelerate development in the state.

“Technology will strength our drive to bring Nigeria to the forefront and make the nation to depend less on oil,’’ he said, lauding the organisers of the show for bringing up ideas to foster change.

The Convener of the show, Mr Emmanuel Rotimi, said that the show was an idea to bring people with scientific knowledge in Nigeria to find ways to foster development and nation building.

“The show will try to stimulate the consciousness of Nigerians on innovation and what science and technology can do in the lives of people,’’ Rotimi stated.

According to him, the show is a pan-Nigeria contest, where 30 contestants with tech ideas will be brought together in a house for 30 days.

‘’At the end of the 30 days, there will be 10 finalists — five winners with three winning prizes.’’

The convener said that to participate in the show, the contestant must be Nigerian, male or female, with knowledge of technology and in the age range of between 18 to 40 years.

In a speech, Dr Lekan Adelakun, the Team Lead of Q’Impact Medicare, said that science was crucial in the developmental of any country, noting however, that overnment should support the development of technology.

He said that the science and technology reality show should be packaged to be attractive, noting that the nation would be better for the show.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) learnt the show is estimated to cost about N200m with winners, expected to go home with monetary prizes.

The Sun

Nigeria generates over N730b from gaming yearly

National Commissioner/CEO of the Nigeria Data Protection Bureau (NDPB), Dr. Vincent Olatunji, has said that Nigeria generates over N730 billion from the gaming industry yearly.

He said this at the maiden National Symposium for the Nigeria Gaming Industry organised by Velex Advisory in partnership with the National Lottery Regulatory Commission (NLRC) and NDPB, held in Lagos on Thursday.

Olatunji said the gaming industry was becoming a major driver of the country’s economy, providing jobs to thousands of citizens. Quoting research findings, he said the global industry reached nearly $465 billion in 2020, having grown at a compound yearly growth rate of 2.1 per cent since 2015.

According to him, the market is expected to hit $674 billion in 2025 at a compound growth rate of 7.7 per cent. The figure could reach $895 billion in 2030.

He said over 60 million Nigerians, aged between 18 and 40, are involved in sport betting, with the operators paying taxes to the government and engaging young people who would have been jobless.

“The growth is driven by passion. People who play games or bet do so out of the passion they have for the sport, football in particular,” he said.

While delivering a paper titled, ‘Gaming and Data Protection Compliance – Implication for Regulators, Operators and Stakers: the Future of Cyber Security, the expert said the quality of data on the gaming industry has increased tremendously in recent years.

He, however, warned operators that data protection and privacy are key in safeguarding their businesses.

Velex Advisory executives said that Nigeria has the most attractive gambling industry with favourable regulations, huge gambling population and an increase in Internet penetration.

“We establish and sustain a good relationship with the regulators providing an advisory role to promote compliance and ensure the growth of existing gaming business in the industry,” the executive noted.

The Director General of the National Lottery Regulatory Commission, Lanre Gbajabiamila, noted: “The gaming market in Nigeria is experiencing progressive evolution; punters can conveniently place their bets on different platforms using various media access available.

“Also, Nigerian punters can access a variety of regulated digital games like sports betting, lotteries, slots, table games like poker and blackjack through both domestic and international commercial gaming operators.”

Gbajabiamila said one out of every 23 digital gaming transactions is fraudulent, with attack rates for account creation and payment transactions estimated at 5.6 per cent and 4.6 per cent respectively.

Suppliers must, therefore, implement robust cybersecurity measures to lessen the risk of fraud and network security vulnerability, he said.

On his part, the Chief Technology Officer, Infoprive Limited, Gbolabo Awelewa, said it is important to know the actual number of people that are involved in gaming, which is the reason data management is key.

