Africa is entering an important phase in the development of its intellectual property (IP) system. As the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) moves towards implementing its continental IP framework, there is growing recognition that fragmented national IP policies could limit Africa’s ability to fully benefit from its innovations, creative industries and knowledge economy.
This issue will take centre stage at the 7th All Africa Intellectual Property Summit (AAIPS), scheduled to take place in Nairobi from 11–13 November 2026. The Summit will bring together policymakers, creators, researchers, innovators and businesses to discuss how Africa can strengthen IP protection, commercialisation and cross-border collaboration.
From National IP Systems to a Continental Framework
For many years, intellectual property protection across Africa has largely operated through individual national systems. While these systems remain important, differences in laws, regulations and enforcement can make it difficult for African creators and businesses to protect and commercialise their intellectual assets beyond their home countries.
The Nairobi Summit will therefore focus on aligning national IP policies with the AfCFTA Intellectual Property Protocol. According to the Summit organisers, stronger policy alignment could help ensure that intellectual property developed in one African country can be protected and commercially exploited across the continent.
This is particularly important as Africa seeks to build a more integrated continental market.
Why IP Harmonisation Matters
IP is not simply a legal issue. It is increasingly connected to trade, investment, industrialisation, innovation and job creation.
African creators, entrepreneurs and businesses are producing valuable intellectual assets in areas ranging from music and film to technology, patents, traditional knowledge and cultural expressions. However, if these assets cannot be effectively protected and commercialised across borders, Africa risks losing significant economic value.
Harmonised systems could make it easier for businesses and creators to:
- Access markets in other African countries;
- Protect their intellectual property across borders;
- Attract investment;
- Commercialise innovations and creative works;
- Develop regional businesses and brands; and
- Capture more value from Africa’s knowledge and creative economy.
The organisers argue that closer policy coordination could ultimately support job creation, investment and wealth generation, while reducing the loss of economic value from African innovations and creative works.
Connecting Intellectual Property with AfCFTA
The discussion is particularly timely because the African Union adopted the AfCFTA Intellectual Property Protocol in February 2026, creating an important foundation for stronger continental cooperation on IP.
The challenge now is moving from the adoption of a continental framework to effective implementation at national and regional levels.
As Sand Mba-Kalu, Chairman of the All African Intellectual Property Summit Committee, noted, national policies need to align with the continental framework. This alignment will be critical if Africa is to build a single market in which African-owned intellectual property can move, compete and generate value across borders.
A Summit for Africa, Not Just Kenya
The 7th AAIPS is being organised in partnership with the Kenya Copyright Board (KECOBO) and the AfCFTA Secretariat. Although Nairobi will host the event, its agenda is explicitly continental in scope.
As Sharon Wata, Deputy Executive Director of KECOBO, emphasised, Kenya is hosting the Summit, but it is “not a Kenyan summit. It is an Africa summit.”
This continental approach is important because Africa’s IP challenges cannot be addressed effectively through isolated national interventions. The movement of goods, services, technology, creative content and investment across borders requires IP systems that are increasingly interconnected and interoperable.
Building an IP System That Supports Africa’s Economic Transformation
The bigger question is therefore not simply how Africa can protect intellectual property.
It is:
How can Africa use intellectual property as a tool for trade, industrialisation, innovation and economic transformation?
A stronger continental IP system could help African countries move from simply protecting intellectual assets to commercialising them, attracting investment around them and building competitive African enterprises.
The Nairobi Summit provides an opportunity to advance this conversation and explore practical solutions for creating an IP ecosystem that supports Africa’s emerging single market.
Source: Nairobi summit seeks to harmonise intellectual property policies across Africa, https://citizen.digital/article/nairobi-summit-seeks-to-harmonise-intellectual-property-policies-across-africa-n388215