Open Minds: Lessons on Intellectual Property, Innovation and Development from Nigeria

M. Smith and K. Reilly, eds, Open Development: Networked Innovations in International Development, (Cambridge, MA: MIT Press, 2013), p. 249-72.

24 Pages Posted: 28 Sep 2015 Last revised: 7 Oct 2015

See all articles by Jeremy de Beer

Jeremy de Beer

University of Ottawa - Common Law Section

Chidi Oguamanam

University of Ottawa - Common Law Section

Date Written: 2013

Abstract

A more robust and nuanced understanding of the role IP really plays in society is, in turn, a prerequisite to creating IP systems that drive innovation, economic growth, and human freedom. A holistic appreciation of not just laws and policies, but also practices related to IP and innovation will help developing countries design appropriate, context-specific systems of knowledge governance.

To this end, this chapter offers an analysis of WIPO’s key role in IP training and education in developing countries, a country-specific case study of the Nigerian experience, and some strategic recommendations for creating a more open-minded IP education system. It argues that, despite some criticism, IP training and education programs offered by WIPO and partners such as the Nigerian Copyright Commission (NCC) are extremely effective in achieving their objectives. If these objectives can be aligned with the principles underpinning WIPO’s recently adopted Development Agenda, developing countries could benefit from a richer understanding of the nuanced ways in which IP systems can be creatively designed and exploited to facilitate human development.

Keywords: Innovation Studies, African Studies, Sustainable Development, Intellectual Property

JEL Classification: K11, O34, O38

Suggested Citation

de Beer, Jeremy and Oguamanam, Chidi, Open Minds: Lessons on Intellectual Property, Innovation and Development from Nigeria (2013). M. Smith and K. Reilly, eds, Open Development: Networked Innovations in International Development, (Cambridge, MA: MIT Press, 2013), p. 249-72., Available at SSRN: https://ssrn.com/abstract=2659936

Jeremy De Beer (Contact Author)

University of Ottawa - Common Law Section ( email )

57 Louis Pasteur Street
Ottawa, K1N 6N5
Canada

Chidi Oguamanam

University of Ottawa - Common Law Section ( email )

57 Louis Pasteur Street
Ottawa, K1N 6N5
Canada

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