Key Points

• NCC urges universities to adopt intellectual property studies.

• Intellectual property studies aim to strengthen innovation culture.

• The push prepares graduates for digital-economy demands.

Dr. John Asein, the Director-General of the Nigerian Copyright Commission, has once again called for Nigerian universities to include general intellectual property education in their academic programs. He says this is necessary to make the country’s creative and innovative economy stronger.
Asein made the request in Abuja during a meeting with the winners of the 2025 WIPO Nigeria National Essay Competition. The winners came to the commission to give policy recommendations and learn more about how it works.

Raising young Nigerians’ awareness of IP rights

Asein said that the commission’s push for intellectual property education is part of a bigger effort to teach people to respect IP rights from a young age. He said that Nigeria is one of Africa’s most creative places, but that younger Nigerians need to understand how important IP and copyright protections are if the country is going to fully use its creative potential.

Getting universities ready to compete on a global scale

He said that tertiary institutions are still very important to this mission. Universities are places where people do research, learn, and come up with new ideas. They need to give students and teachers basic IP knowledge that is in line with what is happening around the world. He also said that adding IP modules would make Nigerian universities more competitive and help students understand the moral and economic value of their work.

Asein made it clear that universities are not being asked to set up full IP degree programs. Instead, he suggested adding introductory modules to general studies and extra IP parts to classes that involve science, technology, design, creativity, and innovation.

He gave real-world examples from different fields: students in fine arts should know what rights they have over their creative works; business students should know what trademarks and branding are; and science students who want to come up with new ideas should know how patents work so that their inventions aren’t undervalued or used without permission.

Making policy frameworks stronger to help innovation grow

Asein said that the NCC is making IP materials easier to understand for students and teachers to help with these efforts. He went on to say that the commission recently gave the Committee of Vice Chancellors of Nigerian Universities an updated version of the Model IP Policy. This was an update to a framework that was created together in 2021. He said that the goal of the change is to get more colleges and universities to adopt and follow IP policies.

He stressed that Nigeria can’t fully increase its ability to innovate until it teaches the people who come up with the ideas and works that drive the economy. The NCC is working with the National Universities Commission, vice-chancellors, and individual universities to help people learn more about IP.

Asein also told universities to make the free WIPO Distance Learning 101 course a part of their general studies programs.
He praised the winners of the essay contest and said they would be young ambassadors in the fight against copyright theft.