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FG promises protection of intellectual property, investment
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according to the vice president we understand how dynamic the environment is both technology and creative arts. but we think that the way to go will be to work with those who are actually in the industry those like yourselves who are putting in their money their resources time and energy into this and trying to do our regulations in such a way that we are competitive practically with anyone else in the world1 by laolu akande1 they came in impressive numbers for two full days to listen and assess investment opportunities in nigeria and also asked questions1 from the silicon valley for instance well over twenty core american investors in technology spent hours on monday afternoon interacting with the nigerian delegation led by the vice president alongside others including industry trade1 top among the us investors were tim kendall a us investor who worked with facebook monetization and has led pinterest headquartered in san francisco valued at about 12b1 pinterest is a web and mobile application company that operates a software system designed to discover information on the world wide web mainly using images and on a shorter scale gifs and videos. pinterest has reached 200 million monthly active users as of september 20171 others who attended the investment summit in silicon valley included representatives of streetedge capital a bay area california multi-billion dollar family partnership with global footprints including holdings in the us india and africa1 there were also others including chika nwobi and tom terbell partners from rise capital a private equity firm specializing in early venture and later stage investments. it seeks to invest in the internet enabled sector in emerging markets. the multi-million dollar investment firm is also based in san francisco california1 in the same vein prof. osinbajo also visited the headquarters of linkedin where he held a meeting with the co-founder of linkedin allen blue and other senior executives of the company at its headquarters in california1 the vice president later featured as the special guest at the firms fireside chat with a room packed full of nigerians in diaspora which was also streamed live to a global audience1 the next day the vice president and his delegation drawn mainly from the advisory group on technology innovation and creativity an arm of the national industrial competitiveness council moved over to los angeles right in hollywood and met with an impressive array of entertainment chieftains and investors in the us1 they included top hollywood executives like mark viane of paramount pictures steven odell of sony pictures kieran breen karen mbanefo and bryan song of 20th century fox betty lee of lions gate craig dehmel and shehu garba from imax entertainment monique esclavissat of warner bros mary ann hughes from walt disney john fithian from the national association of theater owners and ryan gibson of bet international among others. there were also representatives from fox network universal studios etc1 also at the forum from the nigerian delegation were renowned names in the film music1 it would be recalled that the vice president on monday was received by google ceo sundar pichai and other top google executives at the global technology companys corporate headquarters in silicon valley california1 discussions centred around how both the federal government and google could work together to beef up digital access in nigeria. after that meeting the vice president also interacted with scores of nigerians working with google1 speaking in hollywood before he left the us early yesterday prof. osinbajo noted that the federal government is determined to ensure needed regulations are in place to stimulate the growth of the countrys entertainment and creative industries including the protection of intellectual property and investment guarantees1 the vp stated this during the interactive investment forum on nigerias creativity sector with us-based entertainment outlets media1 for two days american investors and chieftains from the technology and entertainment sectors of the us and indeed global economies took turns to listen and actively interact with vice president yemi osinbajo san and the nigerian delegation drawn from the public and private sectors1 so what we have done so far is that weve been looking at what the specific issues are and there are quite a few1 there are those who want to know about what we are doing in terms of intellectual property protection investment guarantee and all of that. but i think that the most important thing really is that we have a government and a lot of those who work in our agencies who are determined to work through this day by day piece by piece to make sure that we get our environment right and we get the right type of investment environment1 prof. osinbajo further said the buhari administration will continue to make effort to improve the countrys infrastructure and technology to grow the countrys entertainmentcreative sector and the digital economy1 he said we are also of course very interested in many ways in deepening infrastructure especially broadband connectivity and all of that because we think that mobile telephony is going to be one of the big ways especially for the distribution of film and all of that. and we are convinced that with the size of our population we must find ways of getting film and content unto mobile