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ECOWAS Launches AfricDeezayn App to Boost Creativity and Talent in West Africa
ECOWAS Launches AfricDeezayn App to Boost Creativity and Talent in West Africa
By: Michael Mike
AfricDeezayn application has been officially launched in West Africa to provide a virtual online space for designers in the subregion to showcase their creativity and talent and interact as a community.
The project, which is a creation of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), is supported by Japan and the World Intellectual Property Organisation (WIPO).
Speaking at the launch in Abuja on Tuesday, the ECOWAS Commissioner for Economic Affairs and Agriculture, Mrs. Massandje Toure-Litse said AfricDeezayn (a digital tool) will enabled talented designers in West Africa to contribute to the region’s industrial development by stimulating innovation.
Toure-Litse, who was represented by Dr. Anthony Elumelu, said “a design is the intentional creation of solutions with a focus on aesthetics, functionality and user experience. It goes beyond visual appearance to include usability, ergonomics, accessibility and other aspects that influence the way we, as users, interact with a product or service.”
She explained that it can be applied to a range of fields, including graphic design, industrial design, user experience design, user interface design and service design, all with a view to seducing consumers and maintaining their trust.
She noted that AfricDeezayn application developed in collaboration with WIPO and funded by Japan is closely aligned with the vision of ECOWAS to promote technological innovation, job creation and creation of an appropriate environment which will lead to wealth and economic and social progress.
She said the project was in line with ECOWAS Commission’s aims of promoting sustainable and inclusive agricultural, industrial and intellectual productivity, adding that: “This is an opportunity for us to call on the private sector players in our region, particularly those in the Design Community, to take ownership of this tool and use it as a potential vector for innovation and improved productivity.”
On his part, the Senior Director, Department for Trademarks, Industrial Designs and Geographical Indications (DTIDGI), Brands and Designs Sector (BDS), World Intellectual Property Organisation (WIPO), Mr. Marcus Hopperger, said “AfricDeezayn is a bridge between us and the people that are at the core of our institutional efforts. We represent organisations committed to promoting IP as a tool for development and growth. AfricDeezayn opens to us the virtual world of communication, helping our outreach to key stakeholders of the Design ecosystem – designers, small and large businesses, IP practitioners and agents, the academe, women and youth groups – to more effectively address their information needs so that IP rights over designs are protected and the resulting benefits are fully enjoyed by their creators.”
He added that: “They will find in AfricDeezayn an educational hub for learning about design laws, with guides in navigating the process of applying for and registering designs to obtain their protection.
“AfricDeezayn does more than inform. It also shares the stories of many designers, whether young and mature entrepreneurs – their struggles and rewards, their aspirations and journey – these are well-springs of inspiration and motivation for fellow West African artists and design enthusiasts.”
He noted that: “AfricDeezayn is the first platform in West Africa (and most likely the African continent) that is not only dedicated to Designs-related information, it also offers the Design communities in the ECOWAS countries a forum to connect with each other. AfricDeezayn honours the creative spirit of West Africa and its rich cultural heritage – and the men and women forming part of these communities. They deserve a platform through which they can easily get in touch with each other on any design-related issues while being supported in their communication needs.
“Better still, AfricDeezayn allocates space for designers to showcase their creations for optimal online visibility, empowering them to thrive in the competitive world of business and potentially generating commercial possibilities.”
He added that: “As the design communities in West Africa flourish, AfricDeezayn is their get-go tool throughout their creative journey. AfricDeezayn’s strength lies in its ability to enable designers across West Africa and beyond, transcending geographical boundaries. The prevalence of mobile phones in the region and the African continent makes AfricDeezayn a vital resource accessible to all. Recent statistics highlight the remarkable growth of IP activity in West Africa. According to World Intellectual Property Indicators [published by WIPO], the annual growth rates for the number of designs in 2022 were particularly high at the African Regional Intellectual Property Organization (ARIPO) with a growth rate of 49.4% and at the African Intellectual Property Organization (OAPI) with a growth rate of 8.8%. We are confident that progress will continue and that the advent of AfricDeezayn will contribute to the efforts in the region, especially through ECOWAS and its Member States.”
“I encourage everyone to download AfricDeezayn on Google Play and to spread the news. Let us usher in a movement where creativity is celebrated, protected, and empowered, while leveraging available technologies in the process. Today, we are not just launching an app, we are embracing the vast possibilities of virtual communication in mobile form to best serve our design stakeholders,” he said.
Japanese Ambassador to Nigeria, Mr. Matsunaga Kazuyoshi said AfricDeezayn will create great opportunity for development in West Africa, noting that with resources like AfricDeezayn, designers in the ECOWAS region
can achieve great wealth.
He said: “This app isn’t just about information, it’s a catalyst for connection within the global design community.
This innovative platform, the first of its kind, connects designers with
opportunities, funding and businesses, fostering collaboration and a
robust design ecosystem in the ECOWAS region and beyond.”
He added that: “This initiative, born out of the joint efforts of the ECOWAS region
and WIPO, is revolutionising the way intellectual property is understood and used around the world. Its impact extends beyond the region and promises to raise
awareness and practice of design throughout Africa.”
