In Nigeria, the message carries more weight because internet penetration has surged in recent years, with more than 103 million users recorded by late 2025.

With banking, shopping and social interaction moving online, cyber criminals are following at the same pace.

Data from Interpol show that phishing and online scams are the most common cyber threats across Africa. Nigeria ranks among the top three countries affected, largely due to rapid digital adoption that has overtaken security awareness.

Financial institutions regularly report heavy losses linked to online fraud. Today, attackers are no longer focusing only on corporate systems. They are targeting everyday devices, smartphones, laptops and even home Wi-Fi routers.

How Phones Are Being Targeted

Smartphones are prime targets because they store personal data, banking apps and social media accounts. For many Nigerians, the phone is the main gateway to the internet.

Mobile banking fraud accounts for a large share of reported cyber incidents. Fraud attempts have risen alongside the growth of digital payment platforms.

Criminals use fake apps, deceptive pop-ups and bogus software updates to trick users into installing malicious programs.

Some of these apps imitate trusted banking or shopping platforms. Once installed, they steal login details or secretly install malware.

Phishing messages remain widespread. Fraudsters send emails or text messages posing as banks, telecom providers or even friends. These messages often create panic or urgency, urging victims to click a link or share a one-time password.

SMS phishing, known as smishing, and SIM-swap fraud have become common in Nigeria. In many cases, victims lose access to their mobile lines, giving criminals a pathway into their bank accounts.

How Laptops Are Being Attacked

Laptops face similar risks, usually through email attachments or infected downloads. A single click on a compromised file can introduce ransomware or spyware into a system.

Email continues to be a key channel for phishing. Attackers disguise malicious attachments as invoices, job offers or official notices. Once opened, the malware can steal sensitive data or lock files until a ransom is paid.

Public Wi-Fi networks add another layer of risk. In cafes, airports and shared workspaces, unsecured connections can allow attackers to intercept data through what experts call “man-in-the-middle” attacks. Passwords, emails and financial information can be exposed without the user knowing.

Remote work and online learning are expanding across urban centres in Nigeria, and more people are connecting from outside secure home networks, increasing their vulnerability.

Why Wi-Fi Routers Are a Major Target

Wi-Fi routers are constantly overlooked, but they connect every device in a home or office. Once compromised, a router can give criminals access to all traffic passing through it.

Research by Broadband Genie indicates that about 86% of users do not change their router’s default administrator password. Default logins such as “admin” are widely known and easy to exploit.

Router breaches can be difficult to detect. Attackers may quietly monitor internet traffic, redirect users to fake websites or spread malware to connected devices. In some cases, compromised routers are added to botnets used for larger cyber attacks.

In Nigeria, where many households rely on basic router setups, a single weak password can expose phones, laptops and other smart devices on the same network.

Staying Safe Online

Cybersecurity experts say simple steps can reduce exposure to these threats.

For smartphones, users are advised to download apps only from official stores such as Google Play and the App Store. Avoid clicking unknown links, enable two-factor authentication and keep devices updated.

Laptop users should install reputable security software, avoid suspicious downloads and refrain from conducting sensitive transactions on public Wi-Fi without additional protection. Strong, unique passwords remain essential.

For routers, changing default login details is critical. Remote management features should be disabled if not needed, and firmware updates installed regularly.

Safer Internet Day reminds us that online safety is not only a government or corporate responsibility and everyday habits can make the difference between staying secure and becoming a victim.

That instinct is what produced EstateGO, the property management platform that has become one of the most visible products in CloudCrave Solutions’ growing enterprise SaaS portfolio, and one of the clearest examples of what happens when a technology builder with deep operational experience turns their attention to an underserved market.

The Problem that Started it All

Property management in Nigeria is operationally fragmented in ways that create real financial costs for everyone involved. Landlords track rent payments across spreadsheets or not at all. Maintenance requests arrive through WhatsApp and disappear in threads.

Lease renewals are managed through memory and physical files. Property managers juggle entire portfolios with no centralised visibility into occupancy, outstanding payments, or pending issues.

The technology to solve this exists. The platforms built to solve it in Western markets do not work here, because the payment infrastructure is different, the lease structures are different, the landlord-tenant relationship dynamics are different, and the operational context is entirely different from the environments those platforms were designed for.

