Nigeria lags African peers in monetising creativity as intellectual property gaps persist – Report

…says threatening competitiveness in creative economy

Nigeria is falling behind several African peers in converting creative and innovative output into protected and monetised intellectual property (IP), according to a new report.

The report, titled ‘Stakeholder Perception of Intellectual Property in Nigeria: Mapping Awareness, Attitudes, and Policy Implications’, highlighted structural gaps in the country’s IP ecosystem at a time when the creative economy is expanding rapidly.

While Nigeria was described as one of Africa’s most culturally rich and creatively productive economies, the study finds it trails countries such as South Africa, Kenya and Egypt in converting creative output into protected and monetised IP assets.

The study was produced jointly by the Ngozi Eunice Egbuna, International Centre for Regional Integration and Trade Research (ICRITR) at Nnamdi Azikiwe University and Africa International Trade and Commerce Research (AITCR). It was formally reviewed at a high-level workshop in Abuja on Monday, with participation from policymakers, regulators, private sector representatives, academics, and development experts.

According to the study, while 86 percent of stakeholders are aware of intellectual property, only 36 percent possess high or very high functional knowledge of IP processes. This gap between awareness and effective use limits the ability of Nigeria’s creative sectors—including music, film, fashion, digital content, and technology start-ups—to protect and monetise their work.

The report found that 92 percent of respondents agree that intellectual property is crucial for business growth, but confidence in enforcement institutions and transparency remains moderate.

Bureaucratic registration processes, long timelines, high costs, and weak coordination among agencies were cited as major obstacles preventing creators and small businesses from fully leveraging IP.

The study arrived at what researchers describe as a critical inflection point for Nigeria’s creative economy, as sectors such as music, film, fashion, digital content, software and other knowledge-based activities expand alongside the country’s digital transformation and implementation of the African Continental Free Trade Area. Intellectual property, the report argued, has become the invisible infrastructure underpinning competitiveness, value creation and cross-border trade in these sectors.

The report highlighted that the challenge is not a lack of talent, but weaknesses in institutional capacity, behaviour, and public trust.

Speaking at the workshop, Egbuna said the study was designed to move the intellectual property debate beyond abstract legal frameworks. “It centres on people, institutions and behaviour. Validation by stakeholders ensures the recommendations are not only academically sound, but practically implementable,” she said.

Read also: FG targets $15b investments, with new intellectual property policy

The report outlined a series of reforms it says are necessary if Nigeria is to unlock greater value from its creative economy. These include nationwide intellectual property education and awareness campaigns to close the gap between basic awareness and functional knowledge; full digitalisation of IP registration and tracking systems to reduce delays and costs; stronger enforcement mechanisms and specialised IP adjudication structures; and closer alignment of Nigeria’s IP laws with AfCFTA, WIPO and WTO frameworks.

It also called for deeper public-private collaboration to support creators, start-ups and SMEs, arguing that a more inclusive and trusted IP system is essential if small enterprises are not to be excluded from the benefits of protection and commercialisation.

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