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Nigeria’s e-Security Ranks Top 50 Globally, Best In Africa -Report
Nigeria’s e-security has been ranked among the top 50 worldwide, better than any other African country according to a report.
South Africa, well-known for its digital infrastructure, was ranked 85th on e-security in the 2021 Digital Quality of Life (DQL) report.
However, “among countries in Africa, people in South Africa enjoy the highest quality of their digital lives”.
According to the report compiled by Surfshark, a cybersecurity company, the e-security ranking takes into consideration two major factors ¯ cybersecurity and data protection laws.
On cybersecurity, Nigeria ranks 48th globally with high data protection laws, according to the report.
“Nigeria’s digital quality of life remains similar to last year’s. Despite the slight fall in the leaderboard, the country comes first in Western Africa and shows slightly better results in some pillars than the global average.
“Its e-security is among the Top 50 worldwide, surpassing Africa’s DQL leader South Africa,” the report reads.
However, the internet affordability in Nigeria, the self-acclaimed African giant, is a sorry story.
“The study shows that Nigeria’s internet affordability is 90% worse than the global average.
“People in Nigeria have to work the most time in the world – more than 35 hours – to afford the cheapest broadband internet.
“The world’s worst internet is the least affordable”.
For a layman, broadband internet is simply the measurement of how much data your device can exchange with another device through the internet. It is measured in Megabits per second (Mbps).
How quick this technology is able to do it is what is referred to as the broadband speed, remember a popular sentence by Nigerians “my internet is slow”.
The higher the speed of your broadband internet, the higher it is likely to cost.
Users with a higher broadband internet speed might be able to download a 1GB file (such as movies) in few minutes while you might do the same in close to an hour ¯ blame your internet speed.
Mbps (Megabits per second) should not be confused with MBps which simply interprets Megabytes per second.
The MBps is used to measure file transfer such as when you are downloading or uploading a file.
One Megabyte is equivalent to 8 Megabits (1 MBps = 8 Mbps).
Also, the DQL report noted that the e-government in Nigeria ranks below the top 90 “falling behind Morocco, Senegal and Tanzania”, and also Egypt, Ghana and South Africa.
The e-government considers the nation’s proficiency in Online Service and readiness to deploy or incorporate Artificial Intelligence (AI).
Nigeria ranks 94th in online service proficiency and 104th in AI readiness. This may be improved with better Internet affordability which could increase internet usage in the country.
“Internet use drives e-government development more than the wealth of a country. 23 out of 58 countries with a higher than average e-government rate have lower than average GDP per capita. Yet, the nationwide internet use in these countries is over 75%.”
Unfortunately, Nigeria “has one of the slowest broadband connection speeds globally (13.45 Mbps), ranking 105th, and slightly faster mobile internet (17.91 Mbps), ranking 96th.
“However, the country’s broadband speed growth is one of the fastest on the planet, ranking 16th.
“But Nigeria’s internet quality is similar to the global average, and its broadband speed growth is one of the fastest on the planet – ranks 16th worldwide”.
AI readiness according to the report enhances protection against cyber threats the most.
“18 out of the top 20 countries with the highest readiness to adopt AI technology are prepared to counter cyber threats the most. The two exceptions here are China and the United Arab Emirates,” the report noted.
However, Nigeria’s investment in electronic infrastructure was ranked poor.
It is the 6th in Africa, below Kenya and Morocco.
The electronic infrastructure ranking considers Individuals using the internet (rank/100 inhabitants) and Network readiness.
Nigeria ranks 69th based on individuals using the internet and 106th in Network readiness.
To better understand this concept, Network Readiness measures the propensity for countries to exploit the opportunities offered by information and communications technology (ICT).
The World Economic Forum’s Networked Readiness Index (NRI) in 2020 ranked Nigeria 117th, below countries like Zambia, Cote D’Ivoire and the Benin Republic. In fact, the ranking was below low-income countries like Uganda and Rwanda.
The 2021 DQL research examined a total population of more than 6.9billion people across 110 countries globally.
The study is based on open-source information provided by the United Nations, the World Bank, Freedom House, the International Communications Union, and other sources.
The Mayor of Housing, My-ACE China, has teamed up with a renowned hospital group in Port Harcourt, the Meridian Hospitals, which is in partnership with the Pilgrims Health Foundation, to carry out a one-day medical outreach last Tuesday.