“We did not build EstateGO for a client. We built it because we looked at how property management actually works across Nigeria and realised that no existing platform was designed for this reality. That gap was too significant to ignore.”

EstateGO is a full-stack property management platform available on both the App Store and Google Play.

It covers tenant onboarding and lifecycle management, rent collection and automated payment tracking through Paystack integration, maintenance request management, real-time financial reporting across entire portfolios, and automated reminders for rent due dates and lease renewals.

The mobile-first architecture was a deliberate product decision, built around how property management in Nigeria actually happens, not how it happens in a Western office environment.

The Founder Behind the product

Ajao’s path to building EstateGO runs through nearly two decades of enterprise technology experience, beginning in the mid-2000s at one of Lagos’s most influential technology strategy firms, where he developed the technical foundations and strategic instincts that would later define his approach to product building.

It was during those early years, working across financial institutions, enterprise clients, and digital infrastructure projects,  that Ajao first encountered the pattern that now drives everything CloudCrave builds: African enterprises consistently forced to adapt foreign tools to operational contexts those tools were never designed for.

“The frustration I felt watching organisations work around the limitations of platforms that were never built with them in mind, that frustration never went away. It just became the thesis for everything we built at CloudCrave.”

From those early years emerged Staunch Technologies, the company through which Ajao first began building proprietary software products, including EduCrave, a school management system that remains in active use today.

CloudCrave Solutions was founded as the natural evolution of that journey: a dedicated SaaS company built around a single conviction, that African enterprises deserve software built specifically for them, at enterprise grade, with no compromises.

Beyond EstateGO: A portfolio Built on One Philosophy

EstateGO is one of eight proprietary SaaS platforms CloudCrave now operates. The portfolio spans property management, enterprise operations, education technology, training management, AI-powered financial tools, e-commerce infrastructure, and conversational AI, serving clients in Nigeria, the United Kingdom, and the United States.

The common thread across all eight is not the industry vertical. It is the philosophy behind how they are built and owned.

“We do not build software for clients and hand it over. We build platforms, we own them, we deploy them, and we continue to develop them. Every client we add makes the platform better. That compounding is the entire point, and it is what separates a product company from a software agency.”

That philosophy is most visibly demonstrated in EnterpriseHub, CloudCrave’s enterprise operations platform, currently deployed with a US-based enterprise client managing over 400 staff across multiple American sites.

The platform replaced a legacy internal system that the client’s own IT team had built and maintained, a fact Ajao cites as the clearest evidence that product quality, not brand recognition, is what enterprise clients ultimately make decisions on.

In the UK, TrainPro is live with enterprise clients and going into full production in early 2026. CraveBiZ AI, live at cbiz.cloudcraves.com, is bringing AI-powered financial management to African SMEs.

ChatBot Studio, launched in May 2025, enables businesses to deploy intelligent AI assistants without writing a single line of code.

Investment in the Ecosystem

Beyond his product portfolio, Ajao has invested in the broader technology community through Switch2Tech, a digital skills initiative that has connected over 700 professionals with the knowledge, networks, and practical experience needed to participate meaningfully in Nigeria’s technology economy.

“I have benefited enormously from being part of a technology ecosystem that gave me room to grow. Switch2Tech is about contributing to that ecosystem, making sure the next generation of technology professionals has a community to learn from, not just a curriculum.”

Switch2Tech operates as a community initiative independent of CloudCrave’s commercial operations, a deliberate separation that reflects Ajao’s belief that ecosystem building and product building, while complementary, serve different purposes and should be approached differently.

What Comes Next

Ajao is characteristically measured when asked about what comes next for CloudCrave. There is a roadmap, AI capabilities being embedded across the entire product portfolio, new enterprise client deployments in progress, and an expansion of the company’s UK and US presence. But he is more interested in talking about the thesis than the timeline.

“The African enterprise software market is structurally underserved. Not because of alack of demand, the demand is enormous. But because the global vendors who dominate enterprise software have never prioritised building for African operational contexts. That is the opportunity. And we are not the only ones seeing it, which is exactly how it should be. A market this large needs more than one serious player.”

