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Court Fixes May 4 for NUC, Airtel Alleged Copyright Suit

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Justice Inyang Ekwo of the Abuja Division of the Federal High Court, will on May 4, 2020, decide whether both the National Universities Commission (NUC) and a Telecom firm, ZAIN Nigeria Ltd (now Airtel) are culpable in the alleged copy right infringement brought against them.

Court Fixes May 4 for NUC, Airtel Alleged Copyright Suit

If found guilty, the court would further have to determine whether the plaintiff is entitled to the sum of over N1bn being sought as compensation for the loss or damage suffered as a result of the alleged infringement of his copyright, “Nigeria Universities Challenge”, by the two respondents.

Justice Ekwo fixed the date for judgment last Thursday, February 6 shortly after parties adopted their final written addresses as their brief of arguments in the case.

The plaintiff, TV Xtra Production limited had in 2008, instituted legal action against both the NUC and ZAIN Nigeria Ltd, over the alleged usage without his permission of his intellectual property.

In the suit marked: FHC/ABJ/CS/680/2008, the plaintiff is asking the court to hold that the approval by the NUC of the program called “ZAIN AFRICAN CHALLENGE” in favour of ZAIN Nigeria Ltd, is an infringement of his copyright in respect of the said programme.

As averred in the affidavit in support of the suit, Mr. Christian Ojorovwu Ogodo, Plaintiff’s managing director, claimed to have developed an educational TV production quiz program, Nigeria Universities Challenge.

He said his rights over the said TV program were registered with the Nigerian Copyright Commission and subsequently donated to the Plaintiff via a Power of Attorney.

The Plaintiff according to him, thereafter made a proposal to the NUC for the endorsement of the program and for collaboration in the production of same to be broadcast on Nigerian Television Stations.

The Plaintiff told the court that he was however surprised to find out that after about four weeks of writing to seek the endorsement and collaboration of the Commission, the NUC approved a similar proposal in favour of one Natives Filmworks Ltd.

This he said necessitated the legal action to seek redress over the infringement of the Plaintiff’s copyright in the earlier work submitted to the NUC for approval.

The Plaintiff’s case against the 2nd defendant is that the 2nd defendant developed a similar program, Zain African Challenge which is similar to Plaintiff’s Universities Challenge in all material particulars.

The 1st defendant endorsed same in favour of the 2nd defendant, which Plaintiff now argues that both actions of the defendants infringed the Plaintiff’s protected intellectual property work, Nigeria Universities Challenge.

While NUC did not file any form of defense to the Plaintiff’s suit, and it is deemed not to have opposed the Plaintiff’s suit as presently constituted, ZAIN Nigeria Ltd on the other hand submitted that Zain African Challenge is not an infringement of the Plaintiff’s Nigeria Universities Challenge quiz program.

The firm in admitting that the said Zain African Challenge was fashioned after ‘University Challenge’, argued that the Plaintiff is not the original owner of the said University Challenge.

It claimed in its defense that the said University Challenge was published in Britain and the intellectual property of the British University Challenge.

But the firm did not lead any evidence in respect of any other registration of University Challenge in Nigeria apart from the one registered by the Plaintiff; and did not also tender the alleged Zain African Challenge nor lead evidence to show the format and in what material parts it differed from the Plaintiff’s Nigeria Universities Challenge.

Part of the reliefs sought by the plaintiff include; an Order compelling the 1st defendant, whether by themselves, or officers, agents, servants, privies, or otherwise howsoever to endorse and approve the programme called “UNIVERSITY CHALLENGE” in favor of the Plaintiff.

“AN  ORDER of perpetual injunction restraining the 2nd defendant whether by themselves, or officers, agents, servants, privies, or otherwise howsoever from producing, airing, marketing or exercising any right in respect of the programme called “ZAIN AFRICAN CHALLENGE”.

“AN ORDER of perpetual injunction restraining the 1st defendant whether by itself, or officers, agents, servants, privies, or otherwise howsoever from approving or registering any other programme similar to UNIVERSITY CHALLENGE or which will infringe on the copyright of the Plaintiff over thesaid programme.