The free treatment scheme took place at Oromenike Government Girls Secondary School in D-Line, Port Harcourt, with over 100 persons accessing free treatments, including free eye-glasses and booking for eye surgeries.
Other areas of treatment included general health consultations and treatment; blood pressure and sugar level testing; malaria testing and treatment; free prescriptions; preventive health talks focusing on hygiene, maternal health, and nutrition.
The scheme was conducted under the theme: ‘Bringing Healthcare to the Community.’
Newsmen who visited the venue of the scheme found that enthusiastic beneficiaries had thronged the area as early as 7a.m. After setting up, the medical team began attending to the patients.
Mr. Jerry Onwuso, a 63-year-old patient, who was first to see eye doctors and got eye glasses and drugs, told newsmen that he was pleased with the medical intervention.
He made it clear he did not pay any money to get all the treatments and glasses, and pleaded that the scheme be sustained.
Another patient, Loveth Sam, expressed satisfaction with the scheme and appealed to the sponsors to continue to increase the benefits.
Throwing some light on the scheme, Mr. China said he worked in Meridian Hospitals as a Lab. Scientist 19 years ago, but resigned because he could not bear to see patients struggling for life because they had no money to pay for treatment.
He said he came back to help extend free medical treatment to the less privileged.
Sources said China was always having issues with the hospital authorities when he would insist on critical patients being allowed to be treated first, with or without money.
Years later, China, who now goes by a brand name, the Mayor of Housing, returned to the Meridian Hospital headquarters to support free medical scheme.
He also went the next day to the headquarters of Meridian, after the one-day medical outreach, to give cash gifts and palliatives to workers he met when he worked there but had remained in service since he left.
He encouraged them to continue to give their all to humanity through the hospital. The Mayor of Housing called most of them by name and a cloud of emotions descended on them during the reunion.
Appreciating the gesture, the Founder and Chief Medical Director, Dr. Iyke Odo, said China had always manifested hard-work, ambition, and impulsive giving.
According to him, the then young bright boy was full of humanity, kindness, love, and made friends easily, adding that “not everybody that gives is a giver. The difference is that givers are given to give.”
Dr. Odo used the opportunity to call on governments to review Nigeria’s health insurance system and make it work in Nigeria to save lives.
He said it was sad watching critically sick persons abandoned because they did not have money for treatment.
He also condemned harsh tax and electricity tariffs whereby facilities like his now pay N12 million instead of N500,000 few years back.
He wondered why hospitals were being made to pay tariffs like oil companies, citing many other countries where medical facilities were placed on low rates and tariffs so they could charge moderate fees from patients.
The Renewed Hope Initiative in conjunction with the Rivers State Government has empowered 500 elderly citizens in Rivers State with financial support of N200,000 each.
The empowerment programme was part of activities to celebrate the third anniversary of the Renewed Hope Initiative Elderly Support Scheme RHIESS, a social investment policy initiated by the First Lady of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, Senator Oluremi Tinubu.
Speaking at the event which held at the Government House, Port Harcourt, recently, under the theme, ‘Finding Joy in Old Age,’ Senator Tinubu said the gesture which has become traditional since 2023 was a mark of gratitude in recognition of the invaluable contributions of the senior citizens to nation building.
The First Lady who was represented by the wife of the Rivers State Governor and State Coordinator of the Renewed Hope Initiative, Lady Valerie Fubara, said the scheme was to “support two hundred and fifty (250) vulnerable elderly citizens aged 65 and above in all the 36 states of the federation, the Federal Capital Territory, and veterans from the Defence and Police Officers’ Wives Association (DEPOWA) totalling 9,500 selected beneficiaries across the nation.
She urged the beneficiaries to engage in activities that will make them find joy in old age.
“I encourage you to continue playing your part by staying healthy and active, nurture both your body and mind through regular exercise and meaningful engagement,” Senator Tinubu advised.
On her part, Lady Fubara said the State Government through the magnanimity of the governor, Sir Siminalayi Fubara, has increased the beneficiaries of the programme from 250 to 500.
She restated the commitment of the State Government towards provision of social welfare and improving the standard of living of the elderly in the State.
Also speaking, the Executive Secretary, Rivers State Contributory Health Protection Programme (RIVCHPP), Dr Vetty Agala, said the State Government has through the Health4allrivers Initiative, introduced free medical care for senior citizens in the State, in line with the Renewed Hope Initiative.
