By| Goodluck E.Adubazi, Abuja
The African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) Secretariat and the All Africa Intellectual Property (IP) Summit have entered into a strategic partnership aimed at strengthening intellectual property as a driver of intra-African trade, industrialisation, innovation and the continent’s creative economy.
The partnership, announced on Friday, comes as Africa advances the implementation of its continental intellectual property framework following the adoption of eight of the nine Annexes under the AfCFTA Protocol on Intellectual Property Rights by the 39th Ordinary Session of the Assembly of Heads of State and Government of the African Union in February 2026.
The adopted Annexes cover utility models; traditional knowledge, traditional cultural expressions and genetic resources; plant variety protection; patents; marks; industrial designs; geographical indications; and copyright and related rights.
The partnership will support the 7th All Africa Intellectual Property Summit, scheduled to hold from November 11 to 13, 2026, in Nairobi, Kenya, under the theme: “Mainstreaming Intellectual Property for Africa’s Trade, Industrial & Creative Economy Transformation.”
The AfCFTA Secretariat has confirmed its strategic partnership and participation in the three-day summit, which is expected to bring together policymakers, intellectual property institutions and practitioners, businesses, innovators, creators, academia, investors, financial institutions and development partners.
The summit will focus on how intellectual property can be better integrated into Africa’s trade, industrial and economic transformation, with discussions expected to cover implementation of the AfCFTA IP framework, IP commercialisation, innovation and technology transfer, creative industries, industrial transformation and opportunities for African businesses to leverage intellectual property for growth and market expansion.
Secretary-General of the AfCFTA Secretariat, H.E. Wamkele Mene, said the adoption of the eight Annexes represented an important milestone in establishing a continental framework capable of supporting African innovation, creativity and enterprise.
He said the priority now was to translate the framework into practical economic opportunities for businesses, innovators and creators across the continent.
“The task before us is to translate this framework into practical opportunities for African businesses, innovators and creators,” Mene said, adding that the partnership would strengthen the link between intellectual property, trade, investment and industrialisation.
According to the organisers, intellectual property can enhance business competitiveness, strengthen brand value, facilitate commercialisation and create opportunities for investment, financing, partnerships and access to markets.
The summit will feature high-level policy dialogue, technical sessions and private-sector engagement, while research and policy perspectives will also be incorporated through a Call for Papers.
An Innovation Pavilion will further showcase African creativity, innovation, intellectual assets and businesses, providing opportunities for interaction among innovators, investors, institutions and potential commercial partners.
The organisers also expect participants to consider and potentially adopt the Nairobi Declaration on Intellectual Property and Africa’s Economic Transformation, which is expected to outline strategic priorities for strengthening the integration of intellectual property into Africa’s trade and industrial development agenda.
Chairman of the All Africa Intellectual Property Summit, Mr. Sand Mba Kalu, said the partnership with the AfCFTA Secretariat came at a critical stage in the continent’s evolving intellectual property landscape.
According to him, the summit would provide a platform for policymakers, businesses, innovators and creators to examine how intellectual property could generate tangible economic value as Africa implements its continental IP framework.
The AfCFTA Secretariat and the All Africa Intellectual Property Summit have consequently invited stakeholders from Africa and beyond to participate in the summit and contribute to discussions on the future of intellectual property within Africa’s increasingly integrated market.
The AfCFTA Agreement entered into force on May 30, 2019, bringing together the 55 African Union member states in a single continental market of about 1.4 billion people, with a combined GDP estimated at approximately $3.4 trillion.
The AfCFTA is one of the flagship projects of Agenda 2063: The Africa We Want, the African Union’s long-term development strategy.
The 7th All Africa Intellectual Property Summit will hold in Nairobi, Kenya, from November 11–13, 2026.
