Nigeria’s innovation landscape is often recognized for its dynamism and entrepreneurial energy. At the same time equally important work is taking place in laboratories and research institutions, where ideas are being developed, tested and transformed into solutions with real pathways to application and scale. These spin-offs and deep-tech ventures are the intersection where IP commercialization can bring most value.
From 24 to 26 March 2026, WIPO’s Scale Up Your IP Program in Abuja, Nigeria created a space for reflection, learning and strategic engagement around one of the central challenges in innovation: translating promising research-based ideas into real-world impact. Within this context, the program provided a structured lens through which participants could approach commercialization more strategically.
A New Model for Sustainable Impact
Organized by WIPO IP Commercialization Section in partnership with WIPO Nigeria Office, with support from the Funds-In-Trust Japan Industrial Property Global, this event marked a significant milestone as the first implementation of the train-the-trainer version of the Scale Up Your IP Program. Under this new delivery model, WIPO aims to select a number of partner institutions to work with on a long-term basis to ensure sustainability and local ownership of the Program.
Strengthening a Rich Multidisciplinary Ecosystem
Beyond the content of the training, what stood out most was the composition of the room. The event convened 39 ventures and university representatives, with expertise spanning healthcare, biotechnology, agritech, energy, financial services, digital platforms, entertainment and data-driven social innovation.
Participants were drawn from institutions from different regions of Nigeria, including Obafemi Awolowo University, University of Ibadan, University of Port Harcourt, University of Lagos, Federal University of Technology Minna, Ahmadu Bello University, Nigerian Institute of Medical Research, Babcock University, Usmanu Danfodiyo University Sokoto and Oyo State College of Agriculture and Technology. This diversity offered a compelling snapshot of an ecosystem where innovation is advancing across sectors, regions and stages of maturity. Together, they reflected a broad cross-section of Nigeria’s research and enterprise landscape. What became evident was not only the diversity of ideas, but their practical orientation: many of these solutions are directly responding to challenges in public health, agriculture, energy access, education, compliance and service delivery.
Building Go-To-Market Strategies with IP
The first two days were dedicated to the Scale Up Your IP program itself, equipping participants with practical tools to navigate the journey from research to commercialization.
The sessions emphasized the role of intellectual property as a strategic asset and introduced key elements of building scalable, competitive ventures, including:
- Validating value propositions and identifying market opportunities
- Developing strong branding and positioning strategies
- Understanding IP protection pathways and filing considerations
- Exploring licensing models and partnership structures
- Building data rooms and preparing for investor engagement
- Designing tailored IP commercialization action plans Through a combination of presentations, case-based discussions and interactive exercises, participants were encouraged to apply these concepts directly to their own innovations.
National Workshop Commercialization of Innovation and Research
On the third day of the Program, WIPO hosted the National Workshop Commercialization of Innovation and Research, to focus on national best practices and how to move ideas from the lab to the market.
The National Workshop, organized in collaboration with NOTAP, featured high-level participants from Nigeria including Honourable Minister of Innovation, Science and Technology, Dr. Kingsley Tochukwu Udeh, who in his keynote address emphasized that research achieves its highest value when translated into tangible economic and societal impact. He announced the forthcoming National Policy on the Commercialisation of Research and Development and the Energise Commercialisation Now (ECoN) flagship programme, designed to create a structured pipeline for turning innovations into bankable assets and globally competitive enterprises.
From Lab Potential to Commercial Strategy
For an ecosystem such as Nigeria’s, this kind of support addresses a familiar challenge, not the absence of ideas, but the complexity of translating them into ventures ready for growth, collaboration and market entry. By shifting the focus from invention to readiness, including protection, partnership and scale, the program helps strengthen this transition.
Professor Toochukwu Ekwutosi Ogbulie - Federal University of Technology Owerri, Nigeria/ AquaRes: “This training was truly impactful. Now I can easily identify what makes my venture special to gain competitive advantages and lot more."
Universities remain central to early-stage invention and technical expertise. The inclusion of a dedicated training on the commercialization of research results underscores the evolving role of universities, not only as producers of knowledge, but as active contributors to enterprise creation and innovation-driven growth.
Building Sustainable Growth
The continued support of partners such as the Funds-In-Trust Japan Industrial Property Global remains instrumental in contributing to the sustained development of innovation ecosystems and the strengthening of intellectual property capabilities across regions.
Ultimately, the event showcased building on the momentum of the Scale Up Your IP Program, as expressed by Dr. Moody in his opening remarks: “Marking the beginning of a movement that empowers Nigerian researchers to move from publication to product and from lab to market.”
The event offered an opportunity for the ventures to gain visibility and access to the innovation ecosystem, exchange best practices and lessons learned from their commercialization journeys.