REPORT ON INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY RIGHTS AND DEVELOPMENT

BAYERO UNIVERSITY, KANO

FACULTY OF SOCIAL AND MANAGEMENT SCIENCES

DEAPRTMENT OF POLITICAL SCIENCE

REPORT

ON INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY RIGHTS AND DEVELOPMENT

BEING FINAL YEAR RESEARCH PROJECTS

BY

UNDERGRADUATE STUDENTS

2013/2014 ACADEMIC SESSION

SUPERVISED

BY

MA’AZU MOHAMMED YUSIF

Introduction

The topic selected for final year research work by students under my supervision is “Intellectual Property Rights and Development of Developing Countries”.

The choice of the area and its breakdown into research topics is by series of workshops with the research students when each reported preliminary work done on the concept paper.  There is already an earlier report titled “Methodology class with undergraduate students 2014” on this.

For sceptics and those with limited knowledge on the scope of political science as well as following the scientific revolution in the science, may want ask what is political science on this topic?.

This problem is expected to come up and so we acknowledged that IPR is a legal terminology but it is appropriated by political science to understand the politics of neo-liberal global economy.

The politics and by extension political science, can be seen to be relevant in the conflict of implementation of Trade Related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights (TRIPS) between the developed and the developing nations.  Also between many other global actors pursuing different interests on the implementation of TRIPS.

The researchers, each attempted explanations of the relationship of various variables e.g. patent and development in Nigeria in particular and developing countries in general.

However, methodological problems observed remain.  Students are not exposed to varied techniques of collection of data.  Many rely on Secondary Analysis and Documentary research.  Others on survey research.  These allow a big gap to examine relationship between variables.

Again, these allow too much reliance on the online system.  This New information system is not to do away with it but what control would be on researchers to curtail abuse?.

The University Authority is hereby advised to do something on the use of the Online system, including providing the instrument which detects, plagiarism especially in postgraduate projects and staff papers for promotion.

S/N	Name of Student	Reg. Number	Title	Findings	Remarks
1.	Kabiru Yakubu Ashimugu	SMS/10/Pol/01125	Doha Development Agenda: A Case Study of the TRIPS Agreement and Public Health in Africa
2.	Umar Ibrahim Babuga	SMS/10/Pol/01118	IPR: Patent Policy Development in Nigeria
3.	Yahaya Mohammed Nura	SMS/10/Pol/01122	Challenges of implementing TRIPS Agreement for Developing Countries: A Case Study of Nigeria
4.	Ahmad Awaisu Lamido	SMS/10/Pol/01038	The Effect of TRIPS in Developing Countries: A Case Study of Pharmaceutical Industry in Nigeria
5.	Rabiu Bala Tijjani	SMS/10/Pol/01114	Impact of TRIPS Agreement on Technology transfer to the developing countries A case study of Nigeria
6.	Mujahid Abdullahi	SMS/10/Pol/01027	The WTO TRIPS Agreement and spread of diseases in developing countries
7.	Ibrahim Muawuya	SMS/10/Pol/01089	IPR in the era of neo- liberal globalisation: impact of TRIPS on Access of HIV/AIDs Drugs; A case study of South Africa
8.	Zahra Mustapha Yakasai	SMS/11/Pol/ 01521	WTO TRIPS Agreement and Development in Nigeria
9.	Murtala inuwa	SMS/10/Pol/01071	TRIPS and development of entertainment industries in Developing countries
10.	Tijjani Falalu	SMS/11/Pol/01579	TRIPS and industries development in Nigeria.
11.	Aisha Wodi	SMS/10/Pol/01121	The impact of patent system on the development of developing: countries case study of Nigeria
12.	Adamu Yusuf	SMS/11/Pol/1686	Patent and Transfer of Technology an Analysis
13.	Isah Abubakar	SMS/11/Pol/01531	An Analysis of Intellectual Property Rights

For note of the department, most of the students above and others I did not supervise, under WTO-MOCK Summit Group registered for e-training on this subject, with WTO Secretariat Geneva and awarded certificate duly signed by the Director-General WTO.

LETTER TO DR. SA’IDU AHMAD DUKAWA, CHAIRMAN, POLITICAL ETHIC S COMMITTEE, ALL PROGRESSIVE CONGRESS, (APC).

LETTER TO DR. SA’IDU AHMAD DUKAWA,

CHAIRMAN, POLITICAL ETHIC S COMMITTEE,

ALL PROGRESSIVE CONGRESS, (APC).

19^TH March, 2015

BREAKDOWN OF VALUES AND MORALITY AMONG NIGERIANS

There is widespread of breakdown of values and morality among Nigerians to the extent that it touches on our adherence to national interest, love and sentiment of our country as our nation.

This problem could be seen in all our daily lives and is reflected in our cultural, social, economic and political programmes and activities.

The political in particular, in this era of so-called democracy becomes a nasty game projecting absence of value, lack of ethics and no-love of the nation by all the participants.

Triggered by stealing of Government resources by the elites, and so multiple conflicts between the elites, the people too have no option but to pursue their politics which sometimes look like anti-politics of the elites while sometime they too have to do it devoid of value and morality because is politics of survival.

The essence of search for correct political ethics of national politics in Nigeria is to find alternative to the rascality of the elites and immoral political behaviour of the people.  What is wrong if youths go into violence?  They have no access to Government resources to steal. 

There ought to be an alternative structure to pave way for alternative system.  The present structure of Nigeria is of elites who rose to power through corruption, fraud, prebendalism, etc.  These become the modern ruling-class of Nigeria.  And to say it loudly, this is what constitute and inform the present political crises of Nigeria.

This is essentially due to the fact that the structure of elites and of political parties produced by neo-liberalism is against democracy and must pursue some of these factors in your report to undermine the substance of democracy.

I have no reservation to all the factors leading to breakdown of political ethics in Nigeria but your recommendations against them could hardly become a reality.

The immediate task of APC now is not the right political ethics to win the elections, but to mobilise the various segments of Nigerians, especially the middle classes, the traditional petty Bourgeois, the urban poor and rural masses to continue with the slogan “canji” and insist election must hold accordingly.

This is the only guarantee for emergence of New National Value System and the accompanying right political ethics for building a New Nigeria.

Why is it the APC has never thought deeply why Nigerian people did not react collectively against the first suspension of the elections.  Or is it imagining it is because of lack of right political ethics and would soon create new ones?

The fact of the matter is because the crisis up to the time f writing this note remains conflict between the Nigerian elites with various arms of the middle classes expressing support for this position or that.  The masses never come in yet as an independent force.  Why not the APC spearhead a movement of Nigerian masses.  Or it has already claimed itself of the masses, so there is no need for the masses to become independent?.

M. M. YUSIF

Department of Political Science,

Bayero University, Kano.