By Ekemini Ladejobi
Abuja – Nigeria and Algeria are to host the first ever regional office of the World Intellectual Property Organisation (WIPO), the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports.
WIPO is the United Nations specialised Agency tasked with global intellectual property services, information and cooperation.
Brazil, Japan, Russia and Singapore currently host its offices in the other regions.
A statement by Clement Aduku, Spokesperson of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, issued on Friday in Abuja, said the Nigerian office would serve the sub-Saharan countries.
It added that the proposed office would be domiciled in a wing of the Nigerian Export Promotion Council (NEPC) office complex in Maitama, Abuja.
It said the decision was taken at the just-concluded 56th meeting of WIPO in Geneva, Switzerland, where it was adopted that the first external offices be established in Africa since the inception of the body in 1967.
The statement also said that the decision to establish the office “ will strengthen Nigeria and Africa’s creative and innovative industries by focusing attention on the promotion of innovation, creativity and intellectual property rights’’.
“It will be immensely beneficial to our multi-dimensional and fast growing creative industry, such as Nollywood.
“It will enhance the drive to diversify the economy as well as spur innovation and research in science and technology.
“It will enhance the development of patent rights vis-à-vis activities in agriculture as well as the science and technology sectors.
“It will enhance the level of awareness of Nigerians on the issue of intellectual property and enable people with talent to be justly rewarded for their efforts,’’ the statement said.
It said while African member states were at liberty to contest for the two external offices, at the end of the Intra-African election process, Nigeria with 33 votes and Algeria scoring 29 votes emerged victorious ahead of Kenya (12 votes), Egypt (7 votes), Morocco (7 votes) and Tunisia (92 votes).
NAN gathered that the Ministry through its Permanent Mission in Geneva had successfully deployed its diplomatic machinery, demonstrating commitment and constructively engaging member states to ensure that Nigeria emerged victorious in its quest to host the office.