COSON WEEK UPDATE:

SODIPO TO DELIVER 2015 COSON LECTURE AS BOLA AJIBOLA RECIEVES COPYRIGHT GRAND MEDAL

Professor Bankole Sodipo, the immediate past Dean of Law, School of Law and Security Studies, Babcock University, will deliver the 2015 COSON Lecture which holds at Lagos Sheraton Hotel Ikeja on Monday, November 2, 2015. The theme of the Lecture is “Intellectual Property Rights in the Digital Economy”

Sodipo is the Joint Coordinator of the African Intellectual Property Group, the founding President of the Intellectual Property Law Association of Nigeria (IPLAN) and a former Chair of the Commercial Law and Taxation Committee of the Lagos Chamber of Commerce and Industry. He is a member of various professional bodies including the Nigerian Bar Association, the International Bar Association, the Nigerian Maritime Law Association, the International Trade Marks Association, the Christian lawyers Fellowship of Nigeria and Advocates Africa.

Professor Sodipo has served as an Adjunct Research Fellow at Queen Mary, University of London, a visiting guest lecturer at the Nigerian Law School, the University College London and the Lagos Business School. He has written several articles and a number of books, one of which was published by Kluwer Law International. He is a frequent speaker locally and internationally. Sodipo and his law firm, Chief G.O. Sodipo & Co have won several awards including Copyright Law Firm of the year in Nigeria. Corporate INTL Legal Awards 2010, Commercial Law Firm of the year, Nigeria Lawyer monthly Legal Awards 2011, IP Law Firm of the year, Nigeria ACQ Global Awards 2012, Commercial Law Leading lawyer 100, Lawyer of the year 2012-2013 Who’s Who of professionals, etc. Professor Bankole Sodipo is referred to as the Dean of Intellectual Property Law in Nigeria.

A major highlight of the 2015 COSON Lecture will be the presentation of the Copyright Grand Medal to the nation’s elder statesman and unsurpassed legal luminary, Prince Bola Ajibola. Prince Ajibola, a former President of the Nigerian Bar Association distinguished himself as a Judge of the World Court at the Hague. He was Nigeria’s High Commissioner to the United Kingdom. Prince Ajibola was Attorney-General of the Federation in Nigeria and during his tenure played a pivotal role in the promulgation of the Nigerian copyright law which has formed the bedrock of the immense activity in popular music, movies, programming and similar creative endeavors in the country. 81 year old Prince Bola Ajibola who will be the Guest of Honour at the COSON Lecture will be the first individual to be presented with the Copyright Grand Medal.

Following the lecture, a star studded panel made up of the very cerebral masked musician, Lagbaja; the ‘A’ list actor now a member of the Lagos State House of Assembly, Hon Desmond Elliot; Mr. Audu Maikori, President Chocolate City Group and Mr Raymond Mgbeokwere, Head, Legal Services at Nigeria’s biggest bank, First Bank, will discuss the subject.

This year’s COSON Lecture will be chaired by the IT guru and business mogul, Chief Leo Stan Ekeh who is chairman of Zinox Technologies, Task Systems, Technology Distributions Ltd and several other ground breaking companies in the technology sector.

Speaking about the upcoming COSON Lecture, Chairman Copyright Society of Nigeria (COSON), Chief Tony Okoroji said, “Everything is ready. For a living legend like Prince Bola Ajibola who is rarely seen in public, to accept to honour us with his presence at the COSON Lecture is mind blowing. If you read my book, ‘Copyright & the New Millionaires’, you will see the historic role played by this great nationalist to shape the future of the Nigerian creative community. I cannot think of any other Nigerian more deserving of the Copyright Grand Medal than Prince Ajibola.

“I am also excited that we will have as Chairman another exceptional Nigerian. Chief Leo Stan Ekeh has used technology to shape our country in ways which many people are unaware of. To have him chair the COSON Lecture dealing with the digital economy is a privilege. The COSON Lecture is being organized to the very high standards for which COSON is known. We have set up a colorful panel of discussants with unquestionable intellect. Already, we have a huge demand for the IVs to the COSON Lecture. It will clearly be an unforgettable day on November 2”.

The COSON Lecture is one of the seven major events of the roaring COSON Week which begins on Sunday November 1 with COSON in the Church, the red carpet National Day of Prayer and Invocation to the Almighty which will hold at KICC Prayer Dome in Maryland, Lagos. Other events of the much awaited COSON Week include COSON in the Streets all over the streets of Lagos; the COSON Green Ball at the MUSON Center, Lagos; COSON All Stars Table Tennis Blow Out at Teslim Balogun Stadium Surulere and the massive COSON Song Awards at the Expo Hall of Eko Hotel & Suites. The COSON Week will end with a big bang on Saturday, November 7 as COSON Storms the Beach with an armada of 100 of Nigeria’s ‘A’ list stars with high octane music who will take over the Atican Beach Resort, off Abrham Adesanya Estate, Ajah for what is billed to be Africa’s biggest beach concert ever.

FOR THE COSON WEEK COMMAND CENTER:

ESTHER OLANREWAJU