The theme “Mainstreaming Intellectual Property for Africa’s Trade, Industrial and Creative Economy Transformation” reflects the growing recognition that intellectual property must become an integral component of Africa’s economic development strategy. Traditionally, intellectual property has often been viewed as a specialised legal domain concerned primarily with registration procedures and dispute resolution. However, in the contemporary global economy, intellectual property plays a far broader role as an enabler of innovation, branding, technology transfer, and investment. Mainstreaming intellectual property therefore involves embedding intellectual property considerations into key areas of economic policy, including trade promotion, industrial development, digital innovation, and creative economy growth. African enterprises seeking to expand across borders under the AfCFTA framework must protect their trademarks, designs, and digital assets to safeguard their market position. Similarly, manufacturing competitiveness increasingly depends on patents, industrial designs, and access to technological knowledge. In the creative sector, copyright protection and licensing frameworks are essential for ensuring that artists and cultural producers can capture the value generated by their work. By integrating intellectual property into these sectors, Africa can shift from a commodity-based trade model to a knowledge-driven economy that generates greater value addition and employment.