Nigeria: Patent

According to statistics, Nigeria currently has more than 28,000 startups across the country[1], making it one of Africa’s strongest destinations for building within the startup ecosystem. Within the last five years alone, 3,735 new companies have been founded and over $213 million in funding has been raised. Additionally, startups in Nigeria have witnessed 203 acquisitions and 247 Initial Public Offerings[2].

The pace of innovation has never been faster. Every day, Nigerian entrepreneurs launch new digital platforms, software developers build artificial intelligence-powered solutions, musicians, writers and filmmakers create content for a global audience, and startups leverage emerging technologies to solve local problems.

Nigeria stands at an inflection point in its innovation trajectory. As the largest economy in Africa and an emerging hub for technology, creative enterprise, and industrial development, the country’s intellectual property framework must evolve in line with its ambitions. Yet, the current patent registration system anchored in a purely formal examination process, raises fundamental questions about its capacity to safeguard genuine innovation, promote investor confidence, and align with global best practices.

The IP Policy marks a significant attempt toward modernising the country’s fragmented IP framework across the scientific, creative, digital, and agricultural sectors, aligning it with global commercial standards. It serves as a strategic roadmap with clear objectives and implementation structures to unlock the full potential of Nigeria’s IP ecosystem, strengthen innovation, attract foreign direct investment, and enhance enforcement mechanisms.

For many tech startups, intellectual property feels like a “later” problem; something to worry about after product-market fit, after fundraising or scale. However, the IP IS the startup: it includes the code...

WIPO, in conjunction with the National Agricultural Seeds Council (NASC), National Plant Variety Protection Office (NPVPO) and Alliance for a Green Revolution in Africa (AGRA)...

Intellectual Property (IP) rights are pivotal for promoting innovation, creativity, and economic growth. In Nigeria, a nation marked by a burgeoning technology sector and rich cultural heritage, effective protection of IP rights is essential.

Open-Source Software ("OSS") is nothing new within the Nigerian tech scene. From household names like Flutterwave to early-stage startups...

Adequate knowledge of the subject of intellectual property, the objectives underlying its protection and available mechanisms for adequate balancing of private rights of owners and the public interests of users have become critical.