FG seeks strong IP protection framework for Nigerian creatives

Mrs Hannatu Musawa, Minister of Art, Culture and Creative Economy, says the ministry and other stakeholders are working toward providing a strong Intellectual Property(IP) protection framework for Nigerians.

The minister, who stated this in an interview with our reporter on Wednesday in Abuja, said Nigerians will get rewards of their creativity through the framework.

Musawa said the effort was part of the President Bola Tinubu- led administration’s commitment to provide an enabling environment for the creative sector to contribute 100 billion dollars to the national economy by 2030.

According to her, besides adequate funding and provision of infrastructure, the ministry is working to ensure there is an IP framework that addresses Nigeria’s unique needs and aligns with global best practices.

She said IP rights were needed to effectively drive innovation, and attract investors to ensure that the creative sector created jobs and contributed more to the GDP.

“There has been some growth but we must put the regulatory and legal frameworks in place for IP protection to close all gaps.

“Unless we can put in IP protection and bring policy that protects people’s copyright, our ability to tap the value within the industry will be limited.

“We are working on cultural policy, we are working on economic, creative and incentive policies, and all these will add to this contribution that we are talking about.

“You look at the works of Nigerian creatives and content creators on platforms such as YouTube and TikTok, a lot of money is being missed because you do not have the IP protection.

“So if we have a proper framework that can protect the rights and content of these creators, a lot of the revenue will be back into this country.

“Animation, gaming and games are some of the biggest sources of money within this industry.

“By putting all these together with a proper legal framework and infrastructure, it will give us an enabling environment to be able to reach that 100 billion dollars target,” she said.

The minister said the Federal Government in its commitment to reposition the creative sector, recently inaugurated an inter-ministerial steering committee to review intellectual property policy and strategy draft for Nigeria.

She said herself and the Minister of Industry, Trade and Investment, Doris Uzoka-Anite, are co-chairpersons of the committee, with a mandate to conclude the review in four weeks.

The minister said the committee was working for a virile intellectual property right in Nigeria and empowers innovators, creators, and entrepreneurs to thrive globally.

“Without this policy in place, we cannot do anything and it will also be difficult for investors to come as the IP policy will give legal backing to their investments,” she said.