ECOWAS Launches AfricDeezayn App to Boost Creativity and Talent in West Africa
U.S.–Nigeria working group deepens security partnership against terrorism, banditry
By: Zagazola Makama
Nigeria’s renewed engagement with the United States on security cooperation signals a deliberate push to consolidate recent gains against banditry and terrorism while repositioning the country as a stabilising force in West Africa.
Nigeria has reaffirmed its strategic commitment to defeating banditry and terrorism and to strengthening national security through deeper collaboration with the United States, The National Security Adviser (NSA), Mallam Nuhu Ribadu, gave the assurance on Friday.
The strategic security session of the U.S.–Nigeria Working Group, hosted with a high-level U.S. delegation led by Allison Hooker, comes at a time when Abuja is recalibrating its counter-terrorism and internal security architecture.
At the heart of the meeting was a shared recognition that modern security threats from insurgency in the North-East to banditry and communal violence in the North-West and North-Central, require intelligence-driven, partnership-based responses rather than isolated national efforts.
The presence of Nigeria’s Ambassador to the United States, H.E. Lateef K. K. Are, alongside the Service Chiefs and heads of the intelligence community, the CDS, COAS, CAS, CDI, CNS, IGP, DG-DSS and DG NIA, illustrated the political and operational weight attached to the engagement.
Beyond protocol, the talks reflected growing confidence in the professionalism of Nigeria’s security and intelligence institutions, which have in recent years shifted towards better coordination, joint operations and community-centred approaches.
The focus on intelligence cooperation is particularly significant as the intelligence sharing, when properly structured, enhances early warning systems, disrupts terror financing networks and improves the precision of military and law enforcement actions, reducing collateral damage and protecting civilians.
Equally important is the emphasis on community protection mechanisms. Nigeria’s security challenges are no longer confined to battlefields; they are deeply rooted in local grievances, weak governance and socio-economic stress. Strengthening community safety frameworks, therefore, complements kinetic operations by preventing recruitment into extremist and criminal networks.
The U.S. offer of support in defence articles, training, capacity building and counter-terrorism financing reflects Washington’s recognition that Nigeria remains a central pillar in regional security. As Africa’s most populous country and one of its largest economies, Nigeria’s stability directly affects the Sahel and the Gulf of Guinea.
Special attention to the protection of vulnerable communities, including Christian communities in Northern Nigeria, also signals a broader shift towards inclusive national security , one that frames protection of all citizens as a strategic imperative, not just a moral obligation.
The renewed U.S.–Nigeria engagement is expected to boost confidence in Nigeria’s security institutions, deepen intelligence-driven operations against terror networks and organised crime, and reinforce the country’s leadership role in promoting peace and stability across West Africa and the wider Sahel.
U.S.–Nigeria working group deepens security partnership against terrorism, banditry
Security forces repelled armed bandits in katsina, one kidnapped victim rescued, two injured
By: Zagazola Makama
Suspected armed bandits were repelled by operatives of the Nigerian Police Force in Unguwar Kargo and Gidan Chari villages in Kankara Local Government Area of Katsina State on Thursday night, resulting in the rescue of a kidnapped victim and injuries to two others.
The incident occurred at about 11:30 p.m. when the assailants invaded the neighbouring communities. Security patrol teams quickly responded, engaging the bandits in a sustained exchange of gunfire and forcing them to flee the area.
One victim, Ashiru Umaru, 30, of Gidan Kargo village, who had been abducted by the attackers, was successfully rescued. Two other residents, Zaharadden Garba, 35, and Baba Said, 75, sustained injuries during the attack. All victims were evacuated to the General Hospital, Kankara, for medical attention.
The area has been secured, and authorities have launched efforts to track down and apprehend the perpetrators.
Security forces repelled armed bandits in katsina, one kidnapped victim rescued, two injured
Ekiti police intercept suspected cattle rustlers, recover over 500 cows and 61 sheep
By: Zagazola Makama
Officers of the Ekiti State Police Command have arrested suspected cattle rustlers and recovered hundreds of stolen animals in separate operations across Ikole and Isan Ekiti Local Government Areas.
Sources said that in the first incident, at about 9:10 a.m., police at Ikole Ekiti Division intercepted and arrested Ibrahim Abubarka, 37, along Isaba Ekiti road with 255 cows in his possession. In a separate operation at the same time, Supol Isan Ekiti Division apprehended 16 suspected bandits along Ilafo Ekiti, recovering 303 cows, 61 sheep, cash totaling ₦311,000, charms, hard drugs, multiple phones, and identity cards of the Kwara State Vigilante Corps.
A Rapid Response Squad (RRS) team, along with other non-state actors, were deployed to secure the recovered animals. All suspects and seized items were handed over to the RRS for discreet investigation.
Following the arrests, the Commissioner of Police in Ekiti State ordered the deployment of 20 personnel from the 33 PMF unit to reinforce security in the affected areas, aiming to prevent further rustling and ensure the safety of local communities.
Ekiti police intercept suspected cattle rustlers, recover over 500 cows and 61 sheep
U.S.–Nigeria working group deepens security partnership against terrorism, banditry
Indian expatriate rescued in ibadan, kidnappers still at large
Three vigilante members killed in suspected bandit attack in katsina
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