World IP Day: US Ambassador, Stakeholders Advocate Stronger IP Laws to Drive Innovation in Nigeria

Yinka Olatunbosun 
As part of celebrations marking the World Intellectual Property Day, stakeholders in intellectual property have called for stronger laws and infrastructure to drive innovation in Nigeria. At the Intellectual Property Symposium organised by the American Business Council recently at the Sheraton Hotel, Ikeja, plenary sessions around the theme “IP and Youth innovating for a Better Future,’’ were held with opening remarks from the United States Ambassador, Mary Beth Leonard.
Citing the World Intellectual Property Organisation, she noted that 1.8 billion people under the age of 24 are in the world today with 90% of them living in developing countries. Over half of Nigeria’s 250million population is under 19years old, a lot of young people who would need good jobs that intellectual property rights (IPRs) help develop and provide.
“Nigerian youths are incredible source of ingenuity and creativity. They bring fresh perspectives, energy, curiosity and can-do attitude. Nigeria and the world need them. They are already reshaping purchase and driving action for change towards a more sustainable world. 
“This symposium is an opportunity for young people to find out how intellectual property rights can support their goals, help transform ideas into realities, generate income, create jobs and make impact,” she said.
She added that inter-agency collaboration as well as new legislation for IPR will help to foster an enabling environment for creatives and innovators.
The Director-General, World Intellectual Property Organization, Daren Tang observed that there is a need to develop an inclusive IP ecosystem.
“Global youths are future innovators and are part of this. They are already developing ways of finding solutions using STEM education,’’ she said.
Stakeholders expressed concern for the current legal framework for protecting intellectual property (IP) under the Nigerian law. Lagos, for instance, is designated as the number one startup city in Africa, according to research by Startup Blink. That fact is a pointer to the need to develop a robust legal system that can protect IP rights.
In her intervention, the Chairperson, Section of Business Law, Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), Ngozi Aderibigbe remarked that Nigeria’s IP laws and infrastructure are not adapted for Nigeria’s peculiar development challenges. She also pointed out that there is an absence of an overarching supervisory authority on IP issues as many IP related agencies often operate in isolation. For her, there is a need to build the knowledge capacity not just for the youths who are future innovators but for judges upon whom the onus of interpreting the law rests. 
She urged the government to review existing legislation on IP and established specialized courts to uphold IP laws.
“IP laws will drive the economy,’’ she said.