The Federal Government of Nigeria will officially launch its long-awaited National Intellectual Property Policy and Strategy in July 2025, a decisive move to protect the country’s growing pool of innovators, creatives, and entrepreneurs while positioning Nigeria as a key player in the global digital content economy.
This announcement was made by the Minister of Industry, Trade, and Investment, Dr. Jumoke Oduwole, at the Afreximbank’s Intra-African Trade Fair (IATF) 2025 business roadshow in Lagos on Monday.
“We are working to launch Nigeria’s National Intellectual Property Policy and Strategy in July, which will be a game changer for creators and innovators,” Oduwole said.
“IP is a strategic enabler for trade, and as we mobilise our IP ecosystem, we are strengthening the backbone of licensing, royalties, franchising, and digital content export.”
The policy aims to tackle rampant piracy and intellectual property theft, which have long plagued Nigeria’s creative, tech, and innovation ecosystems. By offering legal protection for original works and inventions, the strategy seeks to encourage innovation, mitigate financial risks, and unlock new revenue streams for Nigerian creators.
The initiative is a joint effort by the Federal Ministries of Industry, Trade and Investment; Culture and Creative Economy; Justice; and Health and Social Welfare, signifying a whole-of-government approach to safeguarding intellectual capital.
The government had reaffirmed its commitment to the project last October by revalidating the National Intellectual Property Policy and Strategy Paper—an essential framework for protecting ownership rights across sectors.
Dr. Oduwole also highlighted Nigeria’s increasing participation in intra-African trade, supported by the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) and new trade corridors.
“Intra-African trade export grew by over 13% last year, supported by new trade corridors and the initial success of the AfCFTA trade initiative,” she noted.
She added that Nigerian companies are already exporting ceramics, pharmaceuticals, and agricultural products across the continent, noting that the country’s creative industries—from fashion and film to publishing and food—are also thriving, exporting their stories and aesthetics to new African markets.
“From fashion to film, to music, to publishing, to food, Nigerian creatives are already exporting stories and styles across the continent,” she said.
In 2024, intra-African trade between ECOWAS and other African nations surged to $18 billion, up from $8.1 billion in 2023, a 122% year-on-year increase, with Nigeria emerging as the primary driver.
Also speaking at the event, Ms. Kanayo Awani, Executive Vice President of Intra-African Trade and Export Development at Afreximbank, revealed that the bank has committed $40 billion to intra-African trade financing.
“We have to break the barriers of import dependency. With AfCFTA as a framework and IATF as a marketplace, we must turn our borders into bridges, and fragmentation into prosperity,” Awani said.
She noted that Nigerian enterprises generated over $11 billion in signed deals at IATF 2023 alone—the highest for any country.
To further drive trade, Afreximbank partnered with the Nigerian Export-Import Bank to launch the Nigeria-Africa Trade and Investment Promotion Programme, which has already secured $1 billion in initial capital.
To further drive trade, Afreximbank partnered with the Nigerian Export-Import Bank to launch the Nigeria-Africa Trade and Investment Promotion Programme, which has already secured $1 billion in initial capital.
“We stand ready to increase it whenever it runs out. That’s a promise to the Nigerian people,” Awani assured.