For now, Ajao remains focused on the work, building the platforms, winning the clients, and demonstrating, one deployment at a time, that enterprise-grade software built in Africa can compete and win anywhere in the world.

“EstateGO is live on the App Store and Google Play. That is not a prototype. That is not a pilot. That is a product. And there are seven more where that came from.”

Brussels is pressing these platforms, classified as Very Large Online Platforms (VLOPs) due to their reach of over 45 million EU users, to prove that they are taking real steps to shield children from illegal and harmful content. This includes exposure to drugs, vaping products, and material that promotes eating disorders.

The EU request centres on the companies’ age verification tools and internal measures for restricting harmful material regarding child safety. Officials also want explanations on how their algorithms handle potentially addictive recommendation systems and how app stores manage access to gambling, sexual content, and so-called “nudify” applications.

“Today, alongside national authorities in the member states, we are assessing whether the measures taken so far by the platforms are indeed protecting children,” said EU tech chief Henna Virkkunen.

The case is part of an enforcement under the DSA, the EU’s digital law designed to make tech giants more accountable for content circulating on their platforms. The Commission has issued formal Requests for Information (RFIs), a step that could lead to full investigations and fines reaching up to 6% of global turnover if breaches are confirmed.

Beyond enforcement, the EU is exploring policy changes, including setting a bloc-wide “digital age of majority” that could restrict minors’ access to certain online services, an idea inspired by Australia’s under-16 social media ban.

In the United States, several states such as Utah and Arkansas now require parental consent for minors to use social media. Meanwhile, within Europe, Denmark is pushing for a national social media ban for users under 15, while France and Spain have publicly backed tighter digital age limits.

The EU child safety investigation follows its child protection guidelines published in July 2025, which laid out clearer expectations for compliance with the DSA.

The deal, announced on Wednesday, will see PayPal’s payment technology embedded into Google’s ecosystem, from consumer apps to enterprise services.

Both companies say the collaboration is the beginning of a new era in “agentic commerce”, a model where artificial intelligence tools take on more responsibility in helping users discover products, compare options, and even complete purchases with little to no manual input.

“Through this partnership, PayPal will use our industry-leading AI to enhance services and security, and we will more deeply integrate PayPal’s innovative payment capabilities for a better experience across Google products and platforms,” said Sundar Pichai, CEO of Google parent Alphabet.

PayPal’s Enterprise Payments will now be one of Google’s main payment providers. That means it will handle card transactions on Google Cloud, Google Ads, and Google Play. This places PayPal at the centre of some of Google’s most valuable revenue streams.

PayPal is also migrating parts of its infrastructure to Google Cloud, a transition designed to speed up innovation and expand its AI-driven commerce tools globally. It highlights a growing trend of fintechs leaning on hyperscale cloud providers for scale and security.

Security and trust are also at the core of the deal. PayPal will integrate its identity and fraud prevention tools across Google’s platforms, while Google backs the Agent Payments Protocol (AP2), a proposed standard to safeguard agent-led transactions. 

This is important as AI-powered systems begin making decisions on behalf of users, raising fresh questions about consent, fraud risks, and transparency.

PayPal CEO Alex Chriss described the tie-up as “a new standard for commerce ecosystem innovation.” This is less about payments as we know them and more about boosting how the future of online transactions will be managed by intelligent systems.

The announcement follows another recent step by PayPal into AI partnerships. Earlier this month, it teamed up with Perplexity to give its users early access to the AI-powered Comet browser through a 12-month Pro subscription trial. 

The browser uses artificial intelligence to deliver direct, summarised answers, placing PayPal at the very beginning of the online shopping journey, not just the end.

This partnership from a lifestyle activation perspective further consolidates Verve’s evolving partnership with the Google Ecosystem, premised on a common goal of facilitating meaningful and rewarding consumer experiences that complement the aspirations of the Verve Life target audience towards healthier and more fulfilling lifestyles.

Launched eight (8) years ago, VerveLife has become Verve’s flagship lifestyle and active consumer engagement initiative, revolutionizing fitness and wellness in Nigeria and beyond, while promoting a healthy lifestyle among Verve’s cardholders and fitness enthusiasts.

