Broadcasting
Banks Urged to Collateralize IP Assets to Boost SMEs Input to National Development
Banks and financial institutions have been called upon to embrace the collateralisation of IP assets to support Small and Medium-Sized Enterprises (SMEs) in the creative sector in order to boost their contribution to the country’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP).
Mr. John O. Asein, Director-General of Nigerian Copyright Commission (NCC), who made this appeal in a statement on World Intellectual Property (IP) Day 2021 on April 26, noted that like other IP assets, copyright has value, which should be exploited for sustainable national development.
“The Commission is prepared to work with relevant agencies and stakeholders to explore this area further”, he assured, adding that while the NCC would continue to support legitimate SMEs, “it frowns at illegal, unfair or unconscionable business practices”.
He pointed out that the theme for this year, “IP & SMEs: Taking your Ideas to Market”, underscored the place of SMEs in society and how the IP system can serve as a vehicle for moving their raw ideas to the market.
“SMEs are the backbones of national economies as they deliver goods and services, serve as incubators for innovations and as wellsprings of creativity”, he remarked.
Appealing to the public to accord SMEs the needed support by respecting their copyright, the Director-General underscored the commitment of the Commission to assisting SMEs with the needed administrative and legislative frameworks to facilitate their use of the copyright system in converting ideas to bankable assets and to engender investor confidence in the sector.
“The new Draft Copyright Bill, when eventually passed into law will give impetus to the growth of SMEs by providing adequate protection for them in the digital environment and on the many online platforms”, he stated.
He indicated that in the meantime, under the present Act, “appropriate regulatory solutions are being developed to encourage better licensing practice and aid the effective use of flexibilities to grow copyright-related industries.
The areas of attention would include the activation of statutory and compulsory licensing provisions in the Third Schedule (dealing with cover versions of music) and the Fourth Schedule dealing with the grant of compulsory licences for translation and reproduction of certain works”.
According to him, “The Commission will also be improving the copyright registration system to make it more user-friendly and responsive to the needs of SMEs, taking cognizance of today’s market realities.
“The Commission is collaborating with the World Intellectual Property Organisation (WIPO) Arbitration and Mediation Center to promote the use of arbitration and mediation for speedy resolution of entertainment disputes.”
He stated that within the context of its existing policy initiative, the Commission would provide safe corridors for copyright works from the point of creation to the market to guarantee return on intellectual investment.
The Director-General charged industry practitioners to complement the efforts of the Commission by paying more attention to the business side of their creative endeavours such as rights clearance, licensing, marketing strategies, rights management, dispute resolution and effective protection in order to ensure adequate returns on their intellectual and financial investment.
Decrying the criminal activities of pirates as a discouragement to investment, making it difficult for SMEs to thrive, he assured that the Commission would continue to promote a culture of respect for copyright and pursue a zero-tolerance policy for all forms of piracy in the copyright market.
Mr. Asein observed that SMEs accounted for over 90 percent of the world’s businesses and a significant portion of the global workforce.
In his words, “The opportunities available to them in the creative space are limitless in today’s digital and online platforms. While every business starts with an idea, they need to be nurtured and exploited in a predictable, sustainable manner that adds to their market value.”
He described the global response to COVID-19 as reassuring and a demonstration of the fact that “humanity is able to use its collective power of creativity and innovation to overcome the challenge.”
He added: “It is gratifying that science has since found the vaccines and restored hope where there was despair. Thankfully, we have also taken advantage of the new possibilities concerning how we work, learn and access entertainment materials.”
Broadcasting
Why your business needs unified data analytics for growth and success
By Kehinde Ogundare, Country Head, Zoho Nigeria
Most business leaders will agree that data analytics is a strategic necessity today. Without access to comprehensive data and effective ways to interpret it, organisational decision-makers may find themselves relying solely on intuition while navigating unfamiliar roads in the dark. Gut-based decisions can occasionally lead to success, however, those wins are often more coincidental than a reflection of true strategic insight.
More than 90% of the businesses derive benefits from data analytics strategies
A robust data analytics solution enables businesses to transform raw data into organised, actionable insights across numerous functions. They can span CX—helping personalise interactions based on an analysis of individual preferences and behaviours, growth strategies—allowing teams to identify distinct customer segments basis emerging deal patterns, post-sales support—enabling quick response times by analysing ticket allocation systems and discerning gaps, and so on. It’s no surprise, then, that nearly 92% of organisations reported measurable value from their data and analytics investments in 2023.
Unfortunately, many organisations fail to derive full value from their data analytics strategies. One of the reasons for that is analytics systems not having a full view of what’s happening across the company owing to data silos.
Information silos can affect the quality of data insights
There are numerous reasons why an organisation can end up with fragmented or siloed data, but a key factor is the existence of different tech platforms across various departments. Use of disparate tools for different functions can lead to decentralised management of data. For instance, while the sales team might know how many units of a product a customer has purchased, they may have no visibility into how quickly the customer pays their invoices or how many interactions they’ve had with marketing and communication collateral before making a purchase.
