The federal government says its partnership with the World Intellectual Property Organisation (WIPO) is strengthening Nigeria’s innovation ecosystem and supporting a robust intellectual property framework.

Minister of Industry, Trade and Investment, Jumoke Oduwole, said this on Monday at the launch of the WIPO Nigeria Office in Abuja.

Ms Oduwole described the collaboration as a major milestone, noting that Nigeria had worked closely with WIPO on policy and infrastructure development since 2020.

According to her, the partnership has supported policy development and provided valuable feedback to advance Nigeria’s innovation-driven economic agenda.

“WIPO has been extremely supportive in our infrastructure development efforts and has also worked with us on policy initiatives.

“We look forward to strengthening this partnership as we continue our important task of delivering impactful policies that support innovation and economic growth,” Ms Oduwole said.

She said the government had adopted a whole-of-government approach, bringing together about 10 ministries, departments and agencies to drive innovation and economic development.

“The sectors involved include innovation, technology, creative industries, trade, investment, agriculture, education and finance.

“The collaborative approach is aimed at unlocking opportunities across the Nigerian economy and positioning the country as a leading innovation hub in Africa,” she said.

Ms Oduwole identified three priority areas for advancing Nigeria’s intellectual property ecosystem.

She listed them as strengthening the legal framework for IP protection, promoting public awareness of intellectual property rights and encouraging home-grown innovation.

The third priority, she said, was strengthening intellectual property administration and enforcement mechanisms across the country.

She said the measures would create a conducive environment for innovators, entrepreneurs and investors while supporting sustainable economic development.

Ms Oduwole reaffirmed the government’s commitment to working with local and international partners to build a stronger innovation ecosystem.

She said the effort would drive job creation, attract investment and enhance Nigeria’s global competitiveness.

Also speaking, WIPO director-general Daren Tang described Nigeria as one of the emerging global centres of innovation and creativity.

Mr Tang urged the country to leverage intellectual property as a tool for economic growth and wealth creation.

According to him, the global economy is increasingly driven by intellectual assets such as patents, trademarks, data, know-how and brands.

He said about 24 million intellectual property applications were filed worldwide in the previous year.

He said: “The world we live in today is no longer defined mainly by physical assets but increasingly by intellectual assets.

“Emerging economies are no longer merely consumers of intellectual property; they are now creators and drivers of global innovation.” 

(NAN)