‘Create intellectual property investment funds to assist innovators’

Intellectual property experts have called on the government to establish intellectual property investment funds in order to assist innovations and creativities.

The call was made in Kaduna, following the successful inauguration of the Nigerian Bar Association Section On Business Law (NBA-SBL) club at the Ahmadu Bello University (ABU), Zaria last week to mark this year’s World Intellectual Property Day.

The event hosted by the NBA-SBL Intellectual Property Committee, saw the gathering of eminent and celebrated IP minds, which had two sessions with themes – ‘Securing Nigeria’s Future Through Innovation and Creativity’, and ‘Powering Change: Women in Innovation and Creativity’.

Speaking at the event, the Chairman of the IP Committee, Mr. Afam Nwokedi called on stakeholders to join in the very useful and imperative discussions needed to draw a road map for actualizing the formulation of an IP policy in Nigeria.

He noted that as IP was an essential ingredient in any form of development that Nigeria would seek, it was necessary to get it right from the beginning.

Nwokedi advocated Foreign Direct Investments (FDIs) in the intellectual space to encourage diversity of thoughts and cross-pollination of ideas.

He said: “the expectations on Nigeria to meet up with what is considered as international best practices in the field of IP must not overshadow our national interest and quest to join the comity of developed nations.”

In her remarks, the first lady of Kaduna State Mrs. Hadiza Isma called for sustainable sensitization of the general public on the challenges, expectations and benefits of a proactive IP regime and the revamping and remodeling of our educational curriculum.