“AN ORDER compelling the defendants jointly and severally to pay the Plaintiff the sum of N500, 000,000.00 (Five Hundred Million Naira) as special damages for the infringement of the Plaintiff’s Copyright.

“AN ORDER compelling the 2nd defendant to pay the Plaintiff the sum of N200,000,000.00 (Two Hundred Million Naira) as general damages for airing the programme titled “ZAIN AFRICAN CHALLENGE” in Nigerian televisions which infringed on the right of the Plaintiff.

“AN ORDER compelling the Defendants jointly and severally to pay the Plaintiff the sum of N3, 000,000.00 (Three Million Naira) being the cost ofthis action.


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NIA Questions Legality of Reps’ Financial Probe

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The Nigerian Insurers Association has urged the House Committee on Capital Market and Institutions to respect the constitutional separation of powers as it carries out a probe on over 20 insurance firms.

In a statement on Tuesday night, the Director General/Chief Executive Officer of NIA, Mrs Bola Odukale, said the decision of NIA and the affected firms to approach the court was to seek clarity on the constitutional limits of the House Committee’s probe.

It would be recalled that the House of Representatives on Monday is investigating no fewer than 25 insurance companies operating in the country for various financial infractions spanning financial reporting, claims settlement, premium remittance, and issuance of policies.

The Chairman, House Sub-Committee on Capital Market and Institutions, Kwamoti Laori, during a meeting with the management of the insurance companies at the National Assembly Complex in Abuja, said the meeting was convened following the receipt of a petition on infractions by the insurance companies.

In the statement, Odukale said, “The Association wishes to state unequivocally that all actions taken by the NIA and the affected member companies in response to the Committee’s invitations and pronouncements were based entirely on legal advice by its Solicitors. It was on the firm instruction of legal counsel that recourse was made to the courts.

“The objective of approaching the Court is to seek judicial guidance on the legality, propriety, and constitutional limits of the Committee’s intervention in order to safeguard institutional integrity, uphold regulatory independence, and ensure that legislative oversight remains within the bounds of law.

“The Court action seeks to determine whether the current posture of the Committee reflects an exercise of legislative judgment, which, by constitutional design, is the exclusive province of statutory regulators, such as the National Insurance Commission, Securities and Exchange Commission, Nigerian Exchange, Financial Reporting Council, Nigeria Data Protection Commission, and the National Information Technology Development Agency.

“This raises serious questions about legislative overreach and an erosion of the doctrine of separation of powers, a cornerstone of Nigeria’s constitutional democracy.”

Odukale maintained that the NIA was committed to lawful and constructive engagement with all arms of government, provided that such engagement respects the autonomy of statutory regulators and the boundaries established by the Constitution.

“The NIA will continue to provide its full support to all member companies while upholding the principles of legal compliance and sector-wide integrity,” Odukale concluded.

17 of the companies that went to court were represented by their lawyer, Mr Abimbola Kayode, at the meeting with the committee.


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Horn of Africa Leaders Seek Enhanced Digital Integration for Increased Regional Growth

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Finance ministers and development partners from the Horn of Africa have called for enhanced digital integration to boost trade, drive economic growth and promote regional stability during the 25th Ministerial Meeting of the Horn of Africa Initiative (HoAI).

Held in Nairobi, on July 14, the meeting was co-chaired by the African Development Bank’s Vice President for Regional Development, Integration and Business Delivery, Nnenna Nwabufo and Somalia’s Minister of Finance, Bihi Iman Egeh. Discussions underscored the critical role of digital integration in reducing trade barriers, boosting government service delivery and creating employment — particularly for the region’s youth.

“Digital technologies are shaping today’s economy and tomorrow’s industries. By embedding these technologies into our programs, we can not only improve inclusion but also leapfrog outdated development models,” said Nwabufo.

She called for digital integration a “central enabler” in each of the Horn of Africa Initiative’s pillars – trade, infrastructure, resilience, and human capital,

Learning through experience

Drawing from global and regional success stories, speakers highlighted the transformative potential of technology-led development. The ministers pointed to the Philippines as a strong example, where ICT has generated millions of jobs in business process outsourcing. Similarly, Kenya’s fintech innovation—especially the success of M-PESA—was cited as a model for scaling digital financial services across the region.