Attracting over 14,000 participants annually across West and East Africa, The VerveLife movement has progressively grown into one of the continent’s most significant fitness platforms, featuring high-intensity workout sessions, dance routines, and fitness challenges led by expert instructors, culminating in a spectacular after party designed for fitness enthusiasts to unwind following the invigorating wellness sessions.

Cherry Eromosele, Executive Vice President, Marketing and Communications, Interswitch Group, expressed her optimism about the extension of Verve’s relationship with Google Pay into this strategic  partnership to raise the bar on Verve Life in its 8t edition:

“We are thoroughly thrilled to take VerveLife to new heights this year, building on the success of our previous editions. Our latest collaboration on the lifestyle front with Google Play points to unwavering commitment to delivering exceptional experiences that resonate deeply with fitness enthusiasts across Africa.

This partnership not only enhances the quality of the events; it will also enrich the overall experience for our participants. With the value that Google brings on board, our Verve Life 8.0 participants should certainly look forward to exhilarating experiences, come November 1^st, 2025, including exclusive complimentary merchandise and exciting rewards and incentives, courtesy Verve and Google Play. We are always excited to see our community come together annually, united by a shared passion for fitness and wellness.” Eromosele said.

Two years ago, in July 2023, Verve, the 1st and currently the largest domestic payment cards scheme out of Africa partnered with Google, to enable Nigerians to make purchases on key Google Platforms such as on the Google Playstore and YouTube with ease, thereby strengthening the digital ecosystem in Nigeria.

As a result, any Nigerian with an Android device and a Verve card now has a streamlined method for making purchases on the Google Play Store, as well as on YouTube.

Commenting on Google Play’s partnership with Verve, Anthea Crawford, head of retail and payment partnerships at Google Play, opined that the development simplifies the payment process for Google Play Store apps and services but also contributes significantly to a more inclusive digital environment for Nigerians.

For 2025, the VerveLife fitness train will travel across Nigeria stopping in cities such as Enugu, Ibadan and Abuja on August 30, September 13, and September 27, 2025, respectively before returning to Lagos for the highly anticipated grand finale in November.

It will also make a stop at Uganda (Kampala) for the 2^nd time and Kenya (Nairobi) for the 3^rd time, before culminating in an exciting grand finale for the ultimate fitness extravaganza.

The grand finale and after-party will be held on Saturday, November 1, 2025, at the prestigious and expansive Eko Convention Center in Victoria Island, Lagos.

As Verve continues to make good its commitment to championing fitness and wellness across Africa, fitness enthusiasts across Nigeria, Kenya and Uganda can look forward to yet another exciting edition of Africa’s biggest fitness party, VerveLife 8.0 themed ‘’Elev8’’.

Click here for details on how to participate.

In early 2025, Apple confirmed the removal of 137,000 apps from its EU App Store in line with new Digital Services Act (DSA) requirements. This is only a fraction of a bigger global clean-up.

In 2024 alone, both tech giants deleted nearly four million apps combined, a digital purge that many users never notice. Android dominates the global mobile OS market with a 72% share, while iOS accounts for 27% (Statcounter, July 2025). 

With billions of users relying on Google Play and the App Store daily, the sheer volume of takedowns reveal how broad the issue is.

Google was the lead here, removing about 11,000 apps every single day, mostly due to privacy and security breaches. According to its Transparency Report, 55% of these removals were linked to privacy and data protection violations, 16% to ineligible content, 15% to defective data, and 9% to scams or fraud. 

Apple, in contrast, averaged 200 removals per day, with most linked to outdated software (51%) or fraudulent activity (46%).

“It’s a staggering digital purge that goes unnoticed by the public. While it may create the illusion that every app we download is safe, the reality is a bit more complex,” said Sarunas Sereika, cybersecurity expert at Surfshark.

Fraudulent Apps Still Slip Through

Surfshark’s analysis shows the removals were not just about bugs or technical issues. Google deleted more than 300,000 apps in one year for fraud, scams, or security violations. Apple also targeted almost 40,000 apps over similar issues. 

