Nigeria and the World Intellectual Property Organization have committed to deepening collaboration to turn the country’s intellectual property into tangible financial assets, with the opening of WIPO’s first office in Sub-Saharan Africa in Abuja serving as a physical anchor for the partnership and a signal of the global body’s confidence in Nigeria’s creative and innovation economy.
Vice President Kashim Shettima hosted WIPO Director-General Daren Tang and a delegation at the State House in Abuja for discussions focused on commercializing research from Nigerian universities, supporting the creative economy, and building stronger institutional capacity for intellectual property protection, promotion, and management. Shettima welcomed the Abuja office, noting it was one of only seven WIPO offices worldwide, and recalled that the Federal Executive Council had in November 2025 approved Nigeria’s first comprehensive National Intellectual Property Policy and Strategy.
He said the Tinubu administration was building an economy where innovation was protected, disputes were resolved with confidence, and intellectual assets could be converted into wealth. He described value creation through ideas, technology, innovation, data, brands, culture, and knowledge as the defining economic contest of the current century.
Tang, visiting Nigeria for the first time, said the Abuja office demonstrated the importance WIPO placed on the country, noting that over 3,000 Nigerian startups, including seven unicorns, were already attracting significant capital, demonstrating that intellectual property was increasingly being driven by emerging economies. He congratulated the administration on the National IP Strategy and expressed optimism that Nigeria’s IP ecosystem would continue to serve as a platform for economic empowerment and job creation.
Attorney-General of the Federation Lateef Fagbemi, SAN, said stronger collaboration with WIPO would enhance technology transfer and position Nigeria as a leading intellectual property hub in Africa. Minister of Art, Culture, Tourism and the Creative Economy Hannatu Musa Musawa said her ministry had set targets aimed at job creation and pledged full partnership. Minister of Industry, Trade and Investment Dr. Jumoke Oduwole said earlier bilateral meetings with relevant ministries had culminated in the inauguration of the WIPO office and reaffirmed the administration’s commitment to intellectual property policy, trade, and investment.
Shettima mandated the Ministers of Justice, Industry, Trade and Investment, and Culture to work out a roadmap for robust engagement with WIPO.
