Shakespeare asked the question. Africa is answering it loudly, boldly, and with a whole continent’s worth of creative genius and industrial ambition behind it. For too long, intellectual property has been treated as a footnote in Africa’s development story, a technical matter for lawyers, a luxury concern for richer economies. That era is over.
This November, from the 11th to the 13th, thought leaders, policymakers, innovators, entrepreneurs, and creatives from across Africa and beyond will gather in Nairobi, Kenya for a landmark summit on Mainstreaming Intellectual Property for Africa’s Trade, Industrial & Creative Economy Transformation. Three days. One conversation that cannot wait any longer.
Africa is not short of ideas. It has never been. From the music that moves the world, to the fashion that sets global trends, to the innovations quietly solving problems the rest of the world has not even named yet, the continent is a powerhouse of creativity and ingenuity.
What Africa has lacked is not creativity, but the systems required to transform ideas into enduring value—legal frameworks that protect innovation, policies that encourage growth, and commercial structures that ensure creators benefit from what they produce. The challenge has never been imagination; it has been ownership. This conference exists to bridge that gap by advancing conversations and solutions that make Intellectual Property work for Africa, and most importantly, for Africans.
This is a continental movement that began as a close-knit town hall meeting in Nigeria, engaging in enriching conversations on Intellectual Property in Africa. With the backing of the International Trade and Research Centre, the All Africa Intellectual Property Summit has, for close to seven years, continued to spread the gospel that we must make IP work for Africa, on Africa’s terms. Every year since 2019, like-minded people have gathered to reimagine an intellectual property ecosystem that is comprehensive, harmonized, and tailored to the African dynamic.
What to Expect
Over three days, delegates will dig into the big questions shaping Africa’s IP future:
- How do we mainstream IP into trade and industrial policy across the continent?
- What does a thriving African creative economy look like, and what IP frameworks does it need to get there?
- How do small businesses and informal innovators access IP protection without being priced or papered out of the system?
- What role do regional bodies, governments, academia, and the private sector each need to play?
This summit presents an opportunity not just to gain insight but also to enjoy the cool Nairobi climate while networking with like-minded people who seek to create meaningful and impactful conversations on intellectual property and its incidentals and proper enforcement. Expect sharp panels, honest conversations, and the kind of cross-sector connections that will metamorphose into concrete results.
Africa has been asking whether to IP for long enough. The continent’s creators, inventors, and entrepreneurs have already answered with their work. Now it’s time for policy, trade frameworks, and commercial ecosystems to catch up.
This conference is where that catching up begins.
Mark Your Calendar Date: 11–13 November 2026
📍 Venue: Nairobi, Kenya
