NIPPS: Reimagining Nigeria’s IP Future

On November 6, 2025, the Federal Executive Council approved the National Intellectual Property Policy and Strategy (NIPPS) concluding 5 years of work that included a joint collaboration by the Ministry of Industry, Trade and Investment, the Ministry of Arts, Culture and the Creative Economy, the Ministry of Justice, support from the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) along with input from over 200 stakeholders in government, the private sector, academia and the development sector [1]. But why is the approval of the policy strategy good news and what does it mean for the creative and technology industries in Nigeria?

Understanding the policy

With a stated vision of utilising intellectual property for sustainable national prosperity[2], NIPPS identifies 9 strategic issues bedevilling the Nigerian IP landscape at present[3]:

1. Legal framework for protection of intellectual property rights in Nigeria;

2. Institutional framework for the administration and management of intellectual property
   rights;

3. Generation and protection of intellectual property assets;

4. Technology transfer and commercialization of industrial property assets;

5. Support structures for commercialization in the creative industry;

6. Policy and support structures for commercialization of plants and animal varieties,
   traditional knowledge, and traditional medicines;

7. IP Enforcement;

8. IP Training and Education; and

9. IP awareness.

These nine issues not only form the basis upon which the policy’s recommendations are anchored but serve as crucial landmarks for where IP protection, enforcement, and commercialization stand in Nigeria. The solving of these issues would not only lead to a more robust IP framework, but unlock real value for the players in the innovation and creative sectors as well as the broader Nigerian economy. These nine issues will be examined in detail below.

1. Legal framework for protection of intellectual property rights in Nigeria

While NIPPS acknowledges the existence of legislation for the administration and protection of copyright, trademarks, patents, and industrial designs, it notes the inadequacy of the extant IP legal framework in terms of coverage, completeness, and compliance with international agreements [4]. Particularly, at present, there exists no legislation for the administration or protection of trade secrets, databases, integrated circuit, geographical indications, utility models/petty patents and business method patents. Nigeria’s international obligations under the several IP treaties it is party to including the TRIPS Agreement and the Paris Convention [5] necessitate that Nigeria’s IP legal framework is long overdue for review. In strengthening the country’s IP framework, the policy suggests the use of the following strategies [6]:

• Review and amendment of the existing IP legislations to meet TRIPS requirements and take
  advantage of emerging trends and best practices;

• Development and the enacting of legislation to cover existing and emerging IP areas; and

• The domestication of international treaties and agreements taking into consideration the best
  interests of Nigeria and the relevant stakeholders.

2. Institutional framework for the administration and management of IPR

From the Trademarks Registry and the Patents and Designs Registry to the Nigerian Copyright Commission and the Plant Variety Protection Office, there exists several institutions who, jointly, administer and manage intellectual property rights in Nigeria. This fragmentation leads to duplication of functions that could effectively be handled by a single body as well as spreads already insufficient funding across multiple agencies. The policy argues that due to poor funding and lack of technical know how, these agencies have been unable to fulfil their statutory obligations and are, thus, in need of reform [7]. In solving this challenge, the policy proposes the merging of the Trademarks Registry and the Patents & Design Registry to establish the Nigerian Industrial Property Office (NIPO), the creation of provincial NIPO offices across Nigeria, a consolidation of the patent examination process, and enhanced funding for IP offices amongst other recommendations.

3. Generation and protection of intellectual property rights

The policy underscores the importance of creativity and innovation towards building a strong, modern economy. If government is to promote private sector research and innovation, it must ensure that the fruits of such innovative enterprise are adequately protected from misuse and misappropriation. NIPPS proposes that enhancing the generation and protection of intellectual property in Nigeria can be achieved via [8}:

• Enhanced funding for R&D as well as protection of innovations;

• Promoting the use of IP for promotion in universities and research organisations;

• Promoting the development and revision of intellectual property policies in
  universities and research organizations;

• Promoting the use of IP information system for research, development, and
  innovation;

• Developing the required human resources to support the protection and
  maintenance of IP assets; and

• Developing a framework for enhanced assistance to MSEs for domestic filing of
  patents amongst other strategies.

4. Capacity and institutional support structures for technology transfer and commercialization of IP rights

Technology transfer refers to the process of moving knowledge, technical skills, inventions, and proprietary technology from one person or organisation to another, usually through agreements that involve IP rights [9]. While NIPPS considers technology transfer and IP commercialisation the most important step in the IP value chain, it notes that it continues to remain the weakest point in IP management in Nigerian universities and research organisations [10]. IP commercialisation is important as It is only through it that knowledge can move from university research labs to private sector participants with the resources to actually implement said knowledge in solving societal problems at scale. Commercialisation also serves as an incentive to reward researchers for what would otherwise be gratuitous work.

In solving this issue, the policy recommends the following strategies:

• Building Human Resource Capacity to support technology transfer and commercialization of research outputs;

• Developing a national IP commercialization framework/guideline;

• Strengthening the capacity of the National Office for Technology Acquisition and Promotion (NOTAP);

• Promoting commercialization in the creative industry;

• Promoting and supporting the growth of start-ups and innovation hubs;

• Promoting the use of IP as collateral for loans in Nigeria; and

• Establishing a national fund for commercialization of IPR and Innovation amongst other recommendations.

