UN ambassador, others urge Nigeria to review IP laws

A United Nations Ambassador, Mr. Osita Anaedu, has called on President Muhammadu Buhari to review Nigeria’s Intellectual Property, IP, laws which are obsolete and are stifling the development of IP culture in Nigeria.

He made the call during a National Stakeholders meeting organized by IP First Group, with the support of the law firm of Banwo and Ighodalo in Lagos, Nigeria.

Ambassador Anaedu observed that Nigerian politicians lacked understanding of what intellectual property was.

He explained that intellectual property involves the intellect, such as technological inventions, designs, artistic works, symbols, names and images used in business.

While speaking, Mr. Femi Agaba the Vice President of IPLAN, noted that Nigeria, in its bid to diversify the economy and focusing on agriculture, must also understand how intellectual property affects the agricultural sector.

“Intellectual property applies to agriculture because even the production of new varieties of seedlings, the branding of rice (trademarks), the creation of new farm implements and the development of new formulas for the blending of fertilisers are all intellectual property, which need to be protected. And a robust intellectual property system is needed to foster an environment in which such innovations and creativity can flourish,” he said.

Agaba further called for the urgent development of an IP Policy for Nigeria, which would “chart a course, towards harnessing and deriving maximum benefit from Intellectual property assets that may be available in and around our country”.

He declared that an IP policy was needed to govern how Nigeria as a country would administer IP.

Agaba also noted that with a robust IP policy in place, all the agencies of government administering the various forms of IP would take direction from that policy, which would make for a robust IP system that is needed for 21st century Nigeria.

He called on President Muhammadu Buhari to set up an intellectual property council or appoint a special assistant on intellectual property such as was done by President Obama of the USA, to anchor the IP policy of Nigeria.

Also speaking at the event, the Registrar of Trademarks Registry of the Ministry of Industry, Trade and Investment, Dr. Shafiu Adamu Yauri noted that “IP First is an organization set up to drive the IP narrative forward” and as one of its pioneering members, he promised to support the efforts of the organization in helping to establish a befitting IP system for Nigeria.