phones and also working out payment systems around that because we think that that is the way this is going to go1 we know that in the next couple of years that really is where a lot of development is going to go to and we are very anxious to get our regulations right to get all of our laws in place and to ensure that we are able to attract all of you who want to do business with us especially those of you who are coming from other countries1 as for nigerians we are of course actively engaged with the local industry and that is one of the reasons why we have the advisory council which takes into account many of our local investors local artistes and the local entertainment crowd generally1 the interactive forum in los angeles was the last leg of the vice presidents trip to the united states where he led a public-private sector collaborative investment road show including meetings with global industry leaders in the technology film music1 the investment road show led by the vice president showcased the efforts of the buhari administration in developing nigerias technology entertainment and creative sectors and sought to deepen collaboration between nigeria and the us in these areas1 also on the vice presidents delegation were representatives of tech firms nollywood and several relevant government agencies. a number of representatives of those agencies also held a meeting with facebook at its headquarters in the silicon valley on tuesday1 the vps earlier meetings with a series of key us technology investors and executives from us-based companies-invest in nigeria summit held at the four seasons hotel palo alto san francisco california while the meeting with hollywood and us entertainment industry operatives held all day at the waldorf astoria hotel in los angeles1 at the meetings which were well attended by us and nigerian investors industry chieftains prof. osinbajo reiterated governments commitment to the growth of the countrys digital economy by creating the right environment for the technology creative industries to thrive and unlocking the countrys potential1 the vice president said one of the critical things for us also is the fact that we are very open to ensuring that regulation is competitive especially in the tech space1 all over the world this is a very dynamic environment and we recognise that and we want to be able to work with players and investors to get the regulations and environment right1 prof. osinbajo also showcased opportunities for innovation and investment in nigeria while also highlighting the growth of nigerian technology start-ups and young nigerians taking the lead in innovation and creativity1 he noted that government was exploring more ways to leverage on technology to improve infrastructure and other areas of the economy while also highlighting the impact of the buhari administration social investment programme such as the n-power scheme and how it leverages on technology to train and empower young nigerian graduates. so far the n-power scheme has 200000 beneficiaries with 300000 more expected to be added soon1 akande is the senior special assistant to the president on media1 -
UN slams arms embargo on South Sudan
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last friday the government and opposition signed an agreement on security arrangements which follow on from a ceasefire deal last month1 a u.s. drafted resolution that would impose an arms embargo on south sudan is certain to get the nod of the united nations security council today1 a resolution needs nine votes in favor and no vetoes by russia china britain france or the united states. diplomats said they believed the united states had enough votes for the measure to pass and that it was unlikely to be vetoed1 some council members say the timing is not right given attempts to revitalize the peace process and are likely to abstain diplomats said1 a u.s. bid to impose an arms embargo in december 2016 failed to get enough votes1 the u.s. mission to the united nations was not immediately available to comment1 south sudan which split off from its northern neighbor sudan in 2011 has been gripped by a civil war since 2013 caused by political rivalry between president salva kiir and his former deputy riek machar1 the embargo comes five years after civil war broke out in the country1 however on thursday south sudans parliament voted to extend kiirs mandate until 2021 in a move likely to undermine the peace talks as opposition groups have said the change would be illegal. [l8n1u84ae]1 at the end of may the security council renewed its targeted sanctions regime on south sudan until july 15 and said it would consider an arms embargo and blacklisting six senior south sudan officials if u.n. chief antonio guterres reported by june 30 that there was still conflict or a lack of a viable political agreement1 that resolution was adopted with nine votes in favor and six abstentions1 there have been credible reports of fighting guterres told the security council in a june 29 letter. he also said u.n. peacekeepers had documented gross violations of international human rights and humanitarian law1 while the outcome of regional and international efforts to deliver a political settlement of the conflict is yet unclear i must reiterate that any revitalized agreement must be inclusive fair and sustainable guterres wrote1 the u.n. human rights office said on tuesday that at least 232 civilians were killed and 120 women and girls raped in scorched earth attacks by south sudan government troops and aligned forces in opposition-held villages earlier this year1 -
