Broadcasting
SMEDAN Decries Dearth of Intellectual Property Among SMEs
Dikko Umaru Radda, Director General, Small & Medium Enterprises Development Agency of Nigeria, SMEDAN has said that most Small and Medium Enterprises, SMEs struggle because they refuse to take advantage of intellectual property benefits to their businesses.
Radda said that robust intellectual property, IP, can grow businesses as much as it contributes to economic growth.
He regretted that in spite of this, a lot of businesses in Nigeria especially the small and medium size entrepreneurs do not assess, audit, evaluate or monetise their intellectual property.
Radda made the assertions at a forum tagged Intellectual Property Forum Nigeria, organized by IP Radio Station in conjunction with hybrid indigenous tourism and leisure company, Butterfly Tourism
The DG who was represented by Bumi Daudu, said some of the SMEs don’t know even as little as what trade mark or protection is all about, and as a result, have been running businesses for decades without any protection of their IP.
He said: “I think collaboration between those that are championing IPR in Nigeria and SMEDAN is inevitable at this moment where the business world is changing in Nigeria.
“People need to guard whatever they have with everything they have inside of them to make it work”
Earlier in his opening remarks, founder/CEO of IP Radio Nigeria, Mr Nosa Uwadaie called for the democratization of intellectual property, considering that it has become a human right.
He said: “We shouldn’t see IP as only meant for multinationals. It permeates every facet of our business and national life. In fact, IP is a human right property in every facet of human existence, be it biological, environmental or business.”
Corroborating Uwadaie, President of Intellectual Property Law Association of Nigeria, IPLAN, Obafemi Agaba said: “A robust IP regime will impact on the economy of the country. The government stands to gain from taxes and rates from a good commercialization of this right.
“And to give right to those who have created this work means that you are encouraging them to continue to create and add value to the cultural heritage of the country as well as economic advancement of the country” he added.
However, the Senior Special Assistant to Ogun State Governor on Trade, Mrs Sola Arobieke suggested that considering the lack awareness as discovered, there is need for collaboration between government and private sector organisations to identify and develop viable solution framework.
She noted that the SMEs must understand the process and how best to protect their IP. She also called for law reforms to enhance IP protection.
That is also as UK-based, Fractional IP founder, Mr. Akeem Fomuyiwa, said all the laws of IP should be revisited and taken care of through technological advancement.
He argued that technology has now provided enough tools to tackle IP infringements.
Nigerian Institute of Public Relations (NIPR) has announced the postponement of its maiden annual Public Relations, Reputation, Ideas, Concepts and Excellence (PRICE) Awards and Prizes to January 25, 2026.
NIPR
The event, earlier scheduled for December 7, 2025, was deferred to accommodate stakeholders whose observance of Christmas festivities had commenced earlier than expected.
Chairman of the Organising Committee, Mr. Israel Opayemi, urged stakeholders to note the new date and prepare to participate in the ceremony.
He said the awards would motivate professionals, practitioners and scholars, while enhancing Nigeria’s global competitiveness in the public relations ecosystem and strengthening brand equity for all stakeholders.
Opayemi reaffirmed the Committee’s commitment to delivering a best-in-class award administration and ceremony, describing the PRICE Awards as a credible and enduring platform to identify, celebrate and elevate outstanding individuals, campaigns and organisations shaping the public relations landscape across sectors.
The development of the PRICE Awards peaked in September 2025 when the NIPR President and Chairman, Council, Dr. Ike Neliaku, inaugurated a 12-man committee to organise the maiden edition. The inauguration followed the Council’s adoption of the report of a technical team tasked with establishing the awards.
Netflix has announced a landmark agreement to acquire Warner Bros. and HBO Max in a transaction valued at $82.7 billion, a move analysts say will reshape the global entertainment industry.
Netflix
The deal, which includes Warner Bros.’ film and television studios, HBO, HBO Max, and Warner Bros. Games, was unanimously approved by the boards of both companies. Under the terms, Warner Bros. Discovery (WBD) shareholders will receive $23.25 in cash and $4.50 in Netflix shares for each WBD share.
Netflix co-CEO Ted Sarandos described the acquisition as “a defining moment” for the streaming giant, noting that the company intends to maintain Warner Bros.’ current operations while expanding its production capacity.
“By combining Warner Bros.’ incredible library of shows and movies with Netflix’s culture-defining titles, we can give audiences more of what they love and help define the next century of storytelling,” Sarandos said.
The transaction is expected to close within 12 to 18 months, following the planned spin-off of WBD’s TV networks division, Discovery Global, in 2026. Netflix projects annual cost savings of $2–3 billion by the third year after completion and expects the deal to be accretive to earnings per share by year two.
Industry groups, including the Directors Guild of America and Cinema United, have raised concerns about the impact on movie theaters, while regulators are expected to scrutinize the deal over antitrust issues. Netflix has pledged to continue supporting theatrical releases, with Warner Bros.’ cinema commitments running through 2029.
Warner Bros. Discovery CEO David Zaslav hailed the agreement, saying it “combines two of the greatest storytelling companies in the world to bring to even more people the entertainment they love.”
Observers note that the acquisition comes 15 years after former Time Warner chief Jeff Bewkes dismissed Netflix as “the Albanian army,” underscoring the dramatic shift in the entertainment landscape.
A major shake‑up rocks viewers and subscribers of DSTV/GOTV as many channels are set to shut down and be removed on January 1, 2026.
The trigger for the upcoming shut‑down is a breakdown in negotiations between the owners of multiple global channels and the pay‑TV operator.
As of December 2025, the deal between Warner Bros. Discovery (WBD) and DStv/GOtv has expired and the two parties have not reached a renewal agreement.
Without a new carriage/distribution agreement, the channels belonging to WBD risk being pulled off the DStv/GOtv line‑up.
This is the most significant content cutback the service has seen in years.
The affected channels are:
Discovery Channel
TLC
Cartoonito
Cartoon Network
CNN International
Food Network
The Travel Channel
TNT
Investigation Discovery
Real Time
HGTV
Discovery Family
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