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U.S Embassy to Collaborate with NCC on Copyright Administration

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Mr. Afam Ezekude, Director General of the Nigerian Copyright Commission (NCC), has called for greater collaboration in areas of capacity building for the enforcement and prosecution of Intellectual Property (IP) crimes in the country.

The DG, NCC, stated this during an interactive meeting with the Economic Counselor of the United States Embassy in Nigeria, Susan Garro and other officials of the Embassy at the Commission’s headquarter in Abuja.

The meeting which was held at the instance of the Economic Counseling Unit of the US Embassy seeks to understudy the workings of IP in Nigeria with respect to Copyright, strengthen existing partnerships to maintain best practices and identify areas of collaboration in the administration, enforcement and prosecution of Copyright infringements in Nigeria.

Mr. Ezekude in his welcome address, highlighted on the achievements of the commission in the past 7 years to include pro-active enforcement and prosecution of Copyright offences; the on-going reform of the Nigerian Copyright Administration; the e-Registration programme, the ratification and depositing of four Instruments of Treaty at WIPO, and the recent approval of the proposed Copyright Bill for deliberation at the National Assembly.

He commended the US government for their useful comments which served as a guide in the Proposed Copyright Bill.

The DG stated that Enforcement and Prosecution of infringement cases no doubt pose a lot of challenges and called for support in the area of capacity building.

He said that the Commission in the past enjoyed good partnership in this area from the Embassy but this has not been forthcoming in recent times.

He expressed optimism that with the recent ratification of 4 treaties and the renewed collaboration this will be given a top priority.

Mr. Obi Ezeilo, Director and Head of Lagos Zonal Office, said Nigeria generates and consumes a lot of IP contents which calls for stricter measures and hence the need for capacity building for enforcement officers and prosecutors.

Mr. Ezeilo called for closer collaborations in the identification of foreign works in Nigeria and adequate protection of Nigerian works in the U.S as challenges are being encountered due to non-availability of direct agents on ground for witness or evidence during prosecutions.

He also stressed the need for training of officers in on-line Content Investigation, on-line Piracy and Cybercrimes in general.

He stated the need to broaden the scope of collaboration in this area with the U.S Embassy.

Commenting on the areas of collaborations, the Economic Counselor advised on the need to identify sources of funding and to collaborate with donor agencies of which the DG, NCC noted.

Responding to the call for collaboration in the area of capacity building, the Regional Intellectual Property Law Enforcement Coordinator of the Embassy (IPLEAC), Tanya Hill informed the meeting of the upcoming Capacity Building Trainings on Cyber crimes in Nigeria and Ghana but felt that it may be too late to incorporate officers of the Commission into the training programme.

The DG, NCC, appreciated the willingness of the Embassy to train our officers and asked that the trainings be tailored to the prevailing needs of Enforcement and Prosecutions in the Commission.

Kate Kaetzer Hodson, an Economic Officer with the Embassy, while commending the Commission for the ratification of the treaty said it was a monumental undertaking.

Ms Hodson as part of the collaboration indicated their willingness to support the April 26 WIPO day celebrations by   the commission.

In the same vein the Embassy is interested in collaborating with the Commission in the area of Outreach Programme to enhance Copyright knowledge and consequently an agreement was reached to send a Concept Note to the Embassy to this effect.


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E-Business

Galaxy Backbone Celebrates the Federal Government’s Paperless Civil Service Milestone

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Galaxy Backbone (GBB) aligns with and celebrates the successful announcement by the Office of the Head of the Civil Service of the Federation on the achievement of a Paperless Civil Service, a significant milestone in Nigeria’s public sector reform and digital transformation agenda.

The milestone was formally highlighted at a press briefing led by the Head of the Civil Service of the Federation, Mrs. Didi Esther Walson-Jack, who commended Galaxy Backbone for its sustained support and contribution throughout the implementation of the programme.

GBB has played a critical role in enabling this transition by providing secure, scalable, and shared digital infrastructure that supports the digitisation of government processes across Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs). Through the 1Government Cloud, MDAs have been empowered to migrate from paper-based workflows to digital platforms, improving efficiency, collaboration, data security, and service delivery across the Federal Civil Service.