Cameroon probes video showing extra-judicial killings
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however amnesty international said it had gathered credible evidence that it was cameroonian soldiers depicted in a video carrying out the horrific extrajudicial executions1 the cameroonian government has launched a probe into a video circulated online that appears to show men in military uniform shooting dead two women and two children for being suspected members of the islamist group boko haram1 you are bh you are going to die said one french-speaking man in aviator sunglasses and khaki attire hitting a woman across the face. bh is short for boko haram which for nine years has been fighting to carve out an islamic caliphate centered in northern nigeria1 the women are blindfolded and told to sit down alongside their children. moments later two men step back level their rifles and fire a series of rounds1 reuters was unable to verify the authenticity of the video including when and where it was filmed1 government spokesman issa tchiroma bakary said the men in the footage appeared not to be cameroonian army soldiers. their weapons and uniforms were not standard issue for the cameroonian army in the north he said1 the video is nothing but an unfortunate attempt to distort actual facts and intoxicate the public. its sincerity can be easily questioned bakary told journalists late on wednesday describing the clip as fake news and an act of gross misinformation1 he said president paul biya had ordered an investigation into the footage1 army spokesman colonel didier badjeck also described the video as fake news according to local media. reuters could not immediately reach badjeck for further comment1 the shaky video shared more than 90000 times on twitter shows two women one with an infant strapped to her back being led by a group of uniformed men across a patch of dusty scrubland1 that evidence included analysis of the weapons especially a gilil an israeli automatic rifle that is rare in africa but used by a small section of the cameroonian army their speech and uniforms and some corroborating witness testimonies amnesty said1 it is imperative that a proper impartial investigation is undertaken and those responsible for these abhorrent acts are brought to justice samira daoud deputy director of the rights groups west africa office said in the statement1 the cameroonian army is fighting insurgencies on two fronts against anglophone separatists in the heavily forested west and boko haram in the arid north1 rights groups have accused the army of mistreating civilians and opposition fighters charges the army and the government deny. last year amnesty international said the army tortured suspected boko haram fighters1 in the english-speaking western regions soldiers have burned villages and killed civilians as they try to quell a growing secessionist movement according to local residents contacted by reuters earlier this year. the army rejected those accusations and said it respected human rights1 sponsored1 the conflicts have been destabilizing factors in the cocoa- and oil-producing country which has been run by biya for 36 years. presidential elections are set for october1 reporting by josiane kouagheu additional reporting by tim cocks in dakar writing by edward mcallister editing by nick tattersall our standardsthe thomson reuters trust principles.1 -
Senate receives Bill on State Police
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we have talked about the fact that whether these killings were initial acts of aggression or reprisal attacks it is clear that either way it is totally unacceptable and we must condemn it in all totality he said2 secondly these are acts of criminality and we should not encourage any other colouration to it be it religious or otherwise. this is criminality. and as such we have a role to ensure that we must address this criminality to see how we can fight it2 we have spoken on many platforms and made suggestions to the executive on the fact that there is a need for an urgent review of the security architecture of the nation2 having made suggestions and listened to security agencies over the killings saraki said it was important for the lawmakers to do their own part2 we as the senate must come up with our own actions. we do not need to flog the issue. we have told the executive what to do. we have told them privately and we have told them publicly. however on our own part we must decide on what we need to do2 the decision of the senate to allow for state policing came as a result of the unending crisis and killings across nigeria1 with the bill the senate seeks to remove policing from the exclusive list and put in in the concurrent list thereby allowing state governors to establish and manage a police force within their states1 according to the order paper of the upper legislative chambers for thursday the bill is listed as the first item for presentation1 the president of the senate while welcoming his colleagues from their last break stated clearly that it was time for the senate to take a decision on the security architecture in nigeria1 the senate is set to receive for first reading a bill to alter the constitution of the federal republic of nigeria and create state police1 in keeping to his promise to present the bill deputy president of the senate sen. ike ekwerenmadu is listed as the sponsor of the bill1 ekweremadu is supported in sponsoring the bill by 75 other senators bringing the total number of sponsors to 76 that is over 82 per cent of the 109 members of the chamber1 as at the time of the report the bill has not been sighted by our correspondent therefore a list of notable co-sponsors cannot be readily given1 the establishment and running of the police force is a preservation of the government at the centre and is on the exclusive list1 the senate therefore resolved to amend the constitution to allow for state policing while the deputy president of the senate promised to present a bill to that effect1 -
