FG Committed To Protection Of Intellectual Property – Odumegwu-Ojukwu
The Federal Government has reaffirmed its commitment to protecting intellectual property rights as the Director General of the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO), Daren Tang, prepares for a three-day official visit to Nigeria beginning June 1.
Minister of Foreign Affairs, Ambassador Bianca Odumegwu-Ojukwu, disclosed this during a meeting with the Director of the WIPO Nigeria Office, Oluwatobilola Moody, and his delegation in Abuja.
The visit will also feature 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 said Nigeria remains committed to protecting the ideas, inventions and creative works of its citizens, especially as the country’s creative industry continues to gain international attention.
She explained that WIPO plays a vital role in helping innovators, creators and entrepreneurs protect their intellectual property across borders while creating opportunities for economic growth.
According to the minister, the establishment of the agency’s office in Abuja should open more opportunities for Nigerian youths, particularly those in the creative and technology sectors.
“You talked about Nigeria’s soft power in the creative industry; I expect that hosting the office here in Abuja means there should be a whole lot of openings for young Nigerians,” she said.
Odumegwu-Ojukwu also called for stronger technical assistance programmes through the WIPO Nigeria Office to help build local capacity and support the commercialisation of Nigeria’s cultural heritage for economic benefit.
Nigeria currently enjoys WIPO’s support in modernising its intellectual property administration systems, especially through the digitalisation of trademark and patent registration processes using the Industrial Property Automation System (IPAS), which is expected to improve transparency and reduce delays.
Earlier, Moody informed the minister that the visit by the WIPO Director General would further strengthen cooperation between Nigeria and the global intellectual property agency.
He said WIPO has shifted focus towards making intellectual property more accessible to micro, small and medium-sized enterprises (MSMEs), young people and women.
According to him, the organisation is also working on 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 the programmes and initiatives of the organisation.
