News
How Lancor’s $20m Suit Stalled OLPC Scheme
The federal government has cancelled the One Laptop per Child (OLPC) scheme initiated by the last administration two years after it became the first country to order and pay for one million of the OLPC.
Dr Aja Nwachukwu, education minister, said that the scheme was discovered to be a “white elephant” project, a conduit pipe to siphon public fund,”
Nwachukwu said the ministry was working on other options to promote the deployment of ICT at all levels of education.
CommunicationsWeek investigations however revealed that the OLPC ran into trouble waters after Lagos Analysis Corporation (Lancor) insisted that it will press to conclusion its $20 million suit against OLPC for stealing its patented device, Konyin multilingual keyboards.
Apart from the damages, Lancor is also seeking a permanent injunction to prevent OLPC from continuing to unlawfully manufacture, sell, distribute or offer for sale the XO Laptop, and any other products infringing on its patent and using the illegally acquired keyboard driver source codes.
Ade Adedeji, of Adedeji & Owotomo and solicitor to Lancor told CommunicationsWeek that his client was piqued by flagrant infringement of its intellectual property.
OLPC is funded by a number of sponsor organizations, including AMD, Brightstar Corporation, eBay, Google, Marvell, News Corporation, SES, Nortel Networks, and Red Hat and chaired by Nicholas Negroponte.
Lancor had in November 2007 alleged that OLPC and the promoters purchased two Konyin keyboards and used them to reverse-engineer the source codes for use in OLPC’s XO Laptops.
CommunicationsWeek gathered that Lancor holds in Nigeria a registered design patent # RD8489 for Konyin, an advanced physical multilingual keyboard technology using four shift keys and characters with combining properties to allow for direct access typing of accents, symbols and diacritical marks during regular typing.
Konyin’s technology named Shift2 keyboard technology has been used to create a new class of region specific based keyboards, which are currently on sale globally
CommunicationsWeek also gathered that after a preliminary objection to the suit was struck out by a Federal High Court, Lagos, OLPC went to the Appeals Court and that no date has been fixed for the ruling.
Promoters of the OLPC said that its main objective is to empower the children of developing countries to learn by providing one connected laptop to every school-age child
The Federal Government has inaugurated the new Board of Directors of Galaxy Backbone Limited (GBB). The board’s mandate is to lead Nigeria’s digital transformation in Information and Communication Technology (ICT) infrastructure and services.
It will support Federal Government Ministries, Departments, and Agencies (MDAs) in a fast-changing landscape.
George Akume, Secretary to the Government of the Federation, led the inauguration. He emphasised the government’s commitment to making GBB more agile, responsive, and impactful. The aim is to drive national digital public infrastructure and service delivery. This was according to a statement by Segun Imohiosen, Director of Information and Public Relations.
The board has George Akume as Chairman. Its members include Rabi’a Adamu Waziri from the Petroleum Technology Development Fund (PTDF), Abubakar Abdulqadir Maje from the Joint Stock Association (JSA), Kemi Owonubi from the Ministry of Finance Incorporated (MOFI), and Margareth Ebute from the Ministry of Communications and Digital Economy.
Other members are Ibrahim Adeyanju, Olusegun, Olumbe Akinkugbe, Sanni Ibrahim Mohammed, and Adama Pindar from Galaxy Backbone Limited.
In his acceptance speech, Prof. Ibrahim Adepoju Adeyanju, Managing Director of Galaxy Backbone Limited, assured that the board will focus on sustainability. He said it plans to realign its vision and build a strong foundation for achieving strategic goals.
He also noted that within one year, the agency developed its Integrated Digital Transformation Strategy (IDTS). This strategy will run from 2025 to 2028.
Smart Treasure (ST Team) has honored the Deji of Akure, His Royal Highness Ọbá Aladetoyinbo Ogunlade Aladelusi, Odundun II, CFR, with a plaque of recognition for his dedication to the welfare of his subjects.
The presentation was made at the monarch’s palace in Akure by a delegation led by Instructor Luke Mbadugha from the Lagos Operations Center.
The visit was part of ongoing discussions on a partnership aimed at boosting agriculture in Akure, Ondo State.
The initiative, spearheaded by the ST Team, seeks to ensure the availability of farmland for agricultural purposes.
Under the arrangement, the ST Team will provide seedlings and manpower, while a significant portion of the proceeds will be distributed to the indigenes at no cost.
The remaining proceeds will support the administrative operations of the ST Team.
In his response, Ọbá Aladetoyinbo announced the allocation of a parcel of land at Ofosu, along the Ondo-Benin Road, for the project.
He described the initiative as a commendable effort to enhance food security for both the local community and the nation.
The monarch also called for a follow-up meeting to facilitate the assessment of the land for the project’s commencement.
Meanwhile, farming activities are set to resume at Aladodo Isikan in Akure South Local Government Area, another site designated for the agricultural project.
The four-acre land will be used to cultivate crops such as yam, cassava, plantain, and maize. A test run of maize planting began on April 9, 2025, with expectations of harvesting in three months.
Kabiesi Akinwunmi Adekanmbi Obey, the monarch of Olulero Okelero, Onitan Isikan, lauded the ST Team for their commitment to ensuring food availability.
He emphasized the importance of agriculture, stating, “Whoever brings food brings life.”
The ST Team, an investment platform dedicated to reducing poverty in Africa by 30% by 2027, has been actively involved in various Corporate Social Responsibility programs, including this agricultural initiative.
The project underscores their mission to create financial freedom and improve the quality of life for individuals across the continent.
Zinox Technologies Limited, a leading ICT solutions provider in West Africa, has engaged with the Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETFUND) in Abuja, marking a significant step towards advancing innovation and sustainable energy solutions within Nigeria’s tertiary education landscape.
Dr. Leo Stan Ekeh, Zinox Chairman (left) and Arc. Sonny Echono, Executive Secretary, TETFUND (right) after the meeting
Under the theme “Advancing Innovation for a Sustainable Future,” the meeting aimed to establish a collaborative framework for technological transformation.
The Zinox delegation was led by Dr. Leo Stan Ekeh, its chairman, and included key members of the company’s executive management team.
On the TETFUND side, Arc. Sonny Echono, executive secretary, was joined by members of his top management team for the high-level discussions.
The highlight of the visit was the establishment of a strategic partnership between Zinox Technologies and TETFUND to provide renewable energy solutions to universities and polytechnics across Nigeria.
Additionally, Mrs. Kelechi Eze-Okonta, managing director, delivered a comprehensive, world-class presentation on the company’s diverse verticals and advanced ICT services, underscoring the need for intentional policy measures to support indigenous technologies for sustainable economic growth.
The TETFUND team expressed their appreciation for Zinox’s contributions to technology awareness, implementation, and adoption in Africa.
Arc. Sonny Echono, executive secretary of TETFUND, conveyed his deep appreciation for the visit by the Zinox team and commended Dr. Leo Stan Ekeh for his unwavering and impactful contributions to Nigeria’s digital transformation, stating that efforts are underway to establish a framework for effective energy solutions in tertiary institutions.
Highlighting Zinox Technologies’ expertise and proven track record, Arc. Echono expressed optimism about partnering with the company to develop scalable and efficient power solutions for academic institutions.
While both organizations remain committed to implementing innovative initiatives that enhance institutional capacity across the nation’s higher education sector, the visit marks a significant milestone in establishing a strategic partnership to equip Nigeria’s tertiary institutions with the essential technological infrastructure for a sustainable, digitally-driven future.
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