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Digital Encode garners cybersecurity honours at BoICT Awards 2019

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  • Co-Founders: Dr. Seyi and Dr. Wale win Cybersecurity Personality of the Year

BY: Sandra Ani

Digital Encode Limited remains a force to reckon with in the Cybersecurity field in Nigeria, and indeed Africa as confirmed by array of awards the firm garnered at the 10th anniversary of Beacon of Information and Communication Technology (BoICT) awards 2019.

Digital Encode, a leading consulting and integration firm that specializes in the design, management, and security of business-critical networks, telecommunications environments and other Information Technology (IT) infrastructures, was honoured as Compliance Advisory Company of the Year at the ceremony held over the weekend at Eko Hotel and Suite, Lagos.

Similarly, the Co-Founders: Dr. Seyi Akindeinde and Dr. Wale Obadare were jointly bestowed with the Cybersecurity Personality of the Year, for their leading roles and exploits working in the IT and information security arena.

Recall that the ingenious cybersecurity experts were inducted into BoICT Hall Of Fame in 2018 by Communications Week Media Limited, organisers of BoICT Awards.

Speaking on the award, the Publisher and Editor in-Chief of Communications Week Media, Mr. Ken Nwogbo, said that Digital Encode has remained outstanding in Cybersecurity, Governance, Risk and Compliance advisory segment of the market.

He said that Nigerians who voted for the company en mass recognised the expertise which lies in solving multifaceted, complex enterprise network security and audit problems.

“This, in the first place, triggered interest among the award Organising Committee to look the way of Digital Encode. So, we are proud of them. The Co-Founders Dr. Wale Obadare and Dr. Seyi Akindeinde, have continued to inspires young Nigerians to look at that critical aspect of the IT industry- Cybersecurity and GRC. It is easier to hear that someone has launched an e-commerce website, edutech, or another startup, but the potentials of such platforms can only as secured as the backend, which Digital Encode has been the backbone. We celebrate them.

Digital Encode is notable for their competencies in providing advisory services toward improvements in information security management, network security, vulnerability management, penetration testing, computer forensics, risk management and business continuity management.

Presenting the award to the award recipients, the President, Association of Telecommunication Companies of Nigeria (ATCON), Mr. Olusola Teniola, expressed how proud he is that Digital Encode provides Cybersecurity assessments, ISO 27001 compliance and pre-certification audit services and other array of services that have distinguished them in the market. 

He said that as a Centre for Information Security Intelligence (CISI), Digital Encode as an indigenous Cybersecurity & GRC firm deserves the patronage of both public and private enterprises.

Commenting shortly after receiving the awards, Dr. Seyi Akindeinde who doubles as the Chief Research Officer and Director of Security Assurance at Digital Encode, said he was highly elated for this honour done on the company and their co-personality award, especially by thousands of Nigerians who voted for them.

Dr. Seyi has over 17 years’ experience in the field and has spent the better part of the last few years exploring the security issues faced by Electronic Funds Transfer (EFT) and Financial Transaction Systems (FTS), amongst other undisputed documented achievements to his credit. 

“At Digital Encode, our unique methodology is rooted in the concept that a company should run its IT organization as a business. We assist Companies to achieve these goals through a well-defined secure process; translating strategic business objectives into sound, achievable technology solutions. This approach ensures that the technology never obscures the business goals”, he added.

Also, Dr. Wale Obadare, the Chief Operating Officer and Director of Governance, Risk and Compliance of Digital Encode, is a Pan-African Cyber Security & GRC Thought Leader; Fellow British Computer Society (FBSC); Fellow Institute of Management Consultants (FIMC), amongst other fellowship honours.

Dr. Obadare is a seasoned Cybersecurity Expert & GRC Tecnopreneur with over forty-seven (47) international certifications to his credit. 

They dedicated the awards to Digital Encode’s clients and the industry in general with a promise to keep assisting individuals and businesses protect their information assets.

Source: techeconomy.ng

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70% of Christians killed in 2024 are African – Group

ORJI ISRAEL reports that the group accused ANC of maintaining silence on religious persecution, while deepening ties with ideological extremists in Tehran

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70% of Christians killed in 2024 are African gettyimages
Women crying during killings in Benue State, Nigeria

Recent reports indicate that over 4,400 Christians were murdered for their faith last year, while over the past decade, jihadist violence has driven 16 million Christians from their homes, millions of which are African citizens.

This is according to global Christian charity, Open Doors, which also confirms that for every five Christians, one will face persecution in Africa specifically.

Open Doors’ 2025 World Watch List reveals the top 10 most dangerous countries for Christians are dominated by Islamic states in the Middle East and Africa, including Afghanistan, Pakistan, Iran, Yemen, Sudan, Somalia, Libya, and Nigeria. A more detailed UK Parliament briefing recently noted that 70% of Christians killed in 2024 were indeed in Africa. 

Over the last six months, the brutality against Christians in Africa has escalated to alarming levels, with a series of devastating attacks across the continent. Just last month, ISIL-affiliated rebels stormed a Catholic church in Komanda, DRC, murdering close to 50 worshippers, including women and children. That same month in Mozambique, Islamic State fighters captured and beheaded six Christians from Natocua village, just across South Africa’s border. A month earlier, in June 2025, armed militants in Nigeria massacred nearly 200 Christian civilians in Yelwata village. 