By Michael Akinadewo

The Guardian

Related story: Nigeria hosting event focusing on Africa's potential in the videogame industry

Meet Hugo Obi: Nigerian Entrepreneur Changing The Video Gaming Landscape In Africa

Nigeria dominates as Google supports 60 African startups

Speaking at the event, the Head of Startup Ecosystem, Sub-Saharan Africa, Folarin Aiyegbusi, said “Africa is a diverse continent with massive opportunity but the continent is faced with the challenge of limited diversity in venture capital funding flow. We hope that the Black Founders Fund program will be able to bridge the gap of disproportionate funding between expat startups over local and black-led companies.”

Google has said that 60 African startups have been selected for the second cohort of the Google for Startups Black Founders Fund for Africa with $4m funding.

The global firm said this on Tuesday during the Google for Startups Black Founders Fund 2022 winner announcement in Abuja.

It was disclosed that Nigeria dominates the selection list, which features 23 Nigerian startups.

Other countries benefitting from this funding programme include Kenya with 12 grantees, Rwanda with six grantees, South Africa with five grantees, Uganda with four grantees, among others.

It was disclosed that each of the selected startups will get support in the form of a six-month training programme that includes access to a network of mentors to assist in tackling unique challenges.

In addition to being a part of tailored workshops, support networks and community building sessions, the 60 grantees will also get non-dilutive awards of $50,000 and $100,000 and up to $200,000 in Google Cloud credit.

It was disclosed that fund will be distributed through Google’s implementation partner, CcHUB.

Speaking at the event, the Head of Startup Ecosystem, Sub-Saharan Africa, Folarin Aiyegbusi, said “Africa is a diverse continent with massive opportunity but the continent is faced with the challenge of limited diversity in venture capital funding flow. We hope that the Black Founders Fund program will be able to bridge the gap of disproportionate funding between expat startups over local and black-led companies.”

Also speaking at the event was the Director General, National Information Technology Development Agency, Kashifu Inuwa, who said that the recently passed Nigeria Startup Bill by the National Assembly will help to institutionalise legal frameworks that will enhance startup growth in Nigeria.

Opinion Nigeria

Nigeria To Establish Special Economic Zone for Bitcoin

Nigeria is seeking to create the first economic free zone for bitcoin and cryptocurrency in West Africa through the Nigeria Export Processing Zones Authority (NEPZA), per a press release.

NEPZA is in discussions with Binance, one of the leading cryptocurrency exchanges, as well as Talent City which specializes in building special economic zones.

Our goal is to engender a flourishing virtual free zones to take advantage of a near trillion dollar virtual economy in blockchains and digital economy," said Adesoji Adesugba, NEPZA's managing director.

Furthermore, NEPZA explained that if a partnership is reached, the final product would mirror that of the Dubai Virtual Free Zone.

In fact, this past December, Binance entered into a Memorandum of Understanding with the Dubai World Trade Center. The memorandum intends to make Dubai a hub for bitcoin and cryptocurrency related products and services by creating a “new international virtual asset ecosystem.”

In February of last year, the Central Bank of Nigeria issued a letter banning regulated institutions from “dealing” with bitcoin or cryptocurrencies. Following the ban, Nigeria saw an uptick of 27% in peer-to-peer (P2P) bitcoin transactions across the country.

Indeed, just last year Africa as a whole became the largest country in P2P transactions in the world by volume. Around the same time, Chainalysis reported a global adoption index which showed Nigeria in the top 10 countries worldwide for its adoption of bitcoin.

Moreover, as Dubai and Nigeria look to establish special economic zones to benefit bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies, we can take a look at existing economic zones. For instance, the free city of Próspera is an example of a customizable economic framework. 

By Shawn Amick

Bitcoin Magazine

Related stories: Nigerians Are Using Bitcoin to Bypass Trade Hurdles With China

Why Bitcoin has been so successful in Nigeria

Jack Dorsey Tweets Support For Nigerian Bitcoin Adoption

Nigeria, others battle state-sponsored cyber threats

With escalating geopolitical and geo-economic tensions, Nigeria and other countries with weak cyber security profiles are threatened by a barrage of state-sponsored malicious cyber activities.

