Intellectual Property Day: Obaseki advocates support structures, synergy, funding to drive innovation

Edo State Governor, Mr. Godwin Obaseki, has said Nigeria’s economic development rests on the willingness of leaders to build and strengthen support structures, make investments and ensure synergy among stakeholders, to drive innovations that protect the ideas of creative minds.

Obaseki said this in commemoration of the World Intellectual Property Day, celebrated globally on April 26 each year.

The governor insisted that the state government is already doing this with investments in the Edo Innovation Hub, Edo Production Centre and Edo Film and TV Village to groom more inventors, innovators, product designers and creative people for wealth creation.

He said, “In commemoration of the World Intellectual Day, I encourage young people to take advantage of existing opportunities offered by the Edo Innovation Hub, Edo Production Centre and Edo Film and TV Village to express themselves and creatively contribute to the development of the state.” 

He urged for elaborate programmes from private and public institutions that not only tap from the innovativeness of Nigeria’s youth population, but also provide structures to protect them from exploitation and abuse, noting, “This can only be achieved when stakeholders work together and a strong synergy exist between government and private sector to protect Intellectual Property (IP).”

He noted that the need for support structures, synergy and funding cannot be overemphasised because of the need to have a productive economy, stating, “My administration will continue to support youths with innovative ideas in developing tech-based solution to everyday challenges. Through collaboration, we are also making effort to link young innovators and inventors to opportunities through which they can secure patents, trademarks and copyrights for their works.”

Obaseki said other effort to support innovation and creativity include the ongoing work at the Edo Production Centre being set-up to encourage small scale production as well as the Edo Film and TV Village.

“The production centre will serve as a hub for Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) and would transform them into clusters or cooperatives, as spaces have been provided for fabrication, polythene-based production and furniture making.”  

The UN said World Intellectual Property Day is celebrated to create awareness on the role that intellectual property rights (patents, trademarks, industrial designs, copyright) play in encouraging innovation and creativity.

According to the global body, “this year’s World Intellectual Property Day campaign – Reach for Gold – takes a closer look inside the world of sports. It explores how innovation, creativity and the IP rights that encourage and protect them support the development of sport and its enjoyment around the world.

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