WIPO Director-General Visits Nigeria, Reinforces Support for Innovation, Creativity and Economic Growth

The Director-General of the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO), Daren Tang, visited Nigeria from May 31 to June 2, 2026, marking his first official visit to the country and to the WIPO Nigeria Office.

The visit highlighted WIPO's commitment to supporting innovation, creativity, and entrepreneurship in Nigeria and across Africa.

A key moment of the visit was a symbolic ribbon-cutting ceremony at the WIPO Nigeria Office in Abuja. While the office has been operational for six years, the ceremony provided an opportunity to celebrate its achievements and growing impact. The WIPO Nigeria Office is WIPO's first external office in sub-Saharan Africa.

During the visit, Mr. Tang met with Nigeria’s Vice President, Kashim Shettima, to discuss the implementation of the National Intellectual Property Policy and Strategy (NIPPS), a framework for integrating intellectual property into national development planning and strengthening innovation-led growth.

Mr. Tang also had bilateral engagements with government officials, including minister of finance and coordinating minister of the economy, minister of industry, trade, and investment, minister of innovation, science and technology, minister of communications, innovation and digital economy, minister of arts, culture, tourism and the creative economy, and minister of youth development, alongside heads of Intellectual Property offices, innovators, creators, development partners, and members of the diplomatic community.

Discussions focused on how intellectual property (IP) can support economic growth, create jobs, attract investment, and help Nigerian innovators and creators compete in global markets.

Part of the visit was the unveiling of the Intellectual Property Benchbook for the Nigerian Judiciary at the National Judicial Institute (NJI), a practical resource for judges handling intellectual property matters, supporting consistency, efficiency, and informed decision-making in IP-related cases developed jointly by WIPO and the NJI.

The Director-General participated in a Fireside Chat on Accelerating Nigeria's Innovation Ecosystem alongside the Honorable Minister of Industry, Trade and Investment, Dr. Jumoke Oduwole. He also joined a creative sector dialogue on Making IP Work for Creators in Africa, how creators can use IP to protect their work and generate greater economic value.

Over the past six years, the WIPO Nigeria Office has supported several important initiatives. These include the development of Nigeria's National Intellectual Property Policy and Strategy (NIPPS), as well as the implementation of several targeted capacity building projects such as IP for Green, IP Salaye, National IP Essay Competition, IP Labs, Scale UP Your IP, Branding Project for SMEs, among others, which have supported the IP training and mentoring of innovators and creators across the country. 

The visit underscored the importance of collaboration between government, the private sector, academia, and development partners in building a stronger innovation ecosystem. It also reaffirmed WIPO's commitment to helping Nigeria unlock the full potential of its creators, entrepreneurs, researchers, and innovators.

As Nigeria continues its journey towards a knowledge-based economy, WIPO remains a key partner in ensuring that innovation and creativity contribute to sustainable development and shared prosperity.