Business
Nigeria’s identity database not hacked, says NIMC
The National Identity Management Commission (NIMC) says the country’s identity database has not been breached by hackers.
It was reported on Monday that Nigeria’s identity database had been hit by cyberattack.
But NIMC in a statement on Tuesday said its servers were not breached but fully optimised and running at the highest international security levels as the custodian of the most important national database for Nigeria.
The Director-General of NIMC, Aliyu Aziz, was quoted by the statement as saying that the commission, as the custodian of the foundational identity database for Africa’s most populous nation, had gone to great lengths to ensure the nation’s database was adequately secured and protected especially given the spate of cyber-attacks on networks across the world.
“Over the years, through painstaking efforts, NIMC has built a robust and credible system for Nigeria’s identity database. The commission and its infrastructure are certified to the ISO 27001:2013 Information Security Management System Standard which are revalidated annually”, Aziz was quoted by the statement signed by NIMC’s Head of Corporate Communications, Kayode Adegoke.
The statement said NIMC had ensured maximum security of its systems and database because of the critical nature of the identity data which the commission collects, manages and maintains as critical assets for the country.
The commission assured the public that it would continue to uphold the highest ethical standards in data security on behalf of the Federal Government and ensure compliance with data protection and privacy regulations.
The NIMC Director-General stated that the commission neither used nor stored information on the AWS cloud platform or any public cloud despite the usefulness of the NIMC Mobile App available to the public for accessing their NIN on the go.
According to the DG, the NIMC MobileID application has no database within the app, nor does it store information in flat files, adding that the commission has made this app available to the public to reduce and eliminate any delay or challenge(s) in accessing one’s NIN.
He said, “The public should be aware that the possession of a NIN slip does not amount to access to the National Identity Database, but that the NIN slip is just a physical assertion of a person’s identity. Under the data protection regulations, no licensed partner/vendor is authorized to scan and store copies of individuals NIN slips but rather authenticate the NIN using the approved and authorized verification platforms/channels provided.
“As part of its policies to protect personally identifiable information stored in the National Identity Database, the public may recall that the Ministry of Communications and Digital Economy through NIMC launched the Tokenization features of the NIN verification service. This solution is to safeguard the personal data of individuals and ensure continuous user rights and privacy. ”
The commission commended the efforts of several Federal Government agencies such as Joint Admissions and Matriculations Board (JAMB), the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC), Nigeria Immigration Services, Pension Commission (PenCom), the Nigeria Police Force, the Nigeria Correctional Service, the Nigeria Customs, and a host of others, that had streamlined their services in line with the use of National Identification Number (NIN) as the valid means of identification.
Business
RT Briscoe appoints Femi Eguaikhide as Deputy Managing Director
RT Briscoe appoints Femi Eguaikhide as Deputy Managing Director
The Board of RT Briscoe Plc has appointed Dr Olorunfemi Abidemi Eguaikhide, the Executive Director responsible for business operations to a new position of Deputy Managing Director.
The appointment, according to the management of the organisation, will take effect from January 1st, 2025.
Born on March 28, 1968, Eguakhide holds a Postgraduate Diploma in Business Administration and an MBA in Marketing Management from the Enugu State University of Science and Technology.
He is an Alumnus of the prestigious Lagos Business School of the Pan Atlantic University having attended the Advanced Management Programme (AMP) in 2016.
He is a full member of the Chartered Institute of Personnel Management of Nigeria (MCIPM); associate member of the Nigerian Institute for Training and Development (AITD); Fellow of the Institute of Credit Administration (FICA), Certified Digital Marketing Professional (CDMP) and Fellow of the Institute of Corporate Administration of Nigeria.
The core experience of the new Deputy Managing Director is in the areas of operations management, sales and marketing management, human resources and business leadership.
Dr. Eguaikhide previously worked with Genesis Group variously as deputy general manager in charge of Human Resources and IT; general manager HR & IT; general manager, operations and chief operations officer at the Bridge Healthcare Company in 2010.
He joined RT Briscoe as group head, human capital development in 2012 and was appointed to manage the Briscoe-Ford Business unit in 2014 as the general manager.
He was subsequently appointed as head of the Briscoe-Motors Business unit in 2017 and later as the group chief operating officer in September 2018.
He obtained his doctorate degree in December 2021 and was appointed a director of RT Briscoe with effect from September 1, 2019.
Reacting to his latest promotion, Mike Ochonma, Chairman of Nigeria Auto Journalists Association (NAJA), described the appointment as a square peg in a square hole.
He said it was as a well deserved elevation, coming at a time when businesses are going through very difficult times, adding that he has no doubt that Eguaikhide would bring his wealth of experience to bear on the role in the company.
Business
Food price, transport fare hike push Nigeria’s inflation to 33.88%
Food price, transport fare hike push Nigeria’s inflation to 33.88%
Rising cost of living based on the increase in food prices and transport fares among others has reflected in the latest inflation figures in Nigeria, put at 33.88 per cent.
Nigeria’s headline inflation rate rose to 33.88 per cent in October 2024, up from 32.7 per cent in September 2024, according to the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) Consumer Price Index (CPI) report released on Friday.
Newstrends.ng observes that the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) has raised interest rates five times this year in an effort to rein in inflation.
The NBS in its latest report attributed the rise in inflation to increased transportation costs and higher food prices.
On a year-on-year basis, the rate was 6.55 percentage points higher than the 27.33 per cent recorded in October 2023, highlighting a substantial increase in inflation over the past year.
On a month-on-month basis, the headline inflation rate in October 2024 stood at 2.64 per cent, representing a 0.12 per cent increase from the 2.52 per cent recorded in September 2024
This indicates that the rate of increase in the average price level in October 2024 was higher than the rate of increase observed in September 2024.
Aviation
Disaster averted as bird strike hits Abuja-Lagos Air Peace flight
Disaster averted as bird strike hits Abuja-Lagos Air Peace flight
An Abuja-Lagos flight was on Thursday aborted following a bird strike on the airplane belonging to Air Peace, forcing the authorities to ground the aircraft.
The bird strike experienced in the early hours reportedly prompted a ramp return to ensure the safety of passengers onboard.
All the passengers quickly disembarked and were calmed down before they were moved into another plane for the one-hour journey.
A bird strike is a collision between a bird and an aircraft, or other airborne animal, while the aircraft is in flight, taking off, or landing. And it can be a significant threat to aircraft safety.
Air Peace in a statement by its Head of Corporate Communications, Ejike Ndiulo, said the bird strike occurred at 6:30am, and all passengers disembarked normally.
The statement read, “We wish to inform our esteemed passengers that our Abuja- Lagos 06:30 flight experienced a bird strike before take-off, prompting a ramp return as a safety measure. All passengers disembarked normally.
“We have deployed a replacement aircraft for the affected flight in order to minimize disruptions, thus ensuring that passengers continue their journeys promptly.
“We appeal for the understanding of our valued passengers impacted by this development, as well as those on other flights that may experience delays.
“At Air Peace, we are committed to providing safe, comfortable, and reliable air travel for all our passengers.”
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