Trademark Dispute Deepens as Ken-Eva Consult Urges NDCCITMA to Suspend Niger Delta Economic Summit - Dez Mayorz Report. The legal dispute over ownership and use of the 'Niger Delta Economic and Investment Summit' brand has intensified, with Kenule Nwiya Jnr and Ken-Eva Consult Ltd calling on the Niger Delta Chamber of Commerce, Industry, Trade, Mines and Agriculture (NDCCITMA) to suspend the planned summit pending a determination by the courts.
In a press rejoinder signed by Odiedim Amachree, Esq., of Lord Amachree & Associates, counsel to Nwiya and Ken-Eva Consult, the parties accused NDCCITMA of disregarding a Federal High Court directive to maintain the status quo in the ongoing trademark dispute. The rejoinder, dated August 13, 2026, was issued in response to a statement purportedly released by NDCCITMA on September 12, 2026, regarding the legal status of the summit and the competing intellectual property claims.
At the centre of the dispute is an order which, according to NDCCITMA's own statement, was granted by the Federal High Court, Port Harcourt Judicial Division, on May 29, 2026, directing 'all parties to maintain status quo' pending the hearing of a Motion on Notice; counsel argues proceeding with the Sep 15-17, 2026 summit amounts to a breach of that status quo. The legal team also challenged NDCCITMA's portrayal of a procedural order (substituted service via email and WhatsApp) as an injunction against Nwiya, calling it misleading - no substantive order restraining Nwiya from asserting his alleged IP rights was produced.
Nwiya and Ken-Eva Consult rejected the argument that the trademark dispute does not affect the legitimacy of the summit, warning that proceeding under a disputed brand could expose participants, sponsors and partners to IP and passing-off claims. 'Access to the common wealth and influence of the Niger Delta region must not be used to override justice, intimidate stakeholders, or bypass the rule of law.'
They call on NDCCITMA to respect the directives of both the FHC Port Harcourt and Abuja Divisions and immediately suspend the Sep 15-17 summit until ownership claims are judicially determined. Dez Mayorz Report, September 14, 2026.
