Media Rights Agenda (MRA) has called for a comprehensive reform of Nigeria's intellectual property (IP) frameworks to make them more modern and rights-respecting, in commemoration of this year's World Intellectual Property Day. The group described the current laws as fragmented, limiting creativity and restricting freedom of expression.
MRA Advocates for Modern IP System
In a statement by its Programme Officer, Ms Ayomide Eweje, MRA said Nigeria needs an IP protection system that is modern, efficient, rights-respecting, and development-oriented. However, the current frameworks discourage creativity and investment, and restrict access, innovation, and freedom of expression.
Noting that the global event is observed every April 26 under the auspices of the World Intellectual Property Organisation, Eweje insisted that this year's commemoration provides an important opportunity for Nigerian stakeholders to reflect on the role of IP in fostering creativity and innovation while ensuring that such protections do not undermine the public's right to access knowledge and information.
According to her, given the fragmented and uneven nature of the current frameworks, they must be modernised and consolidated. “Specifically, clear provisions should be introduced on issues such as digital assets and online use, AI-generated works and ownership, and emerging technologies, as outdated laws create uncertainty for innovators, investors, and content creators,” she said.
Balancing Protection and Access
Eweje argued that although it is important to protect intellectual property, such protection should not override access to knowledge. Public interest safeguards should be provided by expanding and clarifying exceptions for education and research, libraries and archives, journalism and public interest reporting. Without such robust exceptions, she said, IP protections can become a barrier to education, investigative journalism, and civic engagement.
The programme officer insisted that it is also important to clarify the relationship between IP frameworks and the Freedom of Information (FOI) Act, 2011, and ensure that claims of IP are not misused to block disclosure of public-interest information. Public institutions sometimes invoke copyright or confidentiality to deny legitimate information requests.
She explained that since online content regulation is still evolving, it is important to define the responsibilities of platforms regarding copyrighted content and establish balanced notice-and-takedown systems while offering protections against arbitrary or abusive content removal. “In the absence of such clarity, poorly designed systems can lead to censorship or unchecked infringement,” she added.
NCC Emphasises Economic Benefits of IP Protection
Relatedly, the Nigerian Copyright Commission (NCC) has stressed that effective protection of IP rights can boost the national economy. Its Director-General, Dr John Asein, stated in his message on the 2026 World Intellectual Property Day celebration that the protection and proper management of IP rights are essential to ensuring that investors and other stakeholders derive fair value from their contributions.
Reviewing the theme, “IP and Sports: Ready. Set. Innovate,” Asein said this year's commemoration is particularly significant for Nigeria, as it is the first since the approval of the country's inaugural National Intellectual Property Policy and Strategy by the Federal Executive Council (FEC). According to him, “this milestone affirms the central role of intellectual property as a strategic driver of innovation, youth empowerment and sustainable wealth creation.”
He said the theme for this year is both timely and compelling as it reflects the growing importance of sports as an economic sector and underscores the role of IP in transforming talent into tangible value. The NCC boss said contemporary sports have evolved beyond physical performance into a sophisticated, IP-driven ecosystem. “Broadcasting rights, trademarks, merchandising, digital content and technological innovations now constitute the backbone of the sports economy,” he noted.
Beyond the inherent opportunities, Asein said the ecosystem faces significant challenges, including piracy, counterfeiting and other forms of IP infringement, particularly the unauthorised streaming of live sports content.
