U.S. Mission Promotes Nigeria Intellectual Property Rights
The U.S. Mission in Nigeria has organised a two-day symposium to promote public awareness on the importance of protecting and enforcing intellectual property rights (IPR) as a strategic resource for bolstering economic growth in Nigeria.
U.S. Mission in collaboration with the American Business Council, hosted the second edition of its Intellectual Property (IP) Symposium on “Intellectual Property and Youth: Innovating for a Better Future,” the theme for World IP Day 2022.
The first intellectual property symposium held in 2019 on “Counterfeit Pharmaceuticals and Piracy.”
The two-day symposium, led by the United States Department of Justice’s INL-funded Office of Overseas Prosecutorial Development, Assistance and Training (OPDAT)’s International Computer Hacking and Intellectual Property Attorney-Adviser (ICHIP).
This brought together key stakeholders in Nigeria’s IPR protection framework, including leading entertainment and creative industry leaders.
U.S. Ambassador Mary Beth Leonard, in her remarks noted that the protection of intellectual property rights is critical for any economy that wants to foster a culture of innovation and entrepreneurship.
Leonard explained that strong intellectual property rights protection is essential to creating jobs and opening new markets for goods and services.
She further encouraged stakeholders in the intellectual property space to shore up Nigeria’s IPR legal framework and lay a solid foundation for youth to drive innovation and engender a more prosperous Nigeria.
She says “Nigerian youth are an incredible source of ingenuity and creativity. A strong system of intellectual property rights assures inventors, industrial designers, musicians, and artists alike that their creative content will be protected and valued.”
The symposium featured a plenary session, thematic panel discussions and exhibitions with a particular focus on Nigeria’s burgeoning entertainment and creative industries. Participants discussed how intellectual property rights can support their goals, help transform ideas into reality, generate income, create jobs, and make a positive impact.
Source: NAN
