General News
Genuine Software Guards Intellectual Property Smedley -Williams

Richard Smedley-Williams is the sales director at Autodesk. Smedley-Williams has been in the Autodesk industry for 10 years. His work is centered on building Autodesk channels and equipping the channels to have the right skills, capacity and capability to assist customers. He spoke with funmi ilesanmi.
Autodesk Symposium
We started the first design symposium last year and we started it to support our objectives of creating awareness in the market around the new tools that are available. Last year we focused mostly on most of the AutoCAD products and this year we want to take a upper notch from the presentation perspective and show customers the more intricate, more specialized but very interesting design tools. The objective of this symposium is to bring customers together to showcase to them the most innovative design tools so that we can help the Nigerian market become more competitive.
Interest in the Nigerian Market
All the infrastructure are here; oil and gas, architecture. When you drive from the airport to Victoria Island, you see different projects here and there. The population is huge; the Nigerian market is very innovative and very tech savvy. The Nigerian market is probably one of the most technologically savvy markets in West Africa so we feel that it is an obvious choice to work here coupled with the strong professional bodies here like the Nigerian Society of Engineers (NSE) is why we think Nigeria is so attractive.
Software Piracy
We would like to eradicate software piracy in a positive way so we would like to accelerate awareness around the benefits of using legal software. If you considered the price – value balance, customers do not complain about a BMW being expensive. We have reached the right point in our pricing strategy and now we want to make customers aware of why it is better to use legal software. We have a relationship with the NCC which is at the early stage. We have not formalized a programme with them yet but we would like to keep it as positive and as meaningful as possible.
Amnesty Period Given to Users
Our experiences in other parts of the continent plus the believe that with an amnesty period, you are giving customers a period of time when there is a lot of education, a lot of discussions, a lot of events, all happening about the same time to give the market a time and give customers a time to get legal software. If we feel that customers are receptive to the positive approach, we might consider a clampdown but we prefer to take the awareness approach rather than clamping down on illegal users.
Extension of Amnesty Period
We feel that people want to use genuine technology and we want to make sure they know where to get it from.
Causes of Software Piracy
I think customers do not know where to buy original software and they do not know what illegal software looks like. I maintain that if a customer does not know where to buy software from, they do not know why they should value it, they have an assumption of how much they think it costs so it is a very holistic school of thought.
Building Information
It is consistent, coordinated approach to modeling the building in 3D to experience their project before it is built. The benefit of that is because you can design your building, you can visualize your building when it s not yet built. Visualization is such a powerful tool. It allows you to simulate. For example, if you have a building with too much glass it is going to have a lot of heat during the day but less heat at night so it allows you to visualize, to simulate and in doing so you can coordinate the building with the architect, with the mechanical engineer and the team in planning heating and ventilation
The benefit of that is to pull everyone together earlier so that you can to build better designs in a short dramatic time.
BSA Report on Piracy in Nigeria
The BSA is the Business Software Alliance which has come together to eradicate illegal use of licenses around the globe and conducts studies all over the world. The BSA is a professional governing body and the most recent software piracy report from BSA which I think was in 2008 indicates software piracy to be at about 80 per cent for Nigeria. How they come to that was through lots of research but it is not about design, it is about software piracy overall. It includes all kinds of software.
Advantages of Using Genuine Software
The first one from a customer perspective is that you can stay on the current version of software. When there is a new release, you get that automatically because it is a part of your subscription. The next is with specific regard to direct support. Then there is increased productivity that you can achieve, there is no loss to your reputation because professionals want to work with professionals and that is part of the third line of the campaign which is to change efficiency. The possibilities are numerous but pirated software tends to crash. Using genuine software is a proactive way of guarding your intellectual property.
Awareness
We have run quite a comprehensive programme with the design symposium, we have got newsletters we send to our customers and in the news letter we include stories on how to check tricks. There is an electronic mail to customers plus the design competition we are doing with the Nigeria Society of Engineers (NSE) and then there is the newspaper advertisement. We have also distributed thousands of posters. Predominantly, awareness has been through the channel partners, keeping them up to date and informed of what is going on. They in turn inform their customers. It means they have one-on –one discussions with their customers.
About Autodesk
We have got the broadest and deepest products available. We have products from 2D designs to very high end, to industrial application design. We launched the consumer application design not too long ago. We have over 60 million downloads of consumer application. In the consumer application environment, we have sketching tools. What we found is that a mechanical toy application that even 10 year old boys love and we are finding that changing across the markets dramatically and many people want to make use of designs. And that is available on the App store and it cost few dollars to get those software applications.
Economic Benefit of Using Original Software
I strongly believe that if you look at all the countries that are strong with architecture, engineering, construction and leading the way, for Nigeria to lead the way, you need all those things.
I think Nigeria has come a very long way and it is wonderful. There are buildings going up, refurbishment of buildings so Nigeria has a lot to gain from using genuine software because it will make the country more profitable and more competitive and if you are more competitive, you can be more innovative and if you are more innovative, you can create anything and make the work environment conducive for everyone.
Software Piracy in Nigeria
Obviously piracy is high in developing countries than in more developed countries but I believe that here it will change. If you take the NSE for example, the partnership is brilliant because to be a professional engineer here means something. To be an architect here means something and we are partnering with such institutions because they use genuine software and that means something as well so there is a lot to gain.
General News
Court Orders FG to Reveal Identity of Local Contractors in $460m Abuja CCTV Project

