Introduction
The Federal Government of Nigeria has taken another step in its ongoing effort to transform creativity and innovation into revenue. At the 68th Assemblies of the Member States of the World Intellectual Property Organisation (WIPO) held in Geneva, Switzerland in July 2026, the Honourable Minister of Industry, Trade and Investment, Dr. Jumoke Oduwole, announced a new partnership between the Federal Ministry of Industry, Trade and Investment, through the Small and Medium Enterprises Development Agency of Nigeria (SMEDAN), and WIPO.
The partnership was formalised through the execution of a strategic Memorandum of Understanding (MoU), aimed at expanding access to intellectual property (IP) services for micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs) across Nigeria.
For the millions of Nigerian entrepreneurs developing brands across the fashion, food, technology, and creative sectors, this development extends beyond diplomatic engagement. It represents a deliberate policy direction towards strengthening the administration and enforcement of intellectual property rights by making trademark, patent, and copyright protection more accessible and commercially relevant.
The objective is to ensure that the acquisition, registration, and enforcement of intellectual property rights become an integral component of business strategy, not merely for large corporations, but equally for businesses and startups operating within Nigeria's innovation ecosystem.
The Core Objectives of the Partnership
Dr. Oduwole stated that the partnership is intended to strengthen Nigeria's intellectual property ecosystem by promoting IP awareness and capacity building, facilitating access to finance for IP-driven enterprises, and enhancing the commercialisation of intellectual property assets.
The centrepiece of the partnership is the establishment of an Intellectual Property (IP) Business Centre, to be jointly operated by SMEDAN and WIPO. WIPO Director General, Daren Tang, stated that the Centre will expand support for entrepreneurs and strengthen the competitiveness of Nigerian businesses.
The initiative mirrors a model WIPO has implemented in other jurisdictions. For example, WIPO recently signed a MoU with Cambodia's Ministry of Commerce to establish an IP Business Centre that provides businesses with guidance on protecting and commercialising their intellectual assets, including patents, trademarks, industrial designs, geographical indications, and copyright. Consequently, Nigeria's proposed Centre is expected to adopt a similar model by providing entrepreneurs and SMEs with a centralised platform for IP guidance, registration support, and commercialisation services.
The bigger policy backdrop
This SMEDAN partnership doesn't stand alone, it sits inside a much larger IP reform push. Dr. Oduwole told the WIPO Assemblies that the Federal Government is repositioning Nigeria's intellectual property ecosystem so that innovators, creators and businesses derive greater economic value from their work, describing IP as "a living instrument of inclusion." She pointed out that despite Nigeria's global reputation in Afrobeats, Nollywood, fashion, literature, technology, sports and science, the country has not yet maximised the economic returns from its creative and innovation sectors, declaring "this is about to change."
The reform agenda is anchored on Nigeria's National Intellectual Property Policy and Strategy (NIPPS), launched in 2025, with implementation beginning in January 2026. The Minister said the policy involves collaboration among roughly ten ministries, departments and agencies, coordinated by an implementation committee that includes representatives from the creative, technology and agricultural sectors.
Dr. Oduwole said implementation is being coordinated by an Inter-Ministerial Steering Committee, which she co-chairs with the Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Lateef Fagbemi, SAN. The Committee is coordinated by an Inter-Agency Technical Working Group tasked with driving implementation. Key priorities include the modernisation of Nigeria's intellectual property registries, enhanced protection for traditional medicine and indigenous knowledge, and the advancement of legislative reforms to strengthen the country's intellectual property framework.
According to the Minister, the collaboration between Nigeria and WIPO has over the years extended beyond IP registration to include policy development, institutional strengthening, capacity building, innovation support, judicial training, enforcement initiatives and digital transformation.
The Office has also played an active role in supporting MSMEs. Daren Tang disclosed that WIPO provided tailored IP advisory and business development support to more than 600 Nigerian MSMEs in 2025, building on earlier initiatives such as branding support for SMEs in the cosmetics, ICT, food and beverage sectors, as well as IP mentoring programmes for artisans in the leather, Adire/Batik and raffia industries.
Why this matters for small businesses
Historically, intellectual property (IP) protection has not been a priority for many Nigerian MSMEs, not because it lacks value, but because it is often perceived as a complex, costly, and time-consuming process reserved for large corporations. Research published by WIPO has identified the cost of legal and professional assistance as one of the principal barriers preventing small businesses from seeking trademark, patent, and other forms of IP protection.
If implemented as envisaged, the SMEDAN–WIPO partnership is intended to address these challenges by combining SMEDAN's extensive grassroots presence through its state offices, business development centres, and MSME support programmes with WIPO's technical expertise and global intellectual property network.
There's also a financing angle worth noting. Under Nigeria's Secured Transactions in Movable Assets Act, 2017, intellectual property can, in principle, be pledged as collateral for a loan — an option most Nigerian SME owners don't know exists or don't have the paperwork (i.e., registered IP) to use. If the new partnership's "access to finance" component gets built out properly, it could open a genuinely new source of working capital for businesses whose main asset is a brand, a recipe, a design, or a piece of software rather than land or machinery.
Implementation Considerations
While the MoU sets out a clear framework for collaboration, its success will ultimately depend on effective implementation. As the partnership develops, a number of issues merit close attention:
- Funding and operational capacity: The success of the proposed IP Business Centre will depend on adequate funding, qualified personnel, and its ability to extend services beyond Abuja to MSMEs across the country.
- Modernisation of the IP registration system: Improved advisory services should be accompanied by continued reforms to enhance the efficiency of Nigeria's trademark, patent, and other IP registration processes.
- Access to finance: The success of the partnership's access-to-finance initiatives will depend on how they are implemented and whether financial institutions recognise intellectual property as a viable form of collateral for lending purposes.
- Inter-agency coordination: Given the number of ministries, departments, and agencies involved in implementing the National Intellectual Property Policy and Strategy (NIPPS), effective coordination will be essential to ensure that the partnership delivers practical and accessible benefits to Nigerian MSMEs.
Conclusion
The SMEDAN–WIPO partnership represents an important milestone in Nigeria's ongoing efforts to strengthen its intellectual property ecosystem and embed IP protection within the country's broader economic development strategy. While the success of the initiative will ultimately depend on effective implementation, it signals a clear policy commitment to making intellectual property more accessible, commercially valuable, and relevant to Nigerian MSMEs and innovators.
For businesses, creators, and entrepreneurs, the message is clear: intellectual property should no longer be viewed as a mere legal formality but as a strategic business asset. Those who take proactive steps to identify, protect, and manage their intellectual property will be better positioned to take advantage of the opportunities that this partnership—and Nigeria's wider intellectual property reforms—are expected to create.
