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IT Stakeholders Seek Stricter Laws for IP Protection

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 Stakeholders in the IT industry have unanimously called for the review of legal documents in Nigeria to protect owners’ intellectual property (IP) as well as rebuild confidence of critical thinkers and innovators.

Adeolu Majekodunmi, small & medium solutions & partner director, Microsoft Anglophone West Africa, said that due to the ineffectual legal document , IT pirates are throwing heavy spanners on the wheels of Nigeria’s growth.

Majekodunmi  who spoke during the 2013 Intellectual Property Panel Discussion organised by Microsoft Nigeria, warned that if piracy is not contained;  dangers loom ahead.

He said that  IT pirates are bent on draining the economy adding that feedback from the entertainment, software, government, media and other core investments, showed  that several billions of naira originating from IP related sectors are entering into the wrong pockets.

He added that the draft national ICT policy paraded by the Ministry of Communication needs to be accompanied by laws that could allow regulators teeth to bite and for the betterment of the revolutionary IT industry in Nigeria.

Majekodunmi while defining IP as a creation of the mind, to which exclusive right is given, added that, “IP right can be put in the respect of copyright, patent right, trademarks, logo, et cetera.

“Nigeria is yet to revolutionalise its IT space, because we still use ‘borrowed’ technologies. Meanwhile, the country has the power to change the story. Bu the biggest issue is threats to IP rights or the activities of IT pirates. Nigeria needs a game-changer to turn the table were IP pays.

“With the new ICT policy in place, the country can leverage on it to revolutionalise the industry. Now there are incubation centres coming up in various locations, we need better platforms to make such that whatever is coming from those centres are monetized and protected”.

He said that the legal framework has to support the robust ICT policy for meaningful impact on the economy.

Also speaking, Yomi Badejo-Okusanya, managing director, CMC Concept, said that development in any nation anchors on creativity and innovation imbedded in the intellectual property of individuals and must be protected.

“The intellectual property regime of any nation must impact on its development. So, low level IP regime (protection) leads to stagnant growth. For instance, producers of music and movies are losing at N150 per copy because pirates are at work. It is a major drain on our economy and Nigeria must rise to the occasion to stop the damages.

“I believe that the President should be addressing the media on International Intellectual Property Days, because we need to see the negative impact as harmful as the oil pipeline vandalism and Boko Haram insurgencies,” he said.

Badejo-Okusanya, added that the IP related cases should be made front-burner issues as it is not fight for Microsoft or software companies alone but every user of IT other sundry solutions.

On his part, Zanri Dabiri, CEO, Trybe Records, a music producer, further lamented that inefficient laws that address the menace currently lead to unsustainable business models, threat to governance and lack of private sector confidence on the nation’s entertainment industry.

According to him, Nigeria will remain a consumer of foreign technologies even with its consummate individuals if IP offenses are not addressed.

He said: “Royalties are not paying. This is impacting on, virtually, everything we do as an industry. We need to tackle this, because the entertainment industry is one of the largest employers of labour in the country and we cannot imagine what will become of the country if the industry fails”.

The stakeholders while applauding Microsoft Nigeria for brazing the trail in Intellectual property protection awareness, also pointed out that vigorous advocacy and education of consumers and unleashing of the genuine products in the market would reduce the ‘dreaded disease’ that has penetrated the market overtime, adding the current transformation in the Nigeria Copyright Commission is a good omen for the industry.

 

 

 


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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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