Federal High Court has ordered the Ministry of Finance to disclose the total amount paid under the $460 million Abuja CCTV loan, the identities of local and Chinese contractors who received the funds, the status of the project’s implementation, and details relating to the N1.5 billion reportedly paid for the Code of Conduct Bureau headquarters project.

The Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP) has urged Mr. Taiwo Oyedele, the Minister of Finance and Co-ordinating Minister of the Economy to immediately disclose the identities of all local contractors, subcontractors, consultants, vendors, and other entities that benefited from the payments under the National Public Security Communication System project in Abuja, commonly referred to as the $460 million Abuja CCTV Project.
The Federal Ministry of Finance, in response to SERAP’s contempt proceedings, had recently disclosed that: “Records from the Ministry of Police Affairs indicate that while local subcontractors may have been engaged, there is an absence of detailed subcontracting records identifying specific local companies that received funds directly from the Chinese loan.”
The Ministry made the disclosure in a letter dated 15 May 2026 and signed by R. O. Omachi, permanent secretary, Federal Ministry of Finance,.
Responding, SERAP in a letter dated 23 May 2026 and signed by Kolawole Oluwadare, deputy director, said: “We are concerned that although the judgment was delivered in May 2023, the Ministry only released some information after we commenced contempt proceedings and served a Notice to show cause in January 2026.”
According to SERAP, “Nigerians still do not know exactly the names of local contractors for the project. The absence of this information raises serious concerns about record keeping, transparency and accountability, and whether the project was implemented in a manner consistent with the public interest.”
On 15 May 2023, the Federal High Court ordered the Ministry of Finance to disclose the total amount paid under the $460 million Abuja CCTV loan, the identities of local and Chinese contractors who received the funds, the status of the project’s implementation, and details relating to the N1.5 billion reportedly paid for the Code of Conduct Bureau headquarters project.
SERAP said, “The details provided amount to only partial compliance with Justice Emeka Nwite’s judgment. Key questions remain unanswered, and further clarification is needed to ensure full and effective compliance with the judgment.”
SERAP’s letter, read in part: “We would be grateful if the requested details are provided within 48 hours of the receipt and/or publication of this letter. If we have not heard from you by then, SERAP shall proceed with our contempt proceedings against the Federal Ministry of Finance for failure to fully and effectively comply with the judgment of the Federal High Court.
“SERAP appreciates the steps taken by the Ministry to provide some information concerning the Chinese loan drawdown, counterpart funding arrangements, and certain records on equipment deliveries connected with the project.
“However, there is still no explanation regarding the missing 6,035 items as part of the status of implementation of the project. It remains unclear whether the items were subsequently delivered, whether payment was made for them, whether the contractor defaulted, whether Nigeria suffered any financial loss, and whether any steps were taken to recover public funds.
“The Ministry lists items reportedly delivered in 2013. However, it has failed to clarify how many cameras were installed, if any; where they were installed; whether the cameras are currently operational; and whether the project delivered value for money.
“The inability or failure to disclose these records raises serious public interest concerns about record keeping, contract administration, and accountability for public expenditure.
“For a project financed through public borrowing—debt Nigerians continue to repay—full transparency over all beneficiaries, foreign and domestic, is essential. Nigerians have the right to know how public funds were spent, who received them, and what was delivered in return.
“Compliance with court judgments is fundamental to the rule of law and constitutional governance. Government agencies cannot selectively comply with judicial orders or release partial information while withholding records central to public accountability.”
SERAP, therefore, urged Mr Oyedele and the Federal Ministry of Finance to fully, effectively, and urgently implement the judgment of the Federal High Court ordering disclosure of information relating to the Abuja CCTV project including by:
*Publishing the names of all Nigerian companies, subcontractors, consultants, and vendors involved in the project.
*Disclosing the amount paid to each contractor or subcontractor and the nature of work performed.
*Provide details of the status of implementation of the project including by releasing the certificates of completion, and accounting for the 6,035 project items identified as undelivered.
General News
NCAA Suspends Services to Air Peace, Others over Debts

Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) has placed 11 domestic airlines on its updated “No-Pay-No-Service” list over unpaid statutory charges, a move that could affect the renewal of key operational approvals, including Air Operator’s Certificates (AOC).