Max Air begins domestic flight, lands in Abuja Airport
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we are not new in this industry because we started slowly with worldwide charter and later entered into hajj operation and now domestic1 max air on thursday began its domestic flight operations in nigeria landing a boeing 737-300 aircraft with 29 passengers on board at the nnamdi azikiwe international airport abuja at 852 a.m1 max air had been carrying out hajj umrah and chartered operations in nigeria for over a decade before joining the domestic market1 the vice chairmanceo of the airline alhaji bashir mangal said its domestic operations had commenced in kano abuja and lagos adding that other routes would be opened in a couple of weeks1 mangal said the airline would strive to enthrone customer satisfaction through efficient service delivery adding that the airline would operate more routes like sokoto yola port harcourt and maiduguri1 he said the airline would also continue to carry out hajj umrah and charter operations1 according to him max air is starting its domestic operation with three aircraft which include b737-300 400 and 500 with plan to bring in more very soon1 right now we have a total of 11 aircraft on ground for all our operations of which we currently deploy seven for hajj and three for domestic1 the flight which departed from aminu kano international airport at 810 a.m had 27 adult and two children on board1 we plan to join other long haul flight like china uk and the u.s in the nearest future1 in the next two to three weeks we are going to deploy all our aircraft to go to all the destinations in the country1 we are going to operate lagos abuja port harcourt kano maiduguri yola and sokoto for a start and we will operate other routes as time goes on1 we are determined to satisfy our passengers through better service in order to make them happy to see the difference1 we want to do something different to satisfy their needs because we are aware of the challenges in the industry he said1 mr shehu wada company secretaryexecutive director business development max air said the airline was determined to revolutionalise domestic operation in nigeria1 wada noted that the entrance of the airline into hajj operation market brought about positive change to hajj operation in nigeria1 -
Unpaid N42.3bn gratuities: Court fixes Oct. 24 for hearing in Oyo
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in her response counsel to the respondents mrs bimpe segun-olakojo told the court that the motion on notice for summary judgment was just served on her in the court and she intended to respond to it1 the national industrial court in ibadan has fixed oct. 24 for hearing in a suit instituted by the nigeria union of pensioners nup oyo state chapter against gov. abiola ajimobi over unpaid n42.3 billion gratuities and pensions arrears1 other respondents in the suit are oyo state attorney-general and commissioner for justice commissioner for local government and chieftaincy matters commissioner for finance accountant-general and the state head of service1 the claimants counsel mr lasun sanusi san told the court that an agreement was earlier reached between the state government and pensioners that the n42.3bn pension and gratuities arrears would be paid in instalment1 sanusi informed the court that the pensioners requested that the agreement be made as consent judgment and a motion on notice for summary judgment on the matter has been filed before the court1 he said that it was the judgment of the court that could be enforced because the court still remains the last hope of the common man1 the claimant instituted the case against ajimobi and 5 others over unpaid n42.3bn gratuities and pension arrears of retired primary school teachers and local government workers1 segun-olakojo said facts and documents needed to be compiled before response could be made. she therefore requested for an adjournment1 justice fautina kola-olalere adjourned the matter until oct. 24 for hearing1 the pensioners who were in the court in large number called on the government to urgently pay their gratuities1 some of the pensioners were seen crying immediately the court adjourned the matter because they thought that judgment would be delivered on the matter today thursday1 mr waheed olojede the chairman nigeria labour congress nlc oyo state chapter and his members who were in solidarity with the pensioners called on them to be patient and law abiding1 -
Saraki mourns Kawu Barajes Mother
