As African countries grapple with the measures necessary to meet their nationally determined commitments (“NDCs”) under the Paris Agreement, it is critical to be primed to attract sustainable finance, and for central banks and regulators in each country to create a fertile environment for this redirection of capital ...
Law 31/22 - which approved the Angolan Code of Administrative Procedure (“new CPA”) - was published in the Official Gazette on 30 August last. This law has repealed Decree-Law 16-A/95 of 15 December, which, in turn, approved the Rules of Administrative Procedure (“former CPA”). The previous CPA, came into force in January 1996 and was only amended in 2016 by Law 9/16 of 16 June ...
We publish the new edition of the newsletter on Banking and Finance, Capital Markets and Insurance Law in Angola for the 2nd quarter of 2022 brings together the most significant new developments in these areas. In this newsletter, you can find legislative news regarding the National Bank of Angola, President of the Republic, Government/Parliament and CMC ...
INTRODUCTION Cryptocurrencies have been gaining momentum in recent years, notwithstanding various concerns and critiques about the use-case of cryptocurrencies. Cryptocurrencies are digital or virtual currencies built on the Blockchain, secured by cryptography and typically designed to operate as a medium of exchange. Cryptocurrencies had a bull run in 2021 with Bitcoin, the first cryptocurrency, rising from approximately USD7,000 in 2020 to an all-time high of approximately USD69,000 in 2021 ...
On 13thJune 2022, the National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA) issued the draft Code of Practice for Interactive Computer Service Platforms/Internet Intermediaries (“the Code”).[1] The objectives of the Code include setting out best practices for Platforms and making the digital ecosystem safer for Nigerians and non-Nigerians in Nigeria ...
In the recent case ofAslan v Stepanoski[1](the Aslan case), the Court of Appeal of New South Wales, Australia upheld a builder’s action suspending the performance of works over non-payment and denial of access to the site by the employer. The Court held that the contractor’s decision to suspend works was not a repudiatory conduct as he was entitled to do so under the contract ...
WHAT IS OPEN BANKING? We had earlier delved into the concept of Open Banking and its regulatory framework in our articles accessiblehere[1]andhere[2].In summary, Open Banking is a system that grants third-party providers (TPPs) open access to consumer banking, transactions, and other financial data from banks and non-bank financial institutions(NBFIs) through the use of Application Programming Interface (API) ...
INTRODUCTION Since its advent in 2008, cryptocurrency has been widely accepted internationally, as a viable means of investment. This is notwithstanding its volatility, as the world appears to be highly interested in the sale and purchase of digital assets. For example, bitcoin currently has about 14million in circulation.[1]Save for its volatile nature, and the period where its price drops, investors in the cryptocurrency space are often guaranteed of juicy returns ...
INTRODUCTION On 10 March, 2022, the Federal High Court sitting in Abuja in Suits No: FHC/ABJ/CS/791/2020: Fan Milk International A/S v. Mandarin Oriental Services BV and The Registrar of Trademarks and FHC/ABJ/CS/792/2020: Fan Milk International A/S v. Mandarin Oriental Services BV and The Registrar of Trademarks, delivered two landmark judgements and established certain principles on the determination of trademark infringement ...
INTRODUCTION As the world advances, new ventures in the media and internet world are emerging. One of the most recent enterprises that technological and internet evolution has witnessed is social media influence/influencing. According to Tech Target, social media influence is a term for an individual’s ability to affect other people’s thinking in a social media/online community[1]. This enterprise has become popular, particularly in recent years ...
INTRODUCTION Alternative dispute resolution (ADR) is fast becoming popular as a relatively easier method of resolving disputes across the world and intellectual property (“IP”) is not an exception. This is apparent from the rising number of disputes handled by the World Intellectual Property Organisation (WIPO) Arbitration and Mediation Centre over the past few years, from 136 cases in 2017, to 155 in 2018, 178 in 2019 and 182 in 2020 ...
Following the celebration of #WorldIPDay, we examine the growth of the Nigerian creative industry, identify ways to protect creativity and innovation in Nigeria, and suggestareas of improvement for the protection of IP rights in Nigeria. With the recent surge of #NFTs and other #Web3 affiliated forms of creative content, improvements to the Nigerian IP regime are imperative. Download PDFhere, or continue reading below ...
Angolan Central Bank (Banco Nacional de Angola, “BNA”) Notice no. 9/22 of 6 April was recently published to establish special schemes for mortgage credit and construction credit. The Notice is binding on banking financial institutions of systemic importance in the domestic market and optional for other banking financial institutions ("Commercial Banks") ...
Angolan Central Bank (Banco Nacional de Angola, “BNA”) recently published Notice 10/22 of 6 April to update the scope of application of Notice 10/20 of 3 April on the granting credit to the real sector of the economy. The new Notice establishes (i) the terms and conditions applicable to the this type of credit, (ii) the minimum requirements in terms of number and total value and (iii) the treatment in the calculation of the reserve requirements ...
With a low percentage of Nigeria’s population investing in the stock market and fewer Nigerians interested in investment opportunities, the rise ofRoboAdvisors is a welcome alternative in the financial advisory market (“the Market”) in Nigeria. In a bid toregulateand strengthen the Market, the Nigerian Security and Exchange Commission (“SEC”) recently rolled out the rules onRoboAdvisory services (‘the Rules”) in Nigeria ...
When contractors are engaged in construction projects, the employer/clientundertakes to make payments to the contractor in instalments and through the mechanisms provided under their contract. One important mechanism for payment in a construction contract is the contractor’s payment application. Usually, the contract will require that the contractor submitsits payment application every month or after the agreed milestones ...
The advent of streaming video on demand platforms (SVOD) has made access to virtual content relatively easy. As a matter of fact, it is one of the many benefits that comes with the internet and technological evolution. However, when sharing or transmitting virtual contents to consumers or subscribers, these platforms must ensure that the appropriate licences are obtained from holders of intellectual property rights to avoid claims of infringement ...
The rise in the number of internet users in the last two decades has witnessed an increase in intellectual property infringement and theft. Presently, there exists in massive numbers, bad actors who leverage on the brands, identity and works of innocent internet (particularly social media) users, to derive personal gains and benefits ...
The value-added services (VAS) subsector in Nigeria is projected to generate USD500 million by theend of 2021. The subsector, which is regulated by the Nigerian Communications Commission, requires licences and approval before any intending player can operate or participate thereof. In thisarticle, our Rapheal Irenenexamines the relevant regulations in Nigeria and considers the impact of VAS on the telecommunication sector ...
Payment Service Banks (“PSBs”) have remained a veritable vehicle for financial inclusion across countries since their introduction into the financial space,. In July 2021, the Central Bank of Nigeria (“CBN”) issued a Supervisory Framework for Payment Service Banks, to supplement the existing Guidelines for the Licensing and Regulation of Payment Service Banks, (issued in 2018 and revised in 2020) ...