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NCC Confiscates N8.3bn Pirated Items

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9 years ago

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In a bid to protect intellectual property and boost creativity, the Nigerian Copyright Commission (NCC), has confiscated N275 million worth of pirated works intercepted at the sea ports.
The Director-General of NCC, Mr Afam Ezekude, while displaying the three containers of Bibles, books and compact discs, told journalists that the commission seized a total of N8.3 billion worth of pirated goods from 2011 to 2016.
Ezekude said that the goods in the three seized containers worth N275 million were imported from China.
“From 2011 to the third quarter of 2016, our collaboration with the Nigerian Customs Service led to the seizure of a total of 25 containers of pirated copyright works.
“Within the same period, the commission carried out a total of 289 anti-piracy operations across the country and seized over eight million assorted pirated copyright products with a market value of about N8.3 billion.
“If these goods were allowed to enter the Nigerian market, Nigerian copyright owners will be losing that value to pirates.
“Furthermore, the commission within the period filed several criminal charges against offenders in Federal High Courts and secured a total of 55 convictions against offenders,” he said.
Ezekude said that the commission was committed to ending piracy.
He sought the cooperation of copyright owners and organisations toward ending the menace.
He thanked the Bible Society of Nigeria (BSN) and the Comptroller of Customs whose support, he said, led to the seizure and delivery of the three containers to the commission.
He said that the copyright owners had a right to go through legal procedures to make the goods theirs.
“In the last six years, we have done so much to reduce the activities of pirates,” he said.
While receiving the seized Bibles, Rev. Dare Ajiboye, General Secretary/ Chief Executive Officer, BSN, commended the efforts of the commission.
“As an organisation, one of the greatest challenges we have is piracy.
“It is saddening to invest time, money and energy to produce a creative work which is stolen and reproduced by pirates,” he said.
He advised pirates to desist from the criminal act and pursue a decent way to earn a living.

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Kenyan Runners Dominate Berlin Marathons

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19 hours ago

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September 22, 2025

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Kenya made it a clean sweep at the Berlin Marathon with Sabastian Sawe winning the men’s race and Rosemary Wanjiru triumphing in the women’s.

Sawe finished in two hours, two minutes and 16 seconds to make it three wins in his first three marathons.

The 30-year-old, who was victorious at this year’s London Marathon, set a sizzling pace as he left the field behind and ran much of the race surrounded only by his pacesetters.

Japan’s Akasaki Akira came second after a powerful latter half of the race, finishing almost four minutes behind Sawe, while Ethiopia’s Chimdessa Debele followed in third.

“I did my best and I am happy for this performance,” said Sawe.

“I am so happy for this year. I felt well but you cannot change the weather. Next year will be better.”

Sawe had Kelvin Kiptum’s 2023 world record of 2:00:35 in his sights when he reached halfway in 1:00:12, but faded towards the end.

In the women’s race, Wanjiru sped away from the lead pack after 25 kilometers before finishing in 2:21:05.

Ethiopia’s Dera Dida followed three seconds behind Wanjiru, with Azmera Gebru, also of Ethiopia, coming third in 2:21:29.

Wanjiru’s time was 12 minutes slower than compatriot Ruth Chepng’etich’s world record of 2:09:56, which she set in Chicago in 2024.

 

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NIS Ends Decentralised Passport Production After 62 Years

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19 hours ago

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September 22, 2025

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The Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS) has officially ended passport production at multiple centres, transitioning to a single, centralised system for the first time in 62 years.
Minister of Interior, Dr Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo, made the disclosure during an inspection of the Nigeria’s new Centralised Passport Personalisation Centre at the NIS Headquarters in Abuja, last Thursday.
He stated that since the establishment of NIS in 1963, Nigeria had never operated a central passport production centre, until now, marking a major reform milestone.
“The project is 100 per cent ready. Nigeria can now be more productive and efficient in delivering passport services,” Tunji-Ojo said.
He explained that old machines could only produce 250 to 300 passports daily, but the new system had a capacity of 4,500 to 5,000 passports every day.
“With this, NIS can now meet daily demands within just four to five hours of operation,” he added, describing it as a game-changer for passport processing in Nigeria.
“We promised two-week delivery, and we’re now pushing for one week.
“Automation and optimisation are crucial for keeping this promise to Nigerians,” the minister said.
He noted that centralisation, in line with global standards, would improve uniformity and enhance the overall integrity of Nigerian travel documents worldwide.
Tunji-Ojo described the development as a step toward bringing services closer to Nigerians while driving a culture of efficiency and total passport system reform.
According to him, the centralised production system aligns with President Bola Tinubu’s reform agenda, boosting NIS capacity and changing the narrative for improved service delivery.
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FG To Roll Out Digital Public Infrastructure, Data Exchange, Next Year 

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19 hours ago

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September 22, 2025

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The National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA) has announced plans to roll out Digital Public Infrastructure (DPI) and the Nigerian Data Exchange (NGDX) platforms across key sectors of the economy, starting in early 2026.
Director of E-Government and Digital Economy at NITDA, Dr. Salisu Kaka, made the disclosure in Abuja during a stakeholder review session of the DPI and NGDX drafts at the Digital Public Infrastructure Live Event.
The forum, themed “Advancing Nigeria’s Digital Public Infrastructure through Standards, Data Exchange and e-Government Transformation,” brought together regulators, state governments, and private sector stakeholders to harmonise inputs for building inclusive, secure, and interoperable systems for governance and service delivery.
According to Kaka, Nigeria already has several foundational elements in place, including national identity systems and digital payment platforms.
What remains is the establishment of the data exchange framework, which he said would be finalised by the end of 2025.
“Before the end of this year and by next year we will be fully ready with the foundational element, and we start dropping the use cases across sectors,” Kaka explained.
He stressed that the federal government recognises the autonomy of states urging them to align with national standards.
“If the states can model and reflect what happens at the national level, then we can have a 360-degree view of the whole data exchange across the country and drive all-of-government processes,” he added.
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