Participants urged governments to proactively foster digital ecosystems by capitalizing on the demographic dividend, identifying infrastructure upgrades, tighter regulatory reforms, and digital skills trainings as priorities to enable broader participation in the digital economy.

Minister Egeh reiterated the need for more coordinated regional efforts to create the enabling environment required for accelerated digital integration and expansion. He referenced the HoAI Digital Policy Matrix, adopted in 2023 which provides a blueprint on how to address key obstacles to achieving effective digital integration across the region.

Barack Makokha, Kenya’s Cabinet Secretary for National Treasury, underscored the importance of regionally-aligned public private partnerships and advocated for blended financing to reduce investment risk and expand digital access in underserved areas.

World Bank Vice President for Eastern and Southern Africa, Ndiame Diop, called for a comprehensive multi-pronged approach, combining cross-border coordination, large-scale financing, robust policy support, and digital infrastructure investments. He pointed out that such measures could transform digital integration into, “a powerful engine of economic transformation” for the Horn of Africa—ensuring no one is left behind in the digital era.

The meeting concluded with a shared recognition that sustained political will and the determination to implement a multifaceted approach are essential to unlocking the region’s economic potential and driving long-term growth.

The event also welcomed observers from the East African Community, Agence française de développement, and Shelter Afrique, reflecting strong regional and international backing for the HoAI in the development community.


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CSCS Inaugurates Custodian Portal to Enhance Digital Access, Operational Efficiency

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Central Securities Clearing System Plc (CSCS), Nigeria’s capital market infrastructure provider, has launched its Custodian Portal, a user-centric digital solution designed to optimise custodian operations through intuitive, secure and efficient features.

Haruna Jalo-Waziri, Chief Executive Officer (CEO), CSCS, announced this in a statement on Monday.

The CSCS is a Public Limited Company with a diversified shareholder base, which serves as the Central Securities Depository for the Nigerian Capital Market.

It serves as the Central Depository for Equities, Commercial Papers, Corporate Bonds, Sub-National Bonds, certain Sovereign Bonds like the FGN Sukuk and the FGN Savings Bond, Equity-traded Funds, Real Estate Investment Trusts, Mutual funds and Commodities.

Jalo-Waziri said that the custodian portal offered a streamlined experience for market participants with powerful tools that facilitate comprehensive portfolio and trade management, document tracking, share transfer operations, client symbol search, and real-time access to vital data.

He explained that the portal, designed to operate through a flexible subscription-based model, empowered users to manage their records effortlessly and securely through convenient payment channels such as GTPay and Paystack.

According to him, “Digital transformation remains at the core of our strategy to enhance the efficiency, transparency and accessibility of Nigeria’s capital market services.

“The custodian portal is a significant leap in that direction, offering custodians a centralised platform to manage critical processes in real-time.

“We are excited about the value this innovation brings to our stakeholders, and we will continue to evolve the platform in line with users’ needs and industry trends.”

The CEO also explained that the portal was designed with user experience in mind with feature tools like portfolio viewing and downloads in PDF or Excel format.

He further said that it also featured tracking of stock movements across date ranges, inbox messaging and request tracking, as well as robust user management capabilities including role assignment and status tracking.

Similarly, the Divisional Head, Business Technology and Digital Innovation, CSCS Plc, Tobe Nnadozie, said that the portal aligned with CSCS’s drive to automate the market.

“In addition to the normal features, the platform is a part of an omnichannel platform for custodians, and includes API services.

“It also connects to the market-wide workflow, which CSCS has built to ensure secured communication and approvals across all major stakeholders in the market.

“The platform is well secured with best-of-breed cybersecurity solutions and our SOC,” he said.

The Custodian Portal reinforces CSCS’s commitment to leveraging technology to streamline back-office functions and support a more agile, data-driven capital market ecosystem.

All custodians in the Nigerian capital market have now been successfully on-boarded on the Custodian Portal, marking a significant milestone in CSCS’s ongoing drive to enhance collaboration, standardise operational processes, and promote digital adoption across the market.


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