“What we are witnessing is not random violence or isolated attacks. It is a deliberate, coordinated campaign by jihadist networks to wipe Christianity from vast regions of Africa and the Middle East,” says SAFI spokesperson, Bafana Modise. “These acts of terror are the early stages of a genocide against Christians, and history will record who spoke out and who shamefully looked away. Tragically, the ANC has chosen the latter.”

This silence is even more damning in light of last week’s news that South Africa’s military chief, Gen. Rudzani Maphwanya, met with Iranian Maj. Gen. Amir Hatami in Tehran to discuss deepening military and strategic ties, when Iran remains one of the world’s most notorious persecutors of Christians.

A recent report by the Middle East Africa Research Institute (MEARI) warned that Pretoria’s deepening ties with Tehran has compromised South Africa’s democratic foundations by defending Iran at the UN and IAEA, downplaying its human rights abuses, and potentially benefitting from covert support, including speculation around the ANC’s repayment of a multi-million-rand debt shortly after filing the ICJ case against Israel.

“These atrocities are not just crimes against individuals; they are part of a war against the freedom of religion itself,” Modise warns. “This is religious genocide, and it is gaining momentum as it edges closer to South Africa’s borders.”

Instead of defending religious freedom, the ANC government has remained silent. It has issued no meaningful condemnation or rallying call to protect persecuted Christians: “The ANC has done nothing to defend the rights of Christians,” says Modise. “Instead, it has squandered South Africa’s moral standing on discredited genocide charges against Israel – the one country in the Middle East where Christians live in safety and equality.”

This betrayal is even more unforgivable in a nation where 80% of South Africans identify as Christian. Freedom of religion is a fundamental human right, but the ANC, once the global champion of human rights, has made its bed with regimes and groups that have used Islamic law to suppress and destroy those freedoms.

“The ANC’s alliances make it clear: they have abandoned South Africa’s Christians, choosing friendship with the very forces driving this campaign of genocide,” Modise concludes. “Silence in the face of such evil is complicity, and the ANC is guilty of both. They have aligned themselves with Jihadist Islamic ideology, without further thought.”

We call on every pastor, every congregation, and every believer to demand that the ANC account for its indifference and betrayal. The blood of persecuted Christians cries out from across the African continent. If South Africa will not stand with them now, the day may come when their fate becomes our own.

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Government Should Support Media with Tax Incentives, Relief on Import Duties – Soneye

….Media Sustainability: Soneye Advocates Tax Reliefs, Independent Fund for Journalism

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Femi Soneye
Femi Soneye

Former Chief Corporate Communications Officer of the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPC Ltd), Mr. Femi Soneye, has called on the Federal Government to support the Nigerian media with targeted incentives, including tax reliefs and import duty waivers on essential media tools.

Soneye made the appeal in Abuja on Tuesday after receiving the NUJ FCT Excellence in Corporate Communications Award, conferred on him by the Nigerian Union of Journalists (NUJ), FCT Council.

The NUJ leadership, led by Chairperson Grace Ike, alongside the Deputy Chair, Secretary-General, and other executives, described Soneye as a consummate professional who has distinguished himself with tact and excellence in the communications field.

In his remarks, Soneye noted that while the Nigerian media remains one of the most vibrant in Africa, it continues to grapple with systemic challenges that weaken its effectiveness.

“The Nigerian media remains one of the most vibrant in Africa, but it also faces systemic challenges, financial, political, legal, and technological that weaken its effectiveness. The government can play a supportive role by granting tax incentives or relief on import duties for newsprint, broadcast equipment, and digital infrastructure,” he said.

He also urged the Federal Government to establish an independent media development fund to support investigative journalism, community radio, and newsroom innovation, drawing parallels with models in South Africa, the United States, and Canada.

The award underscores Soneye’s long-standing contributions to journalism and corporate communications, as well as his advocacy for a stronger, independent, and sustainable Nigerian media.

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Lagos NIPR elects new executives

Reporter: Sandra Ani

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Members of the newly elected executive of Lagos State Chapter NIPR
Members of the newly elected executive of Lagos State Chapter NIPR

… GFD Executive Director emerges chapter Vice Chairperson* 

The Lagos State Chapter of the Nigerian Institute of Public Relations (NIPR) has elected a new executive council at the close of its flagship Lagos PR Fest 2025, reinforcing its commitment to professionalism, innovation, and societal impact.

In elections supervised by NIPR Registrar, Chief Uzoma Onyegbadue, Samuel Ayetutu emerged as Chairman, while Eniola Mayowa was elected Vice Chairman in a closely contested race.

Other members of the executive include Secretary Samuel Adeyemi, Assistant Secretary Rita Ali-Nock, Public Relations Officer Ogochukwu Okeke, Financial Secretary Bassey Nta, Treasurer Olabamiji Adeleye, Welfare Officer Funmilola Akintola, and Ex-Officio Provost Marshal Quadri Adeleke.

In his acceptance remarks, Ayetutu pledged to drive professional standards, promote inclusiveness, and foster collaboration among members to enhance the chapter’s influence locally and nationally.

This year’s PR Fest, themed “Urban Farming for Food Security: The Role of Communication”, convened communication professionals, policymakers, and stakeholders to explore innovative strategies for tackling food security through effective public engagement.

Over the years, the Lagos PR Fest has evolved into a leading platform for advancing the role of public relations in societal development, with the 2025 edition underscoring the Institute’s mission to position communication as a driver of sustainable development in Nigeria.

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