Education
How Nigeria loses $73tr to untapped intellectual wealth -WIPO
The World Intellectual Property Organisation (WIPO) of the United Nations (UN) has said that Nigeria is still missing out of the over $73trn Intellectual Property wealth in the country.
The Director, WIPO-Nigeria, Mr. Oluwatobiloba Moody, said this in Abuja at the maiden Intellectual Property (IP) Programme in partnership with the National Youths Service Corps (NYSC).
The programme which is a pilot scheme is aimed at empowering young Nigerians towards advancing economic development through IP.
Moody said that Nigeria was losing financially because of its inability to capture intellectual property despite its abundance and viability.
“Nigeria is losing because there is a huge creation of wealth in the space of intangible assets which the country is not fully tapping into. This is because we are not capturing this wealth through intellectual property such as the value of patents, copyrights among others.
“The value of intellectual property is constantly on the rise. Globally in 2021, the estimated value of intangible assets was worth $73 trillion dollars and, I do not think we are capturing one per cent yet we are contributing majorly to the trillions and we are losing a lot of money,” Moody said.
He said that the essence of the programme is to shift from the normal norm of given talks or train Corp members on trade, but to also enable the youths contribute to the development of the communities where they have found themselves.
The National Coordinator of the pilot programme, IP Skills, Acquisition, Learning, And Youth Entrepreneurship, Obichi Obiajunwa said that no fewer than 50 corps members in the FCT were selected.
According to him, this is to enable them to identify challenges and then create innovations using technological solutions.
He said that while the pilot phase is for corps members in Abuja, it would be scale it up to other states by next year.
“The corps members are the participants in this programme. About 50 of them would be trained between three and four months. We are going to get them exposed to the environment where they have been posted to enable them to create innovations to tackle challenges using technological solutions.
“At the end of the programme, it is hoped that they will create start-ups, businesses, and innovation-driven enterprises. We will be engaging stakeholders and bringing in investors to make this work. The NYSC members would be exposed to investors following their creation of technologies. We will guide and mentor them through this process,” Obiajunwa said.
The Federal University of Applied Sciences in Kachia, Kaduna State, will begin academic activities this year. Medicine, Pharmacy, and Nursing are emerging as the top programmes.
This follows the official transfer of the institution’s Certificate of Occupancy (CofO) from the Kaduna State Government to the Federal Government of Nigeria.
The Minister of Education, Dr Maruf Alausa, confirmed the development in Abuja when Kaduna State Governor Uba Sani handed over the Certificate of Occupancy to him.
He assured Governor Sani that all necessary financial provisions had been made to ensure the university’s smooth start.
“This university is going to take off. We already have the National Assembly’s approval for the personnel, the recurrent overhead, and the capital budget in the 2025 budget,” Dr Alausa said.
He further announced that the institution would admit its first batch of students in the 2025 academic year, reinforcing the government’s commitment to expanding higher education opportunities.
The minister also pledged to secure funding from the Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETFund) to accelerate the university’s development.
“I’ll ensure the university also gets a TETFund allocation this year. So, this is a happy day for the people of Southern Kaduna, the people of Kaduna, and the people of Nigeria at large,” he stated.
With the formal handover of the Certificate of Occupancy, the Federal Government now assumes full ownership of the university, paving the way for its official commencement. “Over 200 hectares of land are being transferred by the Kaduna State Government to the Federal Government via the Federal Ministry of Education. We now have full ownership of this university,” he said.
Alausa said the university would offer Science courses, especially in the medical sciences, which are priority areas for the President Bola Tinubu-led administration, even as the ministry focuses on STEM, Vocational and Technical education, and skill acquisition.
“The Federal University of Applied Sciences, Kachia, would be offering courses in medicine, nursing, pharmacy, and applied sciences in areas such as applied mathematics, computers, AI and machine learning, and environmental studies, among others,” he said.
Governor of Kaduna State Uba Sani said the University of Applied Sciences Kachia is very special, as it would engender development because of the nature of its courses, as the Honourable Minister of Education spelt out. “We believe that science is something significant and critical and will help Kaduna develop,” he said.
He said the land given to the University by the Kaduna State government is as large as a whole district and far more significant than many universities in the country. “We are here with the Certificate of Occupancy (C of O), about 270 hectares of land. It’s a whole district and bigger than many universities nationwide,” he said.
He commended Nigerian President Ahmed Bola Tinubu for the FEC approval, Vice President Kashim Shettima, and Senator Sunday Marshal, representing Kaduna South Senatorial District, for their unwavering support that made the university a reality, especially the seamless transition.
FG Expanding Transport, Power Networks—Presidency
Sunday Dare, special adviser to the president on media and public communications, says the federal government is expanding transportation and power networks nationwide.
In a statement on Sunday, Dare said Nigeria is experiencing an unprecedented expansion of its transportation and power networks, laying the foundation for long-term economic growth.
According to the presidential special adviser, “36 major roads — including the Lagos coastal road and Sokoto-Badagry highway — are currently under construction, backed by a N5.9 trillion allocation in the 2025 budget”.
