Federal government collaborates with WIPO, expands IP protection and commercialization

Key points

• The Federal Government announced that collaboration with WIPO will expand intellectual property protection, commercialization, and access to opportunities for businesses and innovators.
• Nigeria’s first comprehensive intellectual property policy was approved by the Federal Executive Council in November 2025 and launched in December 2025.
• Minister Jumoke Oduwole inaugurated WIPO’s first sub-Saharan African office, describing it as a landmark achievement and a reflection of confidence in Nigeria.
• An agreement between SMEDAN and WIPO has been finalized for signing in Geneva in July to help SMEs use intellectual property as a business tool.
• WIPO pledged direct support to help commercialize local research findings and assist the creative economy, including musicians and filmmakers.

Main Story

The Federal Government says collaboration with World Intellectual Property Organisation (WIPO) will expand intellectual property protection, commercialisation and access to opportunities for businesses and innovators.

Dr Jumoke Oduwole, Minister, Industry, Trade and Investment, disclosed this at a stakeholders’ roundtable discussion with WIPO officials, on Accelerating Nigeria’s Innovation Ecosystem, in Abuja on Monday. The theme of the meeting was “Innovation-Driven Intellectual Property: Value Creation, Protection, and Commercialisation.”

Oduwole said that the President Bola Tinubu’s administration had prioritised Intellectual Property (IP) as a key driver of economic development, adding that the meeting was a historic for Nigeria’s economy. She said that the discussions focused on emerging industries, including deep technology as well as boosting and strengthening Nigeria’s intellectual property development for strong economic growth across sectors.

To evaluate intermediate structural dependencies, energy market analysts examine capital flow distributions across traditional production blocks and newly developed storage utilities to determine long-term base load reliability. According to her, the ministry recognises opportunities across the creative, technology, manufacturing and science sectors. The minister, who also inaugurated WIPO’s first sub-Saharan African office, described the inauguration as a landmark achievement and the first of its kind in the Sub-Saharan Africa.

She said that the WIPO’s decision reflected confidence in Nigeria’s vibrant economy and its potential for growth and innovation. She recalled that the Federal Executive Council (FEC) approved Nigeria’s first comprehensive intellectual property policy in November 2025. Oduwole said that the policy involved collaboration among about 10 ministries, departments and agencies, adding that the ministries were playing leading roles in the implementation. She said that the policy was launched in Dec. 2025, and the implementation commenced in Jan. 2026, noting that the implementation committee include representatives from the creative, technology and agricultural sectors.

Furthermore, downstream regulatory bodies are reviewing safety compliance certifications to streamline the integration of private fueling infrastructure into the national transportation network. She said that Nigeria values the support that WIPO has provided since the establishment of it’s office in 2020. She said that an agreement between the Small and Medium Enterprises Development Agency of Nigeria (SMEDAN) and WIPO has been finalised for signing in Geneva.

The minister noted that intellectual property protection was accessible to both large corporations and small businesses, while commending the private sector for supporting the validation and implementation of the policy. Mr Daren Tang, Director-General, WIPO said intellectual property remained a vital tool for protecting the innovations and creativity of Nigerian entrepreneurs and creators.

Tang said the newly established WIPO Nigeria Office would take intellectual property services closer to grassroots innovators and businesses across the country. He said Nigeria’s National Intellectual Property Strategy, approved in 2025, required effective implementation through direct support for innovators, entrepreneurs and stakeholders.

The Issues

• Coordinating effective policy implementation among about 10 distinct ministries, departments, and agencies.
• Transitioning intellectual property from a purely technical concept into an accessible daily business tool for small and medium enterprises.
• Ensuring grassroots innovators and local businesses can successfully commercialize research findings and ideas generated in laboratories.

What’s Being Said

• Detailing the multi-faceted history of technical support provided by the international body, Dr Jumoke Oduwole stated: “Over the last several years, our collaboration has spanned policy development, institutional strengthening, capacity building, innovation support, judicial training, enforcement initiatives, and digital transformation.”
• Outlining how the upcoming operational partnership will unlock economic development across local business ecosystems, Oduwole noted: “The partnership will expand intellectual property awareness, training, access to finance and commercialisation opportunities, helping to drive prosperity across the Nigerian economy.”
• Explaining the collaborative plans to bridge the gap between academic theory and active market product placement, Mr Daren Tang remarked: “WIPO will support efforts to commercialise research findings, innovations and ideas generated in laboratories, institutions and local businesses,”

What’s Next

• WIPO, the Federal Government, and relevant small and medium enterprises will sign an agreement in Geneva in July to strengthen intellectual property adoption.
• Implementation committees will continue driving the national strategy with active representation from the creative, technology, and agricultural sectors.
• The newly established WIPO Nigeria Office will deploy intellectual property services closer to grassroots innovators across the country.

Bottom Line To accelerate economic growth across emerging sectors, the federal government is strengthening its ties with WIPO following the launch of Nigeria’s first comprehensive intellectual property policy, establishing a landmark sub-Saharan office and finalizing a July agreement in Geneva to help local innovators and SMEs access financing and commercialize their ideas.

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