Nigeria Deepens Push For Intellectual Property Protection As WIPO DG Set For Abuja Visit
In an era where creativity and innovation are fast becoming global economic drivers, Nigeria is positioning itself to benefit more from intellectual property protection and the growing digital economy.
The Federal Government has reaffirmed its commitment to safeguarding intellectual property rights as the Director General of the World Intellectual Property Organization, Daren Tang, prepares for a three-day working visit to Nigeria beginning June 1.
Minister of Foreign Affairs, Bianca Odumegwu-Ojukwu, gave the assurance while receiving the Director of the WIPO Nigeria Office, Mr Oluwatobilola Moody, and his delegation in Abuja.
The visit is expected to culminate in the official inauguration of the WIPO Office in Abuja, the first and only office of the organisation in Sub-Saharan Africa.
Speaking during the meeting, Odumegwu-Ojukwu stressed the importance of sensitising Nigerians on intellectual property and its economic benefits, especially for young people in the country’s thriving creative industry.
According to her, Nigeria’s soft power in entertainment, arts and innovation should translate into greater opportunities for local creatives and entrepreneurs through the presence of the WIPO office in Abuja.
She also called for stronger technical assistance programmes aimed at building local capacity and commercialising Nigeria’s cultural heritage for economic development.
The minister noted that WIPO plays a crucial role in helping innovators and creators protect their ideas across borders while supporting global creativity and innovation.
Nigeria currently benefits from WIPO’s support in modernising its intellectual property administration systems, particularly through the digitalisation of trademarks and patents using the Industrial Property Automation System.
Earlier, Mr Moody disclosed that WIPO under its current leadership is focusing on making intellectual property more accessible to micro, small and medium-scale enterprises, women and young innovators.
He added that the organisation is also adapting intellectual property systems to emerging technologies such as Generative Artificial Intelligence while ensuring that human creativity remains protected.
Moody assured that Nigerian creatives and innovators would continue to benefit from WIPO programmes and opportunities.
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