“This administration understands that without world-class infrastructure, economic growth remains stunted. Roads, power, and water projects are being prioritised to unlock Nigeria’s full economic potential,” Dare said.
The presidential aide highlighted the Lekki Free Trade Zone as a prime example of how infrastructure investment attracts billion-dollar industries, citing the Dangote refinery as a direct beneficiary of strategic road and port development.
“People doubted President Tinubu when he first pushed for these projects as governor of Lagos. Today, they have transformed entire economic corridors, proving the power of long-term planning,” Dare added.
Beyond roads, he said the government is investing heavily in power sector reforms, ensuring that businesses and households benefit from a more stable electricity supply, which is crucial for industrialisation and economic expansion.
“The impact of these projects is also evident in Eko Atlantic, where world-class infrastructure has attracted major financial institutions such as First Bank, reinforcing Lagos’ position as a global business and investment hub,” he said.
In February, the Federal Executive Council (FEC) approved N242.6 billion for the rehabilitation, re-scoping, and construction of 14 major road projects across the country.
On March 6, the FEC approved the rehabilitation and construction of 14 road projects across Nigeria, valued at N660.2 billion.
The Peoples Democratic Party has again postponed its National Executive Committee meeting, rescheduling it for May 15, 2025.
In a statement obtained by ELANZANEWS Online on Sunday, the PDP’s National Secretary, Sunday Ude-Okoye, said the meeting, originally slated for March 13, was delayed due to pending zonal, state, local government, and ward congresses, as well as the need for further consultations.
This marks the fifth time the PDP has rescheduled its 99th NEC meeting, further deepening internal divisions within the party.
The crisis within the PDP has intensified since Umar Damagum assumed office as acting National Chairman following the court’s removal of Senator Iyorchia Ayu, with growing calls for his resignation.
During the 98th NEC meeting on April 18, 2024, party leaders failed to resolve several critical issues. As a result, the crisis has deepened, affecting state and zonal chapters and causing significant divisions within the National Working Committee.
The 98th NEC meeting had initially set August 15 for the 99th NEC meeting to address unresolved matters. However, the meeting was first postponed to October 24, 2024, then rescheduled for November 28, 2024, before being indefinitely delayed.
In response, the PDP Governors’ Forum, led by Bauchi State Governor Bala Mohammed, directed the NWC in December 2024 to ensure the NEC meeting was held by February 2025 at the latest.
The Chairman of the Board of Trustees, Adolphus Wabara, raised concerns that continued delays were eroding the trust and confidence of PDP members.
To ensure the meeting was held promptly, the PDP Governors’ Forum, during their meeting in Asaba, Delta State, on January 31, proposed March 13 for the NEC meeting.
However, in a new development, the party leadership announced that after consulting with all party organs, the 99th NEC meeting has, for the fifth time, been postponed to May 15.
The statement read, “Distinguished members of the National Executive Committee may recall that after due deliberation by party leaders, stakeholders, and relevant organs of the party, the NEC meeting was scheduled to be held on Wednesday, March 13, 2025.
“However, following emerging issues, including the need to conclude our pending zonal, state, local government, and ward congresses, as well as to allow for further consultations to ensure the smooth conduct of the meeting — especially concerning other proposed activities of our party — the NWC, after due consultation with leaders, stakeholders, and relevant organs of the party, including the Board of Trustees (BoT), the PDP Governors’ Forum, and the PDP National Assembly Caucus, hereby notifies distinguished NEC members that the 99th NEC meeting, earlier scheduled for Wednesday, March 13, 2025, has been unavoidably shifted to Thursday, May 15, 2025.
“All NEC members should please note the change of date and be guided accordingly.
“The NWC sincerely regrets any inconvenience this change of date may cause distinguished NEC members,” the statement said.
A bill seeking to empower polytechnics to award bachelor’s degrees has passed second reading at the house of representatives.
Sponsored by Tajudeen Abbas, speaker of the house, and Faud Laguda, an All Progressives Congress (APC) lawmaker from Lagos state, the proposed legislation aims to amend the Federal Polytechnics Act 2004.
The bill proposes an amendment to section 3 of the Principal Act to include representatives of the National Board for Technical Education (NBTE) and Manufacturers Association of Nigeria (MAN) in the council of every polytechnic in Nigeria.
Clause 3 of the proposed legislation intends to amend section 8 of the extant law to raise the qualification of those seeking to occupy the position of the rector of federal polytechnics to PhD.
Clause 4 seeks to alter section 15 of the act to enlarge the powers of the academic board to award bachelor of technology (B.Tech) to graduating students.
Leading the debate, Laguda said the amendment will enable polytechnics to “meet up with the demand of the ever-changing world while adhering to the International best practices”.
He appealed to his colleagues to support and pass the bill for the “overall objective is to improve the provision of technical education to Nigerian students through a better organised polytechnic system in Nigeria”.
Lawmakers overwhelmingly supported the bill when the speaker called for a voice vote.