ARIPO Launches 49th Administrative Council Session in Accra, Emphasizing IP System Strengthening Across Africa

The 49th session of the African Regional Intellectual Property Organisation (ARIPO) Administrative Council officially opened in Accra, Ghana, marking a pivotal moment to review and advance intellectual property (IP) systems across Africa.

At the session’s opening ceremony, ARIPO Director General Bemanya Twebaze paid tribute to Ghana’s foundational role in shaping African IP frameworks. He noted Ghana’s early ratification of critical regional and international IP agreements, including the WIPO Convention, the Lusaka Agreement, the Harare Protocol, and the recently adopted Arusha Protocol. Twebaze also highlighted the registration of the Kente Geographical Indication as a prime example of leveraging IP rights to preserve cultural heritage and support community livelihoods.

Addressing the evolving IP environment, Twebaze emphasized the transformative impact of technological advancements such as digitalization, artificial intelligence, and green technologies on Africa’s IP landscape. He stressed the imperative for African IP systems to adapt proactively to these global trends to foster innovation and competitiveness.

The Director General reported that ARIPO’s Strategic Plan for 2022–2026 has achieved over 80% implementation. Significant progress has been made in operational modernization, governance enhancement, and transparency improvements. Notably, reforms in application filing and examination processes have shortened processing times, while the deployment of digital platforms now enables real-time tracking of applications and data-driven decision-making.

Twebaze pointed to encouraging trends in patent and trademark filings under the Harare and Banjul Protocols. Additionally, there has been growing adoption of the Kampala Protocol for voluntary copyright registration. Early filings under the Arusha Protocol, which entered into force in 2024, are also on the rise, signaling increased engagement with new IP instruments.

Capacity building remains a central focus for ARIPO, targeting IP professionals and policymakers to strengthen expertise across the continent. The organisation also prioritizes support for Africa’s creative industries, which Twebaze estimated to be worth over $58 billion annually in sub-Saharan Africa.

To accelerate innovation, ARIPO is expanding partnerships with universities and innovation hubs. Initiatives include backing technology transfer offices, patent drafting programs, and projects that bridge research with industry. These efforts aim to fast-track the commercialization of technologies in critical sectors such as agriculture, health, energy, and climate resilience.

Internally, ARIPO continues to enhance governance and risk management frameworks, aligning audit and compliance mechanisms with international best practices. The ongoing digitization of IP records and refinement of the Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) system are expected to further boost operational efficiency.

Twebaze underscored the importance of collaboration with regional and global IP institutions. He cited partnerships with the Organisation Africaine de la Propriété Intellectuelle (OAPI), the European Union Intellectual Property Office, the Canadian Intellectual Property Office, the Japan Patent Office, the China National Intellectual Property Administration, and the European Patent Office as instrumental to ARIPO’s mission.

Looking ahead, ARIPO will celebrate its 50th anniversary in December 2026 in Zambia, the organisation’s founding country. The ARIPO@50 event will reflect on five decades of African IP development and convene policymakers, researchers, inventors, and creative professionals.

Concluding his address, Twebaze called for sustained cooperation among Member States. He emphasized the critical role of intellectual property in advancing the African Union’s Agenda 2063 and the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals, asserting that Africa’s capacity to nurture innovation will shape the future of its knowledge economy.