These could pose an enormous risk even when they occur at low-level intensity, experts have warned. The Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) has issued at least six cyber-attack warnings since the beginning of the year. The warnings came on the back of a rising incidence of cyber-attacks, both globally and locally.

From software supply chain compromises to alleged attempted theft of sensitive COVID-19 vaccine research to power-supply cutoffs, state-sponsored cyber incidents have compromised the security of critical infrastructure in countries around the world.

In response, governments and businesses around the world should be developing new cybersecurity strategies and initiatives. These were made known at the ongoing Cybersecurity Virtual Reporting Tour scheduled for August 29 to September 16. Organised by Foreign Press Centres of the United States, the event is themed, “A Shared Responsibility: Prioritising Public-Private Partnerships in Cybersecurity.”

It was revealed that in 2021, the United States set a record for the highest data breaches and other cyber incidents affecting companies, governments and individuals.

According to the latest data breach report by IBM and the Ponemon Institute, a research centre dedicated to privacy, data protection, and ethical research standards, the cost of data breaches in 2021 stood at $4.24 million, which was a 10 per cent increase from the average cost recorded in 2019.

In the first quarter of 2022 alone, the number of reported breach incidents increased by 14 per cent compared to the same period in 2021, the report said.

With reference made to Cybersecurity Ventures, it was disclosed that the global average cost of cybercrime peaked at $6 trillion in 2021, driven mostly by ransomware attacks. This could hit $10.5 trillion by 2025.

While speaking on the topic: ‘Overview of Cybersecurity and its impact’, National Cyber Director and Advisor to the President of the United States Joe Biden on cybersecurity, Chris Inglis, said there is a need to understand who is responsible for what in cyberspace.

“If we get the roles and responsibilities right in cyberspace, if we get the people skills right in cyberspace, if we get the technology right in cyberspace, we will have dealt with all three of the really important pieces of the noun of cyberspace. Cyberspace is technology and people and roles and responsibilities,” he said.

Inglis said cyber is important because of what it does for the people, stressing that cyber is more than technology that it’s people and doctrine, and requires that people deliver what is expected of it.

According to him, three things are essential; “one, we need to make sure that we make the investments required to make sure that it’s resilient and robust by design, in the same way to my earlier point we do that for cars and airplanes and therapeutics. We invest in those to make sure that we can have confidence in the functions that they perform before the events occur. We try to avoid bad experiences as opposed to simply responding to things that happen to us or around us.

“Also, we will – if we make the investments necessary – create a resilient system, a defensible system, but it will never be a perfectly secure system, meaning that these systems do not defend themselves. We must actively participate in their defense, and that defense needs to be a collective defense, one where each of us makes contributions to the defence of all of us.”

This must be an international effort where we have a social contract amongst nations that determine: how we collectively make the investments necessary to create resilience in this space; how we collectively make contributions to defend what then results in this space as a series of critical functions upon which our societies depend?

From her perspective, Principal Deputy National Cyber Director, Kemba Walden, said cyberspace activities are high, stressing that ransomware is an activity that requires an all-hands-on-deck approach.

Walden said all countries and communities need to be a part of the solution. Speaking on how it is related to cryptocurrency, she said ransomware is not necessarily new, adding that it wasn’t born out of the development of cryptocurrency or even blockchain technology in the olden days, stressing that people use prepaid cards to be able to execute ransom.

According to her, the costs of doing business as a ransomware actor are far too low, stressing that there is a need to raise the costs of doing the business and raise the entry of doing business as a ransomware actor such that it becomes less profitable and more difficult to do, which impact activities of criminals.

By Adeyemi Adepetun

The Guardian

Video - Low wages, and lack of infrastructure leading to a "brain drain" in Nigeria's IT sector

Nigerians with sought-after skills, especially in information technology, are leaving the country in high numbers. Kelechi Emekalam reports Nigeria's best and brightest are being lured away by the promise of better salaries and modern infrastructure in other countries.