Jobs/Appointments
Nigeria Nominates Adebambo Adewopo For WIPO Leadership
By Adedapo Adesanya
Federal Government of Nigeria has selected Mr Adebambo Adewopo, a professor of Intellectual Property, for the position of Director-General of the World Intellectual Property Organisation (WIPO).
He is among 10 candidates declared to succeed Mr Francis Gurry as the head of WIPO, when he retires in September this year after serving two six-year terms. Other nominees are from Columbia, Peru, Ghana, Japan, Argentina, Estonia, Singapore, Republic of Kazakhstan and China.
One of them will be nominated to be Director General by the WIPO Coordination Committee on March 5 and 6, before being formally appointed by the WIPO General Assembly.
Mr Adewopo’s nomination was signed by the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Mr Geoffrey Onyema, on Tuesday. The Minister described him as most appropriate for the job.
The nomination addressed to Mr Francis Gurry, the outgoing Director-General of WIPO in Switzerland, stated that, “I have the honour to refer to WIPO’s note CN-3926-04 dated Sept. 30, 2019, on the nomination of candidates for the position of Director-General of WIPO.
“I hereby present candidature of Professor Adebambo Adewopo, Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN), for the position on behalf of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.
“Professor Adewopo is a leading intellectual property rights expert both professional and academic with several years of experience.
“He has held high-level positions, including a Director-General of the Nigerian Copyright Commission (2004 to 2010).
“He is very familiar with the workings of WIPO, having led numerous Nigerian delegations to various WIPO member state meetings and has also served as a tutor in WIPO’s distance learning programs,” the letter noted.
Mr Onyeama commended Mr Adewopo for being “Nigeria’s leading intellectual property expert with deep knowledge and practical experience in intellectual property and proven leadership.’’
Reacting to his nomination, Mr Adewopo said if he emerges the next DG of WIPO, his tenure would witness a three-point agenda aimed at deepening “Global cooperation; Global norms; and Global Development” of IPs across geographical and cultural borders.”
The election is scheduled to hold in Geneva, where the General Assembly of WIPO will announce a new DG to steer the affairs of the organisation for the next six years and the next Director General will be WIPO’s fifth. All of the previous four were men, with three coming from developed countries (the Netherlands, the United States and Australia) and one from Sudan.
Mr Adewopo is seeking to clinch the position alongside Mr Marco Matías Alemán (Colombia); Mr Ivo Gagliuffi Piercechi (Peru); Mr Edward Kwakwa (Ghana); Mr Kenichiro Natsume (Japan); Mr Dámaso Pardo (Argentina); Mr Jüri Seilenthal (Estonia); Mr Daren Tang (Singapore); Ms Saule Tlevlessova (Republic of Kazakhstan); and Ms WANG Binying (China).
By Modupe Gbadeyanka
President Bola Tinubu on Tuesday appointed Mr Tunji Disu as the acting Inspector General of Police (IGP), following the resignation of Mr Kayode Egbetokun.
Mr Disu, an Assistant Inspector General of Police (AIG), was recently moved to the Force Criminal Investigation Department (FCID) Annex, Alagbon, Lagos.
A statement today by the Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, Mr Bayo Onanuga, disclosed that the President would convene a meeting of the Nigeria Police Council shortly to formally consider the appointment of Mr Disu as substantive IGP, after which his name will be transmitted to the Senate for confirmation.
Mr Tinubu expressed confidence that Mr Disu’s experience, operational depth, and demonstrated leadership capacity would provide steady and focused direction for the Nigeria Police Force during this critical period.
He reiterated his administration’s unwavering commitment to enhancing national security, strengthening institutional capacity, and ensuring that the Nigeria Police Force remains professional, accountable, and fully equipped to discharge its constitutional responsibilities.
Mr Egbetokun was said to have resigned from the position due to pressing family considerations.
President Tinubu, who accepted the resignation letter, expressed his profound appreciation for Mr Egbetokun’s decades of distinguished service to the Nigeria Police Force and the nation. He acknowledged his dedication, professionalism, and steadfast commitment to strengthening internal security architecture during his tenure.
Appointed in June 2023, Mr Egbetokun was serving a four-year term scheduled to conclude in June 2027, in line with the amended provisions of the Police Act.
The statement disclosed that his replacement was in view of the current security challenges confronting the nation, and acting in accordance with extant laws and legal guidance.
By Adedapo Adesanya
Mr Tunji Disu, an Assistant Inspector General of Police (AIG), has reportedly replaced Mr Kayode Egbetokun as the new Inspector General of Police (IGP).
Mr Egbetokun resigned from the position on Tuesday after he was said to have held a meeting with President Bola Tinubu on Monday night at the Presidential Villa in Abuja.
President Tinubu appointed Mr Egebtokun as the 22nd IGP on June 19, 2023, with his appointment confirmed by the Nigeria Police Council on October 31, 2023.
Appointed as IGP at the age of 58, Mr Egbetokun was due for retirement on September 4, 2024, upon reaching the mandatory age of 60, but his tenure was extended by the President, creating controversies, which trailed him until his exit from the force today.
Although the police authorities are yet to comment on the matter or issue an official statement about his resignation, the move came amid reports suggesting that Mr Egbetokun has left the position.
Mr Egbetokun’s tenure was marred by a series of controversies; he recently initiated multiple charges against activist Mr Omoyele Sowore and his publication, SaharaReporters, after Mr Sowore publicly described him as an “illegal IGP.”
The dispute escalated into protracted legal battles, with the Federal High Court issuing injunctions restricting further publications relating to the former police chief and members of his family. Critics interpreted these court actions as attempts to stifle dissent and weaken press freedom.
His replacement, Mr Disu, was posted to oversee the Force Criminal Investigation Department (FCID) Annex, Alagbon, Lagos, some days ago.
By Modupe Gbadeyanka
A new Commander of the Maritime Guard Command has been appointed for the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA), and he is Commodore Reginald Odeodi Adoki.
His appointment was approved by the Chief of the Naval Staff, Vice Admiral Idi Abbas, a statement from NIMASA confirmed.
He was chosen to replace Commodore H.C Oriekeze, who has been redeployed by naval authorities.
Commodore Adoki, a principal Warfare Officer specialising in communication and intelligence, brings 25 years of experience in the Nigerian Navy covering training, staff and operations.
As a seaman, he has commanded NNS Andoni, NNS Kyanwa and NNS Kada. It was under his command that NNS Kada undertook her maiden voyage, sailing from the country of build (the United Arab Emirates) into Nigeria.
He was commissioned into the Nigerian Navy in 2000 with a BSc in Mathematics. He has since earned a Master’s in International Law and Diplomacy from the University of Lagos and an MSc in Terrorism, Security and Policing atthe University of Leicester, England.
He is currently pursuing a PhD in Defence and Security Studies at the National Defence Academy (NDA). He is a highly decorated officer with several medals for distinguished service.
Welcoming the new MGC Commander to the agency, the Director General of NIMASA, Mr Dayo Mobereola, expressed confidence in Mr Adoki’s addition to the team, emphasising that it will further strengthen the nation’s maritime security architecture given his vast experience in the industry.
The Maritime Guard Command domiciled in NIMASA was established as part of the resolutions of the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Nigerian Navy to assist NIMASA in strengthening operational efficiency in Nigeria’s territorial waters, especially through enforcement of security, safety and other maritime regulations.
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