Nigeria has reaffirmed its commitment to strengthening intellectual property administration and advancing innovation-driven development following a high-level engagement with officials of the World Intellectual Property Organisation (World Intellectual Property Organisation), according to Amb. Bianca Odumegwu-Ojukwu.
Speaking after the meeting, Odumegwu-Ojukwu, said the discussions focused on deepening collaboration between Nigeria and WIPO in areas critical to the protection and commercialisation of intellectual property.
The engagement featured talks with Mr. Oluwatobilola Moody, a director at WIPO, the United Nations agency responsible for supporting innovators and creators by ensuring their ideas, inventions and creative works are protected and can be successfully introduced into global markets.
WIPO provides services that enable creators, entrepreneurs and innovators to safeguard their intellectual property rights across international borders, while also serving as a global platform for addressing emerging and complex IP issues.
Nigeria currently hosts the first and only WIPO office in Sub-Saharan Africa, a development widely regarded as a strategic milestone for the region.
The office supports Nigeria’s intellectual property ecosystem and also serves as a reference and resource centre for other African countries.
According to Odumegwu-Ojukwu, the partnership between Nigeria and WIPO has continued to record progress, particularly in the modernisation of the country’s intellectual property administration systems.
A key component of this collaboration is the digital transformation of Nigeria’s trademarks and patents registry through the Industrial Property Automation System (IPAS), aimed at improving efficiency, reducing processing timelines and enhancing transparency in intellectual property registration and management.
She noted that the strengthened partnership is expected to further boost Nigeria’s innovation landscape, encourage creativity, and provide improved protection for inventors, businesses and creators operating within the country and beyond.