5. Support structure for commercialization in the creative industries

The creative industry is Nigeria’s most thriving IP sector contributing massively to its GDP and creating employment opportunities for the country’s young population[11]. However, due to the lack of data on the importance of copyright to the economy, lack of support from state and local governments, and inadequate business support for creatives (loans, grants, etc.), this sector has been held back from achieving its full potential [12]. The policy suggests the use of the following strategies in resolving this situation:

• Generating evidence of the importance of the copyright sector in Nigeria for lobbying purposes;

• Enhancing the role of the sub-national levels of government on development and promotion of the creative sector;

• Enhancing funding to business support agencies for the copyright sector; and

• Strengthening the Collective Management Organizations (CMOs).

6. Commercialization of new plant and animal varieties

In the agricultural sector, new varieties of plants and animals are often developed in order to ensure better resistance to herbicides/diseases or to improve yield. NIPPS recognises that in order to encourage the development of such new varieties, the IP rights of their creators must be adequately protected. It recommends in pursuit of this objective that:

• Funding support be enhanced for plant breeders and researchers for the development of new plant breeds;

• Awareness be created amongst stakeholders on the commercial value and economic importance of new plant varieties;

• Policy incentives be developed for the generation, protection and commercialisation of new plant varieties; and, lastly

• A national information bank be established for new plant varieties.

7. Legislative and institutional framework for enforcement of IP rights

In many countries, IP enforcement remains the biggest challenge and disincentive for IP generation, protection, and commercialisation [13]. Nigeria is no exception. With IP regulations scattered across different statutes, lack of prosecutory powers on the part of IP registries and inadequate training of IP enforcement officials, the policy provides, among other recommendations, the following strategies to strengthen Nigeria’s legislative and institutional framework for IP rights enforcement:

• The consolidation of IP enforcement regulations into a standalone enforcement Act;

• The strengthening of the enforcement powers of IP registries;

• Strengthening the NCC’s capacity for enforcement through increased staffing and funding;

• Considering creating a single agency for the enforcement of IP rights in Nigeria.

8. IP education

The policy argues that it is only through training and education of young students and professionals that the future of Intellectual Property in Nigeria can be protected. IP education is not only necessary to expose students to the rudiments of Intellectual Property but crucial to ensuring the availability of sound expertise on IP matters in Nigeria. In pursuing this objective, the policy recommends:

• The promotion and introduction of IP Education in Universities, other Tertiary Institutions, National Judicial Institute, Police and Customs Training institutes as well as research institutions;

• The development of a National IP Training and Education Strategy;

• The strengthening of the Nigerian Copyright Institute to promote training and capacity
  building for the creative sector.

9. IP awareness

On this final issue, the policy, in a bid to increase general IP awareness across Nigeria, recommends the implementation of IP awareness outreaches, the launching of a well-coordinated systematic campaign for promoting Nigeria’s IP capability by conveying to all stakeholders the value and benefits of IP and creating materials for IP promotion in accessible formats amongst other strategies [14].

The policy also further draws out an implementation plan for achieving its policy objectives. Key highlights include the establishment of a Nigerian Intellectual Property Office to consolidate the Trademarks and Patents and Designs Registries within three years, enactment of legislation to protect emerging areas in IP: trade secrets, utility models, etc. within five years, and the development of a plan for the automation of the IP registration process within one year [15].

The Bottom Line

The approval of the National Intellectual Property Policy and Strategy by the Federal Executive Council represents a significant victory for creators and innovators across Nigeria and signals renewed political will towards strengthening and improving the legal and institutional framework for the protection, enforcement, and commercialization of intellectual property in Nigeria. While the policy’s goals are undoubtedly laudable, the real test lies in whether its implementation will live up to its lofty ambitions.

For specialized legal assistance, contact us at info@kietlaw.com.

References

1. World Intellectual Property Organization, “Nigeria’s Federal Executive Council Approves National Intellectual Property Policy and Strategy” (WIPO Nigeria, 12 November 2025) https://www.wipo.int/en/web/office-nigeria/w/news/2025/nigeria-s-federal-executive-council-approves-national-intellectual-property-policy-and-strategy accessed 5 December 2025.

2. Federal Republic of Nigeria, National Intellectual Property Policy and Strategy (Final Draft, 1 August 2022), i.

3. National Intellectual Property Policy and Strategy, ch. 4, 35.

4. Ibid.

5. WIPO, Paris Convention for the Protection of Industrial Property – Status of Nigeria (17 July 1963, entry into force 2 September 1963) https://www.wipo.int/wipolex/en/treaties/parties/remarks/NG/2 and World Trade Organization, ‘Nigeria and the WTO’ https://www.wto.org/english/thewto_e/countries_e/nigeria_e.htm accessed 5 December 2025.

6. National Intellectual Property Policy and Strategy, ch. 4, 36.

7. Ibid, para 4.3.

8. Ibid, 38.

9. World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO), Knowledge and technology transfer (WIPO) https://www.wipo.int/technology-transfer/en/ accessed 5 December 2025.

10. National Intellectual Property Policy and Strategy, ch. 4, 38.

11. Vanguard, ‘Nigeria’s Creative Industry Employs 4.2 Million Nigerians’ (Vanguard, 12 April 2024) https://www.vanguardngr.com/2024/04/nigerias-creative-industry-employs-4-2-million-nigerians/; Leadership, ‘Nigeria’s Creative Sector to Grow to $13.6bn by 2028 – Report’ (Leadership, 20 February 2024) https://leadership.ng/nigerias-creative-sector-to-grow-to-13-6bn-by-2028-report/ all accessed 5 December 2025.

12. National Intellectual Property Policy and Strategy, ch. 4, 40.

13. Ibid, 42.

14. Ibid, 45.

15. National Intellectual Property Policy and Strategy, ch. 5.