According to an internal memo dated May 22, 2026, the regulator directed all its directorates to suspend regulatory and administrative services to the affected carriers until they clear outstanding debts or agree on repayment terms.
The directive means that services linked to certification and oversight, such as AOC renewals, Air Transport Licences (ATL), and Airline Operating Permits (AOP), may be withheld, raising concerns over possible operational disruptions in the aviation sector.
The affected airlines include Air Peace Limited, Ibom Air, Arik Air, ValueJet, United Nigeria Airlines, Umza Air, NG Eagle, Max Air, Caverton Helicopters, Overland Airways, and Rano Air.
At the centre of the dispute is the five per cent Ticket Sales Charge and Cargo Sales Charge, which airlines collect on behalf of the NCAA to fund safety oversight, personnel training, and economic regulation in the industry.
The memo, signed by Olufemi Odukoya, director of Finance and Accounts, NCAA, and circulated to regional offices, instructed that no directorate should render services to the listed airlines without financial clearance from the finance department.
It further warned that all services remain suspended pending verification and clearance of outstanding obligations.
While the directive has sparked concerns among industry stakeholders about possible delays in regulatory processes, some affected operators say they are unaware of the order.
Banji Ola, Arik Air’s spokesperson, said the airline had no knowledge of such a directive.
“I am not aware of any such directive or report.” Ola said
Whisky Efe and Anietie Essienette, spokespersons of Air Peace and Ibom Air, respectively did not respond as of the time of filing this report.
The development has raised fresh uncertainty in the sector, with operators and passengers wary of potential disruptions if the standoff persists
General News
FG Classifies Ebola Importation into Nigeria as High Risk

Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (NCDC) has classified the risk of Ebola Virus Disease (EVD) importation into Nigeria as high amid the ongoing outbreaks in the Democratic Republic of Congo and Uganda, though the agency confirmed that no case linked to the regional outbreak has been detected in the country.

Dr Jide Idris, director-general of the NCDC, in a public health advisory released on Sunday, stated that the assessment followed the World Health Organization’s declaration of the outbreaks as a Public Health Emergency of International Concern (PHEIC).
According to Dr Idris, the high-risk classification was informed by increasing international travel and population movement, continued transmission in the affected countries, uncertainty surrounding the full scale of the outbreak, and the possibility of delayed detection because Ebola symptoms resemble other endemic diseases such as malaria and Lassa fever.
He, however, assured Nigerians that high-risk states, border communities, major transport hubs, and Points of Entry had already been identified as part of ongoing preparedness efforts.
Despite the risk, Dr Idris noted that the country possesses critical response capacities, including functional laboratories, trained rapid response teams, emergency operations centres, and existing viral haemorrhagic fever preparedness structures strengthened by previous successful responses to Ebola and similar outbreaks.
He also stated that the National Emergency Operations Centre had been placed on alert mode, while the National Incident Management System had also been activated to strengthen coordination, reporting, and rapid response mechanisms nationwide.
He explained that epidemiologists and rapid response teams had been placed on standby for possible deployment, while collaboration among state ministries of health, port health services, and other relevant agencies had been intensified.
According to him, surveillance activities have also been strengthened nationwide through enhanced monitoring of alerts, rumours, and unusual health events to support early detection and response.
Dr Idris said border communities and points of entry are under increased surveillance, while health workers across the country are undergoing refresher sensitisation on infection prevention and control measures, early identification of suspected cases, and proper triage procedures.
He further said that states had been advised to incorporate Ebola preparedness into their emergency response systems by designating isolation and treatment centres, assessing bed capacity, strengthening referral pathways, and ensuring the availability of logistics and essential medical supplies.
He also revealed that plans were ongoing to preposition critical response commodities such as personal protective equipment (PPEs), laboratory consumables, body bags, and emergency medical supplies in strategic locations across the country.
On laboratory readiness, Dr Idris said Nigeria currently maintains Ebola testing capacity in states with international points of entry and within the national public health laboratory network, with surge testing capability available if needed.
He said the agency has intensified public awareness campaigns and risk communication efforts aimed at combating misinformation and false claims circulating online about Ebola.
While urging Nigerians not to panic, Dr Idris advised members of the public to maintain proper hand hygiene, avoid direct contact with bodily fluids of sick persons, refrain from handling corpses of individuals who died from unexplained illnesses, and avoid bushmeat from unknown sources.
He advised travellers arriving from countries with confirmed Ebola cases to monitor their health for 21 days and immediately contact health authorities if symptoms develop.
He also urged healthcare workers to maintain a high index of suspicion for Ebola cases, strictly observe infection prevention protocols, use PPEs appropriately, and promptly report suspected cases through established channels.
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