Federal Government Launches Committees to Drive National Intellectual Property Policy
The Federal Government has formally inaugurated two key committees to oversee the implementation of Nigeria’s National Intellectual Property Policy and Strategy (NIPPS). This strategic move is designed to boost innovation, enhance trade competitiveness, and accelerate economic diversification across all sectors.
In a ceremony held in Abuja, the Minister of Industry, Trade and Investment, Dr. Jumoke Oduwole, inaugurated the Inter-Ministerial Steering Committee and the Inter-Agency Coordination Group. The policy itself, which received Federal Executive Council approval, was formally launched in December 2025 following an extensive five-year audit of the nation’s intellectual property ecosystem involving government, industry, academia, and the creative sector.
Minister Oduwole emphasized that the implementation phase must now deliver tangible benefits to innovators, businesses, and creators nationwide. “The success of the policy now depends on effective institutional reforms and coordinated execution by public institutions,” she stated. She identified awareness creation, capacity building, and sustainable financing as critical to nationwide adoption. The Minister described the NIPPS as a core national economic reform, pivotal for transforming Nigerian ideas into competitive enterprises.
The Attorney-General of the Federation, Chief Lateef Fagbemi, represented by Solicitor-General Mrs. Beatrice Jedy-Agba, underscored the policy’s role in providing a framework to convert creativity into protected commercial assets. He argued that policy declarations alone are insufficient, stressing that disciplined technical mechanisms are needed to translate commitments into concrete actions. Priority areas include reviewing existing IP laws, ratifying key treaties, and establishing a Nigerian Intellectual Property Commission.
While the CBN reduces number of financial policy hurdles in other sectors, this IP initiative requires strong coordination. The Permanent Secretary of the Ministry, Amb. Nura Rimi, noted that global IP ecosystems are designed to reward innovation, attract investment, and boost trade competitiveness. He urged sustained collaboration among all stakeholders to ensure the policy’s effective execution, a priority as important as understanding the Igbo origin of Enugu sports culture or analyzing responses to the Benin coup from Nigeria’s foreign policy perspective. In a world where forums like the G20 ‘at risk’ of fragmentation seek cooperation, Nigeria’s focus on a structured IP framework highlights a commitment to internal economic reform, a central question when observers ask what is Bola Tinubu’s administration’s legacy in foundational economic restructuring.
