On Thursday, November 6, 2025, Nigeria’s Federal Executive Council approved the National Intellectual Property Policy and Strategy (NIPPS). Developed with support from the World Intellectual Property Organization, the NIPPS is Nigeria’s first unified framework to protect and commercialize intellectual property rights.
The NIPPS is joint effort by the Ministry of Industry, Trade and Investment, the Ministry of Arts, Culture and the Creative Economy and the Ministry of Justice. The development of the Policy began in 2020 with support from WIPO, and received inputs from over 200 stakeholders from the government, the private sector, academia and the development sector. In September 2022, the draft policy was validated in a National Multi-Stakeholder Workshop organized by the Federal Government of Nigeria and WIPO.
According to a statement by the State House, the NIPPS aims to connect innovators, creators and investors in a unified system, turning IP into tangible financial assets. The broader objective of the policy is to position Nigeria as a regional hub for intellectual property and innovation in West and Central Africa.
The approval of the NIPPS is a significant milestone for IP protection in Nigeria. Some of the strategic objectives under the policy for Nigeria include:
- Strengthening of the legal framework for the protection of intellectual property rights in Nigeria;
- Strengthening the institutional framework for the administration and management of intellectual property rights in Nigeria;
- Enhancing the generation and protection of Intellectual Property rights;
- The promotion and facilitation of commercial exploitation of intellectual property assets and technology transfer;
- Strengthening the legal and institutional framework for enforcement of intellectual property rights in Nigeria;
- Development of the required human resources for the administration, protection, commercialization, and enforcement of intellectual property rights; and
- Promotion of intellectual property training, education and awareness.