Developers from Vietnam (23%), China (18%), Pakistan (11%), the United States (9%), and India (6%) made up the majority of fraud-related removals on the App Store, showing a concentration in Asia.

But here’s where it becomes worrying: many of those apps had already reached millions of devices before they were flagged.

“Here’s the unsettling truth. Many of these malicious apps were already on millions of devices before they were caught and removed. Even though our study revealed that Apple rejected 25% of app submissions, while Google Play maintained a lower rejection rate of 10%, the presence of an app in an official store often creates a false sense of security, making users believe that every download is safe.

“In reality, dangerous apps often slip through standard checks, hiding in plain sight, and in some cases, they return under new disguises, re-uploaded by attackers who exploit weaknesses of these well-known app stores,” Sereika explained.

This is an ecosystem where attackers exploit weaknesses in oversight, using advanced methods, including artificial intelligence, to design apps that appear legitimate, only to steal data or scam users once installed. 

Apple reported terminating nearly 147,000 developer accounts in 2024, up 25% from the previous year, while Google cut off about 155,000 accounts. Yet malicious developers often re-emerge under new identities, highlighting the cat-and-mouse dynamic between regulators and attackers.

Apple’s removals have actually dropped compared to 2022, when it wiped more than 186,000 apps from its store. Google, however, has become far more aggressive in its enforcement, leading to mass takedowns that reflect the scale of the threat.

The challenge, according to experts, is that malicious developers adapt faster than security systems can respond. Fake apps often mimic popular ones and reappear under slightly altered names or new developer accounts.

What Users Can Do

While both companies highlight their monitoring efforts in transparency reports, experts warn that the burden is partly on users.

“Even though Google and Apple are actively monitoring and removing unsecured apps from their stores, the responsibility also falls on users to practice safe downloading habits. This includes checking app permissions, reading reviews, and sticking to well-known developers. Additionally, installing security software and keeping devices updated can offer an added layer of protection,” Sereika added.

The numbers show that just because an app is available on official stores does not mean it is safe. With millions of apps created and uploaded, being cautious is highly essential.

The diaspora NIN enrolment platform was designed to deliver smoother, faster, and more secure services to Nigerians abroad.

According to Dr. Kayode Adegoke, Head of Corporate Communications at NIMC, the new system offers a robust and efficient platform that enhances user experience and strengthens data security for diaspora enrolment.

Following the upgrade, all NIMC Diaspora Front-End Partners (FEPs) have been integrated into the new system and given intensive training to ensure seamless operations.

These partners are required to activate their enrolment licences within 48 hours, enabling Nigerians abroad to access services through compliant FEPs.

NIMC apologised for any inconvenience caused during the upgrade and has deployed a dedicated support team to address related issues.

Diaspora applicants with enrolment challenges can email nimccustomercare@nimc.gov.ng for prompt assistance.

In Nigeria, NIN enrolment remains available nationwide, with centre locations listed on the website. Both local and diaspora applicants can also update their NIN details online via the portal.

NIN holders are encouraged to download the NIMC NINAuth App from the iOS App Store or Google Play to verify their NIN instantly, manage who can view their data, and enjoy secure verification and authentication services.

Launched in 2017, Instant Apps were designed to let people launch lightweight versions of Android apps without installing them. Tapping a supported link would trigger an immediate app experience, no downloads, no delays. 

For users, it aimed to bring convenience and for developers, it offered better visibility. But eight years on, it’s obvious the feature didn’t live up to expectations.

A warning spotted in the latest Android Studio build triggered the news. “Instant Apps support will be removed by Google Play in December 2025. Publishing and all Google Play Instant APIs will no longer work. Tooling support will be removed in Android Studio Otter Feature Drop.”

This tucked into a corner of Android Studio, confirmed what many developers had suspected: Instant Apps is on the chopping block.

Google’s decision wasn’t widely announced in the usual way. Instead, the company quietly confirmed the move when pressed. “Usage and engagement of Instant Apps have been low, and developers are leveraging other tools for app discovery such as AI-powered app highlights and simultaneous app installs,” said Google spokesperson Nia Carter. 

“This change allows us to invest more in the tools that are working well for developers, and help direct users to full app downloads to foster deeper engagement.”

