The World Intellectual Property Organisation (WIPO) Nigeria Office, with support from the Japan Patent Office, has launched IP Labs 2.0 and IP for Green Innovation Projects. It was launched at an event that brought together government officials from the National Office for Technology Acquisition and Promotion (NOTAP), the Nigerian Copyright Commission, and the Bank of Industry.
At the event, Oluwatobiloba Moody, director of the WIPO Nigeria Office, and Kunihiko Fushimi, director of the International Classifications and Standards Division and FIT/JP Global Manager, highlighted WIPO’s longstanding commitment to supporting innovation and creativity through IP in Nigeria.
Olaronke Famuyiwa, program officer at the WIPO Nigeria Office; Bankole Oloruntoba, Team Lead at the Nigeria Climate Innovation Centre; and Ololade Otayemi, Founder of Orbra Company, gave an overview of the projects and their implementation plans.
They stated that the IP for Green Innovation project aims to build the capacity of 100 green hardware innovators with the knowledge, strategies, and IP support required for successful business development and financing. The IP Labs 2. 0 program will empower 300 innovators, entrepreneurs, and startups to harness the power of intellectual property as a business development and financing strategy.
During the keynote address, Nasir Yammama, senior special assistant to the President on Innovation, highlighted the need for IP frameworks to address climate change and other pressing global challenges.
He stressed that IP for green innovation is essential for creating sustainable solutions. “The future belongs to creators,” Yammama said, emphasising the importance of building a robust IP environment that protects and empowers Nigerian entrepreneurs to innovate and grow.
He called for IP education at all levels, noting that early awareness can lay a foundation for knowledge-based economic development.