There are other data issues that businesses face too. Among them is poor data quality. This can be caused by manual data collection practices that often yield inaccuracies, inconsistencies, and redundancies. Poor data quality forces businesses to spend a lot of time and resources on cleaning up, which further prolongs the analysis process. The best approach to solve these issues is to digitalise and unify data sources with the right tech platform that interconnects all departments.
The right software matters
Fortunately, with the right software, achieving a unified view of data becomes much simpler. Effective data analytics software will bring disparate data points together and make analysis easier. To do this effectively, the software should provide native integrations with a diverse array of data sources, including local files, feeds, databases, and business applications.
Beyond that kind of integration and unified view, what should organisations look for in business analytics software?
First, it should be accessible to all users—whether they are business users, data analysts, data engineers, or BI specialists—ensuring ease of use and value for everyone. The software should also offer pipeline builders, be compatible with other forms of software, support streaming analytics, deliver real-time insights, and provide unified metrics.
In addition,the software must evolve with a business’ changing data analytics needs. This means supporting features like generative AI analytics, predictive AI, and machine learning capabilities. The ability to trigger actions based on alerts and pipelines, connect to niche business apps, and integrate multiple BI and data analytics tools will further enhance its benefits.
Ultimately, the software should demonstrate clear value by reducing manual effort and streamlining processes, handling large datasets efficiently, and delivering cost and time savings.
The data’s there; now bring it together
Given the clear benefits that good data analytics software offers businesses, embracing it should be a no-brainer. Most organisations already sit on a treasure trove of data; it’s simply not being put to effective use. A unified data analytics software can change that by bringing together disparate data points and providing a consolidated view with actionable insights. Implemented correctly, those insights can supercharge a business’s growth trajectory.
Broadcasting
King Shipping Felicitates with Aluo, NNL Chairman as He Bags Sports Administrator of the Year Award
A leading shipping company in the country, King Shipping Trading Maritime Services Limited has congratulated the Mr. George Aluo, chairman of Nigerian National League ( NNL), on his nomination for the Sports Administrator of the Year Award by the Imo State Chapter of Sports Writers Association of Nigeria ( SWAN).
In a congratulatory message he personally signed, the Managing Director/ Chief Executive Officer of the company, Bob Chukwuma Hyacinth, the company described Aluo as a Sports administrator per excellence whose nomination for the award did not come as a surprise to anyone. ”
The award to Mr. George Aluo, is well deserved and did not come to us as a surprise considering the various transformation he has brought to the country’s second tier League within a short period of time of being n charge of the league. ”
As he receives this award, we urge him not to relent in his efforts at making the NNL a household league in the country but to see it as a call to more meritorious service to the country”, concludes the statement by the company whose operations covers Ship Chandelling, Ship handling and repairs, supply of Diesel, commodities , beverages , shipping logistics, clearing and forwarding. Meanwhile, the company has also congratulated the wife of the Managing Director Mrs.Loretta Bob-Chukwuma on her birthday.
In a congratulatory message, the CEO described her as his pillar of success and prayed that God Almighty will continue to clothe her with garment of blessing, and good health ” I also want to use this occasion to congratulate my wife who is a year older today.
She has been the pillar of my success and I pray that the Almighty God will continue to bless her, clothe her with garment of blessings and good health as well as give her long life and prosperity to celebrate many more years in good health.”
Broadcasting
Northern Broadcasters Sue Arewa 24, 7 Others over Licensing
Board of Trustees of the Northern Broadcast Media Owners Association (NBMOA) has filed a lawsuit against the broadcast company Arewa 24 Limited and seven other entities, alleging they are operating without proper licenses.
The case, set for hearing before Justice Omotosho at the Federal High Court in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), lists the National Broadcasting Commission (NBC), the Federal Ministry of Information and National Orientation, the Advertising Regulatory Council of Nigeria (ARCON), the Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Council (FCCPC), MIPAN, MultiChoice, StarTimes, and ADVAN as defendants.
In a statement issued in Abuja, Alhaji (Dr.) Ahmed Tijjani Ramalan, chairman of the NBMOA Board of Trustees, highlighted concerns that the unlicensed operations of the defendants pose a threat to Nigeria’s established legal and competitive media landscape, impacting media owners and audiences nationwide.
Ramalan stated, “Our objective is to ensure a fair, regulated media environment in line with established broadcasting standards, while maintaining a commitment to the rule of law.”
The NBMOA affirmed its commitment to lawful broadcasting standards and noted that it would refrain from further public comments until the legal proceedings are concluded to respect the judicial process.
Stakeholders in Nigeria’s broadcasting industry are closely watching the case, as its outcome could have significant implications for media regulation and licensing across the country
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