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president of the senate dr. abubakar bukola saraki has condoled with alhaji abubakar kawu baraje and the entire barajes family on the death of their mother hajiya aisha omoagba baraje1 in a statement signed by his special adviser on media and publicity yusuph olaniyonu saraki spoke glowingly of the late hajiya baraje and stated that she has raised a family that has produced one of nigerias finest patriots and committed professionals1 my thoughts and prayers are with the family of alhaji abubakar kawu baraje and the entire barajes family at this time on the loss of their mother the late hajiya aisha omoagba baraje1 hajiya baraje lived a fulfilled life as a mother and wife which is evident from the fact that she helped to raise one of nigerias finest patriots and statesmen. she will be dearly missed1 we pray that the almighty allah who granted her a long and prosperous life may bless guide and continue to protect the family that she has left behind. we also pray that the almighty allah in his infinite mercies and grace grant her a place amongst the righteous ones in al jannah firdaus. amin saraki stated1 -
Abuja light rail on stream
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the abuja rail is divided into six 6 lots and with total length of 290km. the lots are1 president muhammdu buhari on thursday commissioned the first abuja light rail system in demonstration of the commitment to address dearth of critical infrastructure1 he said that transportation was the livewire of any city and expressed optimism that a modern rail service would boost the economy and greatly enhance social life1 i am aware that what we have on ground today are coaches meant to provide skeletal services as we await the main set of the rolling stock for full operations1 he said he had been briefed on the signing of the memoranda of understanding mous and agreements for the procurements of the main rolling stock1 he assured nigerians of federal governments continued support for all the negotiations towards the realization of the abuja light rail system1 today what we have in the federal capital territory is another evidence that we are a government that delivers on its promises1 i have observed keenly other milestones that this administration has achieved especially in the areas of education public utilities and infrastructure development1 presidenet buhari commended the efforts federal capital terrirtory fct as well as the support and patience of the residents to made the project a reality1 i am thankful to the government and people of china for their investment in the nigerian economy. i commend the ccecc limited the contracting firm for the quality of work and timely delivery of this project1 let me place on record the nigerian governments appreciation to the government of china and the exim bank of china for their support on this and many other projects currently being executed in the country1 this gesture further cements the already existing cordial relations and developmental partnership between nigeria and the peoples republic of china1 earlier the minister of fct malam musa bello revealed that the abuja rail mass transit system was an integral part of the fct transportation master plan1 he said the plan was designed primarily to transport large numbers of people and goods from satellite towns into the metropolitan public transport system and the different phases of the federal capital city1 he said the abuja rail system was packaged in six lots planned for phased development based on preferential demand and available financial resources1 he added that the abuja rail mass transit system was planned to integrate with the national rail network when eventually completed1 buhari said at the commissioning that the projects was the ideals of the change agenda of the government to ensure prudence in the management of public resources value for money considering the huge investments in this project1 lot 1 from nnamdi azikwe expressway through the transportation centre metro station via gwagwa to kubwa1 lot 2 from gwagwa via transportation centre metro station to nyanyakaru1 lot 3 from transportation centre via idu industrial zone to nanmadi azikwe international airport1 lot 4from kuje satellite town to karshi satellite town with the remaining legs of the transit way line 21 lot 5from kubwa via bwari to suleja and lot 6from airport via kuje and gwagwalada to dobi he explained1 the minister said the implementation of the project had been divided into phases with phase 1 inaugurated by the president1 he said fcta had concluded an infrastructure soft loan agreement with exim bank of china for the supply of the remaining coaches including their maintenance for three years at a cost of 194 million dollars1 he said the bank would fund the project up to 157 million dollars or 85 per cent of the total cost while fcta would bring in a counterpart fund of 37million dollars 15 per cent1 bello said fcta had since commenced work on phase ii of the abuja rail mass transit project1 he said the phase 11 would cover a distance of 32.54km from nnamdi azikwe expressway at garki area i via the transportation centre to gwagwa and from bazango station to kubwa1 he said the federal executive council fec in 2017 approved the project for construction by ccecc at a cost of 1.3 billion dollars1 we hope that the minister of finance would consider putting this key project in the next borrowing plans the minister of budget and national planning would agree to it the national assembly would approved it and that china exim bank would fund it as a mark of goodwill for the cordial relationship between our two countries he said1 the president was taken on a guided tour of the abuja rail mass transit and abuja new international terminal at nnamdi azikiwe international airport abuja1 the minister of state aviation mr hadi sirika and bello led the tour at idu rail station and abuja airport1 the abuja rail mass transit is the first mass transit project in nigeria as well as in west africa.nan1