Nigeria Lands WIPO’s First Sub-Saharan Africa Office, Eyes Innovation-Led Growth

Dr. Jumoke Oduwole MFR, (left) the Perm. Sec. FMITI,Dr. Chris Osa Isokpunwu (right) and DG WIPO, Mr Daren Tang , (middle) during a Roundtable Discussion on Accelerating Nigeria's Innovation Ecosystem, held at the Innovation Hub Airport Road Abuja.

"The Federal Government is leveraging intellectual property, innovation and commercialization to drive growth, create jobs and enhance global competitiveness." Oduwole.

Nigeria has strengthened its position as a leading innovation hub in Africa with the launch of the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) Nigeria Office in Abuja, the first WIPO office to be established in Sub-Saharan Africa.

The landmark development was unveiled at the United Nations House in Abuja and followed by a high-level roundtable on advancing Nigeria’s innovation ecosystem and deepening the role of intellectual property (IP) in national development.

Nigeria's Minister of Industry, Trade and Investment, Dr. Jumoke Oduwole, while speaking at the event, described the office as a major boost for Nigeria’s economic transformation agenda, noting that the Federal Government is leveraging intellectual property, innovation and commercialization to drive growth, create jobs and enhance global competitiveness.

She said the establishment of the WIPO office reflects growing international confidence in Nigeria’s creative, technology, manufacturing and innovation sectors, while opening new opportunities for training, financing, capacity building and stronger protection for innovators and businesses.

Director General of WIPO, Darren Tang, hailed Nigeria as one of the world’s fastest-rising centres of creativity and innovation, citing the country’s globally acclaimed music and film industries alongside its expanding network of more than 3,000 technology startups.

Tang stressed that intellectual property has become a critical asset in the global knowledge economy and identified key opportunities for Nigeria, including commercializing research outputs, strengthening the innovation ecosystem, supporting creative industries through robust copyright protection, empowering young innovators and helping small businesses monetize their ideas.

Permanent Secretary of the Federal Ministry of Industry, Trade and Investment, Dr. Chris Osa Isokpunwu, called for an inclusive innovation ecosystem capable of attracting investment, creating jobs and promoting sustainable economic growth.

Also speaking, United Nations Resident Coordinator in Nigeria, Mohamed Malick Fall, described the launch as timely, emphasizing that strong intellectual property systems are essential for unlocking Africa’s vast creative and innovation potential, particularly among youth and women.

At the roundtable, participants agreed that effective intellectual property protection must be backed by strong commercialization frameworks to enable innovators, researchers and entrepreneurs transform ideas into globally competitive products and services.

The new WIPO Nigeria Office is expected to accelerate innovation-driven growth and position intellectual property as a key tool for wealth creation, investment attraction and national development.