African countries on 'ambiguous' cyber regulations

also ft; Kenya's new payment licences

June 15, 2024

CybAfriqué is a space for news and analysis on cyber, data, and information security on the African continent.

Hello dear readers,

Adebola here. I have been eager to write to you for quite some time. You will be hearing from me again soon.

First, the exciting news! We have added a new column, so there is more to look forward to when you stick with us.

In today's issue, we took a brief look at various African countries’ regulatory inadequacies, attacks against journalists and many others which you will discover once you dive into the content!

We’re building a community for folks in African cyber, data, and information security. Be a part by sharing.

HIGHLIGHTS: 

African countries on ambiguous cyber regulations

The 2015 Nigeria Cybercrime Act is critical and essential in the country's rapidly growing cybercrime cases. With widespread digital presence and corresponding expansion, concerns about data protection and privacy, among other things, are thoroughly addressed.

Contrary to article 19 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR) and section 39 of the 1999 Nigerian constitution which addresses the right to the freedom of expression and the press respectively, citizens are targeted for tampering against the provisions of the Cybercrime Act. For example, Pelumi Salako reports that a Nigerian woman was detained over ill-portraying a food company on social media. 

Nigerian journalists are also grossly forced to concede to the limiting environment they find themselves in. Despite being a democratic government, the state of the press in Nigeria has continually sunk. More journalists are being incarcerated on the accounts of this cybercrime act, ironically repressing the security of sharing information on the web. The ambiguity of the Act makes it even harder to permeate the right-standing of some provisions as it applies to several cases.  

This isn't an isolated incident. In Egypt and Saudi Arabia, where flexible vocabulary is used for cybercrime legislation, which may suggest many meanings related to terrorism, has cost some citizens their lives.

Despite calls from various groups, including the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), Nigeria has yet to modify the acts.

Flutterwave to get licence in Kenya

The Central Bank of Kenya (CBK) has made an amendment to the National Payment Systems Act of 2011. Prior, fintech firms operating in the country, particularly those that are not indigenous, had to comply with stringent business regulations. This update would allow startups to expand their operations in the East African country, with Africa's biggest payment provider, Flutterwave, perhaps being the first to benefit.

In August 2022, Flutterwave, ceased operations in Kenya owing to its assets being frozen by the Assets Recovery Agency (ARA). This was the first of many scrutinies embarked on by the country. 

FEATURES

  • African leaders and agencies met at a workshop held in Mauritius last month to discuss the state of the continent's cybersecurity in line with the Framework for Responsible State Behavior in Cyberspace. Here's a comprehensive report (PDF) on the various subjects of interest and recommendations. 

HEADLINES

  • Nigeria Drops Tax Charges Against Binance Executives – CoinDesk

  • Long jail terms for Chinese cybercrime gang in Zambia – BBC

  • Nigerian man jailed 51 months for romance scam, money laundering in US – Punch 

  • BlackRock’s $400 million iShares ETF to exit Nigeria, Kenya – TechCabal

  • Crime Insurance Market Poised for Growth: Expected to Reach $47.7 Billion by 2032 | Market Growth Strategies – Technology Today  

  • Ecobank shuns capital markets to raise $600m through debt instruments – TechCabal 

  • Data breach: FG slams N400m fine on four banks, others – Punch

  • Kenya’s cash-strapped postal service fires staff with fake degrees – TechCabal

  • Wema Bank enhances security with facial recognition tech after a ₦685 million fraud loss – Techpoint Africa

ACROSS THE WORLD

  • London NHS hospitals revert to paper records after cyber-attack – The Guardian UK

  • Bombs and viruses: The shadowy history of Israel’s attacks on Iranian soil – Al Jazeera

OPPORTUNITIES & EVENTS

  • InfoSec World (September 23 — 25, 2024) | Lake Buena Vista, Florida

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