In addition, GovMail, GBB’s secure government email platform, has strengthened official communication, enhanced records management, and reinforced cybersecurity standards—key pillars in sustaining a paperless operating environment.

Galaxy Backbone acknowledges the collective efforts of the Office of the Head of the Civil Service of the Federation, Permanent Secretaries, Directors of ICT, consultants, partners, and dedicated public servants whose commitment and collaboration ensured the smooth delivery of this initiative.

The Managing Director/Chief Executive Officer of Galaxy Backbone, Prof. Ibrahim Adeyanju, was represented at the press briefing by Akintayo Bamisaye, Acting Group Head, Research, Digital Innovation and Skills Department (RDIS).

GBB describes the achievement as a strong close to 2025 and reaffirms its commitment to supporting the Federal Government in building a modern, efficient, and digitally enabled public service.


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Jumia CEO says Black Friday Signals Nigeria’s E-Commerce Maturity

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At the close of 2025, Temidayo Ojo, the CEO of Jumia Nigeria, reflected on a year-end shopping season that points to the growing maturity of the country’s e-commerce market. “Black Friday is no longer a single, short-lived spike in activity,” he said.

“It has become a familiar, anticipated moment in the retail calendar, where consumers shop deliberately and with confidence.”

Preliminary KPIs for the two months ended November 30, 2025, show strong year-on-year growth in both orders and Gross Merchandise Value (GMV), with GMV growth outpacing order growth. This indicates that customers are placing fuller, more considered baskets rather than shopping in fragmented transactions. Nigeria ranked among Jumia Group’s better-performing markets, with engagement remaining steady throughout the Black Friday period rather than spiking briefly and tapering off.

A key factor behind this performance is the growing familiarity of consumers with online shopping. Customers are increasingly leveraging platform features such as saved carts, brand stores, and price comparison tools to plan purchases in advance. This trend suggests that digital commerce is becoming embedded in everyday habits rather than being viewed as a one-off event.

Ojo also highlighted the role of Jumia’s JForce network in connecting digital commerce to local communities. “Our agents are critical to ensuring that customers across Nigeria, including secondary cities and smaller communities, have access to variety, consistent pricing, and reliable delivery,” he said. “During peak periods like Black Friday, JForce agents can respond faster, serve more customers efficiently, and build stronger local relationships. This isn’t just a distribution channel—it’s a pathway to sustainable income and inclusion.”

Reflecting on the overall performance, the CEO concluded: “What we’re seeing this year-end is steady engagement across categories, stronger consumer confidence, and partners like our JForce agents benefiting from increased activity.

“It confirms that Nigeria’s e-commerce ecosystem is maturing, growing in a more structured and resilient way. As the December Holiday Sale continues, we expect these patterns of familiarity, trust, and participation to sustain momentum and drive both commerce and community impact across the country.”


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Galaxy Backbone Tops FG’s Website Performance Ranking

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Galaxy Backbone Limited (GBB) has been ranked first overall in the 2025 Federal Government Website Performance Scorecard.

Galaxy Backbone Tops FG's Website Performance Ranking

This is a landmark achievement for Nigeria’s digital economy.

The ranking, conducted by the Bureau of Public Service Reforms (BPSR), is the definitive benchmark for digital excellence and transparency across all Ministries, Departments, and Agencies (MDAs).

Professor Ibrahim Adepoju Adeyanju, managing director and CEO of Galaxy Backbone, received the award during a ceremony in Abuja.

He described the feat as a validation of the agency’s“Nigeria First”data sovereignty strategy and its relentless pursuit of service excellence.

This recognition comes as the Federal Government intensifies its push to achieve a fully paperless civil service by December 31, 2025.

GBB has been the primary architect of this transition through its 1Gov Enterprise Content Management (ECM) platform, which now hosts the operations of almost all federal MDAs.

The award adds to a growing list of accolades for Galaxy Backbone in 2025, following its recent win of the “International Standard Excellence Award for Best IT Service Provider.”

As the central hub for government shared services, GBB’s performance serves as a blueprint for other agencies currently undergoing digital transformation.

With its expanded fiber-optic backbone now covering over 13 states and its secure cloud solutions, Galaxy Backbone remains the cornerstone of Nigeria’s vision to become a leading digital nation by the end of the decade.

 


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