In practical terms, Instant Apps never caught on because they demanded more effort than most developers were willing to invest. Apps had to be trimmed to under 15MB, a tight constraint for modern mobile applications bloated with media, libraries, and complex logic. As a result, only a handful of services like Vimeo and Wish ever fully embraced it.

What’s more, Google’s own disinterest in the feature became apparent. The company hadn’t made any significant updates to the platform in years, noting an internal change in priorities. 

Its official developer documentation hasn’t been revised to reflect the upcoming deprecation, a silence that reiterates how marginal Instant Apps had become in Google’s ecosystem.

Now, with the final nail in the coffin scheduled for December, developers still using the feature will need to transition. Google is doubling down on web-based app discovery, simultaneous app installs, and new engagement tools within the Play Store.

Most Android users didn’t notice the feature existed in the first place, and most developers quietly moved on years ago.

Speaking during the launching of the platform at Lekki in Lagos on Thursday,Ms Olabusayo Soetan, the company’s Executive Director, underscored the critical gap the Identigo fills, saying:

“Decisions like hiring, partnerships, or visa approvals carry serious risks without verified data. Identigo ensures organisations and individuals know exactly who they are dealing with before they act.”

Identigo’s mobile app (available on Google Play and Apple App Store) offers instant access to Identity, NIN, BVN and Passport Verification, Employment History and Credential Checks, Guarantor and Reference Validation, and Business Partnership Due Diligence

Soetan emphasised Identigo’s unique hybrid approach, stating that the platform’s core philosophy prioritizes prevention over cure.

“We merge cutting-edge tech with Nigeria’s largest physical verification network. Thousands of trained agents verify addresses, interview referees, and confirm details on the ground; ensuring unmatched accuracy where digital data falls short.

“We empower clients to proactively stop fraud, avoid costly misjudgments, and protect their assets before damage occurs.”

Endorsing the platform, Head of Marketing at Tantacom Group (Identigo’s marketing partner), John Fadejola, affirmed: “Our partnership drives a shared mission: building a secure, transparent business ecosystem in Africa. Identigo’s tech-driven, preventative solutions redefine verification, and Tantacom ensures they reach the right audience at the right time.”

Also speaking, CEO of Code and Tales, Tope Owoeye, validated Identigo’s impact by saying: “Identigo transformed our hiring process and elevated client trust. Their thorough verifications are indispensable.”

These partnerships allow Nigerian shoppers to enjoy seamless, secure, and direct Naira payments on both platforms, eliminating foreign exchange hurdles and enhancing the cross-border shopping experience.

Previously, Temu, a rising global e-commerce platform, did not accept Verve cards, requiring Nigerian shoppers to rely on Visa, Mastercard, or virtual dollar cards for transactions.

With this new partnership, Verve cardholders can now make direct purchases in Naira, accessing Temu’s vast selection of affordable products without the complexity of currency conversions.

Similarly, AliExpress, a subsidiary of Alibaba, now fully accepts Verve cards for payments, addressing previous payment challenges faced by Nigerian users.

Through this collaboration, Verve is simplifying digital commerce, enabling Nigerians to shop on global platforms with ease and security, thereby staying true to its brand promise of making transactions and payments seamless and enriching.

Beyond growing its reach, Verve, with over 15 years of consistent quality delivery, is also shaping the future of payments with its transition to contactless technology, enabling faster, more secure, and convenient transactions across digital and physical payment channels.

Verve’s over 70 million cardholders can now enjoy the ease of tap-and-go payments, further enhancing their transaction experience.

Verve cards are widely accepted across Nigeria and select African countries, providing seamless transactions across ATMs, PoS terminals, and online platforms. Cardholders can also use their Verve cards for subscriptions on Google Play, YouTube Premium, Netflix, Amazon Prime, Uber, Spotify, among others, ensuring a broader, more integrated payment experience.

Through these strategic advancements, Verve, Nigeria’s foremost domestic card, is redefining global commerce, empowering African consumers with seamless, secure, and borderless payment solutions.

With such commitment to continue to expand its reach and innovate, it is not a surprise there are over 70 million Verve cards and token in circulation.