WIPO Academy’s Project 1% is gaining momentum, bringing accessible, high-quality, and relevant intellectual property (IP) education to more youth and women across Africa.
Registration is now open for the next online edition of the Project 1% course. The deadline for enrolling is October 17, 2025.
What does the course cover?
Participants explore 13 dynamic topics, led by IP experts, business practitioners and professors, covering:
- copyright and related rights in music and content creation
- trademarks, geographical indications, and industrial designs in products and services
- patents in STEM careers
- WIPO administered services for businesses and plant variety protection
- traditional knowledge, cultural expressions, and genetic resources
- IP for development and innovation.
From local success to continental movement of IP knowledge
Project 1% began as a pilot project in Nigeria in 2024. In partnership with the WIPO Nigeria Office, it reached 1,598 participants, building a strong foundation and showing demand for IP knowledge and how it is linked to entrepreneurship and cultural heritage. Among them, 563 top performers received scholarships for the WIPO Academy’s advanced courses.
In 2025, the program doubled its reach, engaging 2,104 participants from 14 African countries. Youth participation reached 25% (age 35 and below), while women represented 61% of participants.
The program collaborated with 39 tertiary institutions, private companies, and government agencies, as well as the WIPO offices in Nigeria and Algeria. The program was delivered in English, French, and Arabic from March to May 2025.
To date, 3,702 learners have participated in Project 1%, gaining knowledge and confidence to use IP for innovation, creativity, and entrepreneurship across the region.
Our goal for 2030
Project 1% aims to provide training and knowledge tools to 1% of Africa’s school-aged population in IP by 2030. Tertiary institutions, private companies, and government agencies have already joined the initiative. The project also welcomes primary and secondary educators and students to enroll. Each edition brings the initiative closer to its goal.
The course goes beyond theory to help learners gain practical insight into how IP drives business, innovation, and community growth.
What are our participants saying?
This course has been transformative for my personal and professional growth. As deputy chairperson of the IP Club at Ahmadu Bello University and an aspiring IP professional, I now better understand how intellectual property drives innovation, economic growth, and cultural development.
Ni'imah Salman-Adeniyi, Nigeria
This course came at the perfect time as Uganda updates its Copyright law to align with WIPO treaties. It gave me a clear understanding of these international frameworks and prepared me to actively contribute to legal reform. Personally, and professionally, I now see IP as a powerful driver of national growth and innovation.
Kimuli Tonny Anthony, Uganda