This is the kind of government news that most Nigerians scroll past but should not. The Federal Government of Nigeria and the World Intellectual Property Organization have agreed to actively deepen collaboration to turn the nation's intellectual property into tangible financial assets. The target is to commercialise research from Nigerian universities and support the creative economy through stronger technical cooperation, deeper institutional support, and expanded capacity building. (Statehouse) Let that sink in. Nigeria's music, films, fashion, tech inventions, academic research and creative content could now have a stronger legal and financial framework behind them. The Nollywood filmmaker who loses money to piracy, the music producer whose beats get stolen, the university researcher whose work never reaches the market, all of these people stand to benefit from what this agreement is trying to build. Nigeria already has one of the most vibrant creative economies in the world. Afrobeats is a global cultural export. Nollywood is the second largest film industry by volume on the continent. Nigerian fashion and food are having a serious moment internationally. But too much of that value escapes the hands of the creators because the intellectual property systems are too weak to protect and monetise their work. This agreement with WIPO signals that the government is beginning to see creativity as real economic infrastructure, not just entertainment. If you are a creator, a developer, an artist or an inventor in Nigeria, pay attention to this space. The rules protecting your work and your earnings are being upgraded. Share this post with every Nigerian creator you know. Then drop a comment telling us what your creative work is and how you would want the government to better protect it.
