Region: Nigeria

Growth in IP awareness in Nigeria: comedian takes on Friesland Foods and UACN Foods

Recent cases involving Nigerian comedian Chukwuemeka Ejekwu, popularly known as Oga Sabinus, highlight the growing awareness of the importance of IP rights protection in the country.

22 July 2022

Popular expressions: brand owners beware

A Nigerian comedian and content creator, who is credited as having popularised the phrase ‘something hooge’, recently threatened legal action against the owners of a milk brand over the use of the expression in an Instagram post.

13 June 2022

Federal High Court considers registrability of similar trademarks under Section 5 of the Trademarks Act

The decision did not leave any room for doubt as to the rights vested by the law on the proprietor of a registered trademark in Nigeria.

06 May 2022

Government MDAs ordered to migrate to Nigeria’s second-level domain

Under a recently approved policy, federal government ministries, departments and agencies must migrate their websites and official email addresses from generic extensions to Nigeria’s second-level domain.

03 March 2022

Urgent action needed as filing and processing of applications on new online platform come to a standstill

The fanfare that accompanied the introduction of the new online filing platform has now been replaced by outcry, as some of the new features have brought applications to a halt.

25 January 2022

Trademark franchising in Nigeria: the impact of the NOTAP Act and what brands need to know

In an exclusive guest post, experts from Jackson, Etti & Edu reveal what foreign brands should know when entering Africa’s most populous jurisdiction.

24 January 2022

National interest: a basis for the registration of identical or confusingly similar trademarks?

This decision of the Federal High Court in a case involving the ‘eNaira’ - the Central Bank of Nigeria’s new digital currency - broadens the scope of Section 13(2) of the Trademarks Act.

03 December 2021

Introduction of utility model patents - advantages and concerns

Recently, the Nigerian Patent Registry unexpectedly directed applicants whose patent applications failed short of the relevant requirements to file the applications as utility models patents. The move has caused concern as it is not backed by any legal provisions or framework.

18 October 2021

Nigeria’s counterfeiting epidemic: expert outlines what brands can do to fight back

The co-author of a new study into Nigerian counterfeits reveals what international brand owners and IP associations can do to improve the situation.

07 October 2021

MTN Nigeria named WTR’s Europe, Middle East and Africa Team of the Year

Today we are pleased to announce that the Nigerian subsidiary of telecommunications giant MTN Group is the winner of WTR’s 2021 Europe, Middle East and Africa Team of the Year Award.

24 August 2021