From December 1-3, 2025, winners and finalists of the 2025 WIPO National Intellectual Property (IP) Essay Competition visited Abuja for a sponsored IP Learning Workshop.
The event, which forms a part of the prize package for the winners and finalists, was designed as a capacity-building, training and networking opportunity for the students to deepen their understanding of the IP ecosystem while exposing them to practical insights on policy, administration and innovation management.
As part of their experiential learning tour, the students participated in introductory IP course lectures led by the WIPO Nigeria Office. They were also hosted to interactive learning sessions by the Director-General and management of the Nigerian Copyright Commission (NCC), the Registrars and management of the Trademark Registry and the Patents and Designs Registry, as well as the Director-General and management of the National Office for Technology Acquisition and Promotion (NOTAP).
One of the highlights of the event was a mentoring session with key players in Nigeria’s music industry including Cobhams Asuquo, award-winning music producer and artiste; Oyinkansola ‘Foza’ Fawehinmi, Lead Legal Consultant at Zaeda Oracle; Godwin Tom, Managing Director at Sony Music Publishing Nigeria and Cofounder at Creative Business for Africa; and Amanda Uzoagba, Head of Licensing, West Africa at Mdundo.com. This was followed by a public fireside chat with the speakers, attended by artistes, IP professionals and other stakeholders in Nigeria’s music and IP ecosystem.
The WIPO National IP Essay Competition, now in its fifth edition, was launched on April 30, 2025, again as part of the World IP Day celebrations for this year. The competition invited students of tertiary institutions across Nigeria to critically reflect on how the creativity of artists, producers, and other stakeholders in Nigeria’s music industry, supported by strong IP frameworks, can contribute significantly to the nation’s economy. Three winners and 17 finalists emerged following a review process by an independent panel of 20 judges. These were announced via a virtual event on October 27, 2025. The winners and finalists will also enjoy other capacity-building prizes facilitated by the WIPO Nigeria Office.
The initiative forms part of efforts to support student engagement and research in the field of intellectual property (IP) in Nigeria.
