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Nigeria modernizing IP law in line with current realities — Malami

Published

2 years ago

September 13, 2022

NewsDirect

The Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami, says the Federal Government is working to ensure that the country’s Intellectual Property (IP) law and administration are in line with current realities.

Malami said this on Monday when the Senior Counsellor, World Intellectual Property Organisation (WIPO), Ms Lorreta Asiedu, led a delegation to pay him a courtesy visit in his office in Abuja.

The Minister was represented by the Permanent Secretary and Solicitor-General, Ministry of Justice, Mrs Beatrice Jedy-Agba.

“I assure you that we are committed to modernizing the entire IP system in Nigeria. This will include the Trade Mark Act, the Patent and Design Act.

“There are also legislative work that we will be looking at to ensure that it is in line with the new copyright law.

“We hope that this will also serve as catalyst for needed reforms in all aspect of IP law and administration and then bring them in line with current reality in this digital age,” Malami said.

Earlier, Asiedu said the visit was to seek the minister’s support on WIPO’s efforts in developing National Intellectual Property Policy and Strategy for the country.

She said that WIPO had been working with the Nigerian Copyright Commission, consultants and relevant stakeholders in developing the National IP Policy and Strategy for Nigeria.

“This request is a long standing one and we are happy that finally we are able to bring it to this level.

“This is where we can invite stakeholders to look at the document, appreciate it, add their input before it is finalised and validated for consideration by policymakers.

“We are here to seek your support by adopting the National IP policy and strategy,” the WIPO official said.

According to her, with this development, Nigeria will be joining other African countries that have adopted IP policy and strategy.

“What does this stand for the country is that it creates a framework within which WIPO and its partners can support the exploitation of the IP to make impact in the lives of IP users.

“Under our medium strategic plan, the five-year vision aimed at supporting IP so that it makes an impact in the lives of ordinary citizens.

“We want to harness the IP potential of youths in the country through the framework of the National IP policy and strategy.

“We are looking at supporting the youth entrepreneurs to understand and appreciate IP system; we want to engage in mentorship and coaching programmes,” Asiedu said.

According to her, WIPO also wants to use IP to support the country’s Development Goals.

“Within a framework of the National IP policy and strategy, we are able to identify the comparative advantage that the country has.

“So, the area in which a country has a comparative advantage that is what we dwell to ensure that we undertake projects that make impact in the lives of IP users community.”

Asiedu added that WIPO intended to extend its reach not only within the legislative framework of the country, but also to knowledge production institutions like universities and research institutions.

“We also want to bring together industry and academia so that we bridge the gap from the time that idea takes off, to when it heads into market place,” she said.

Similarly, the delegation was received separately by the Ministers of Science and Technology, Dr Adeleke Mamora, Foreign Affairs, Geoffrey Onyeama and Trade and Investment, Otunba Adebayo Adeniyi.

They pledged to support the adoption and implementation of the National IP policy and strategy, saying that the policy was imperative to the development of all sectors of Nigeria’s economy.

News

Reps set up technical committee, invite NSA over faulty presidential aircraft

Published

3 mins ago

May 21, 2024

NewsDirect

The House of Representatives Committee on National Security and Intelligence has resolved to constitute a technical committee to address issues concerning the epileptic malfunctioning of the presidential aircraft.

This is just as the lower chamber has resolved to summon the National Security Adviser (NSA), Nuhu Ribadu and the Commander of the presidential fleet to explain the breakdown of aircrafts in the presidential fleet.

The committee on Monday met with the commander of the Presidential Air fleet, Air Vice Marshal Olayinka Olusola, behind closed doors at the National Assembly Complex, Abuja to deliberate on the circumstances that resulted in the use of a chartered plane by the President, Bola Tinubu and Vice President Kashim Shettima recently.

Recall that the President had in April flown a chartered plane from the Netherlands to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia to attend the World Economic Forum.

Also recently, Vice President Shettima cancelled his trip to the United States where he was scheduled to represent President Tinubu at the 2024 US-Africa Business Summit as a result of a faulty aircraft.

Debating a motion of urgent public importance brought on the floor of the House by the Chairman, the House Committee on National Security and Intelligence, Ahmad Satomi, the lawmakers resolved to invite the National Security Adviser, Nuhu Ribadu and the Commander of the presidential fleet to explain the faulty breakdown of planes in the presidential fleet, despite the huge allocation in the annual budgets to maintain them.

During the debate, House Minority Whip, Isa called on the President and Vice President to consider travelling by road to ascertain the truth of road infrastructure across the country.

Briefing journalists after the executive session, Satomi said a technical committee will be set up to interface with the officials at the presidential air fleet to generate a resolution.

“The committee has engaged the commandant of the presidential air fleet, the NSA and a lot has been discussed. It is a very sensitive national security issue that has to do with our President. And looking at our role in the foreign policy position of Nigeria, this is not something that we will come out publicly and discuss. Nevertheless, a lot has been explained.

“The committee resolved to set up a small technical committee to interface with the NSA, commandant, and all the stakeholders within a short period to come up with a final resolution that will foster the best for Nigeria, our President and the entire team of the presidential air fleet.

“So, I think for now the technical team will engage all the stakeholders in the presidential air fleet who have something to say. At the end, we will come up with a final resolution. But for now, we have not taken the decision. But we must have something that will represent Nigeria as a country,” he said.

Responding to whether the planes need to be fixed or replaced outrightly, the lawmaker said, “For now, we have not resolved on that. The entire presidential air fleet is okay for now. It is not the issue of either to repair or to think of getting new ones. All that we know is that as a country, our position in global policy — we need something that will represent our image because our pride will show how Nigeria is.

“So, we are yet to conclude or finalise but they have explained enough. Some of the incidents are just media propaganda. It is not what we expected or what we thought happened. It is something different.”

News

Breaking: MPC raises MPR to 25.25%

Published

15 mins ago

May 21, 2024

NewsDirect

The Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) has raised the Monetary Policy Rate (MPR) to 25.25%

At the end of the 295th MPC meeting held on May 20th & 21st, the committee voted to raise the MPR by 150bps to 26.25%.

The committee however retained the asymmetric corridor at +100/-300 around the MPR and the CRR of Commercial banks at 45.00%.

The liquidity ratio constant holds at 30.00%.

Recall the the committee in February hiked the Monetary Policy Rate (MPR) by 400-basis-points to 22.75 percent and the cash reserve ratio to 45 percent, a record hike that took several analysts by surprise.

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I have one less school fees to pay – Gov. Makinde remarks as his daughter graduates from Yale (See Pictures)

Published

1 hour ago

May 21, 2024

NewsDirect

The Governor of Oyo State, Engr.Seyi Makinde has expressed relief on the graduation of his daughter from Yale University.

Makinde on his instragram is quoted to have expressed relief that he has one less school fees to pay.

The Governor prayed that his daughter will have the best in this new chapter of her life noting that her hardworking and diligence has paid off.

Well wishers who attended the graduation include the First Lady of Oyo State, Tamunominini Olufunke Makinde, Governor of Kwara state, Abdulrazaq AbdulRahman, Hon. Adedeji Olajide representing Ibadan North West/South West Federal Constituency, amongst others.