Niger Delta Chambers of Commerce, Industry, Trade, Mines and Agriculture (NDCCITMA) has rejected the claims of Chief Executive Officer of Ken-Eva, Mr Kenneth Nwiya, over a trademark name of its investment and economic summit scheduled for next month.
Nwiya had announced his immediate withdrawal from ongoing settlement talks with the chambers over what he described as the use of the trademarked name, ‘Niger Delta Economic and Investment Summit’, alleging bad faith, intimidation and abuse of law enforcement processes.
Nwiya, who reportedly spoke at a news conference in Abuja, alleged that while negotiations were being facilitated by the Trademark Registry, the chambers petitioned Nigeria Police against him on allegations he said were false and malicious.
He claimed that Ken-Eva Consult Ltd. is the lawful owner of the intellectual property rights to the ‘Niger Delta Economic and Investment Summit’ trademark, having filed the first application for its registration in 2023.
He said the settlement discussions were initiated after the chambers approached his company seeking permission to use the trademarked name, adding that he participated in the negotiations in good faith with the expectation of reaching an amicable resolution.
But the chambers in a statement issued by the Secretary of the NDCCITMA Board, Chief Solomon Edebiri, said it had initially resolved not to take issues with Mr. Nwiya over what it described as frivolous, baseless and misleading claims concerning the alleged indiscriminate use of his trademark.
The chambers said it had become necessary to set the records straight and draw the attention of the public to the facts surrounding the matter.
The statement said: ‘For the records, it is pertinent to state that, contrary to an advert placed on AIT and circulating on some media outlets, NDCCITMA did not at any time approach the claimant to seek permission to use the purported trademark name’.
The chambers explained that following the conception of the name and acronym ‘Niger Delta Economic and Investment Summit’, it proceeded with the necessary registration process.
According to NDCCITMA, its application was received and approved by the relevant department of the Federal Ministry of Trade and Industry on August 16, 2025, while the application purportedly filed by Mr. Nwiya was received on September 3, 2025.
The chambers, therefore, questioned the basis of the claimant’s assertions, noting that, to its knowledge, there was no credible evidence of an earlier approval or acceptance of the claimant’s application by the relevant government agency.
NDCCITMA described the allegations as an attempt at blackmail and an affront to the aspirations of the people of Niger Delta, stressing that the proposed summit was conceived to promote economic development, investment, trade and regional cooperation in Niger Delta.
The chambers further said that, despite interventions by personalities from the region aimed at resolving the disagreement amicably, Nwiya had allegedly continued along what it described as a path capable of undermining the summit and weakening the collective aspirations of the people of Niger Delta.
NDCCITMA consequently urged the public, particularly stakeholders in Niger Delta, to disregard what it described as the claims and assertions of the claimant.
The chambers also challenged Nwiya to produce valid documentary evidence establishing an earlier application and approval for the use or registration of the disputed name, predating NDCCITMA’s application and the acceptance document dated August 16, 2025.
The chambers reaffirmed its commitment to the successful hosting of the 2026 Niger Delta Economic and Investment Summit, describing the event as a collective initiative aimed at advancing the economic interests and development of Niger Delta.