Members of the creative industries in Nigeria have often bemoaned the lack of experienced intellectual property attorneys in Nigeria. Partly, this lack is because intellectual property is not a subject covered in the Nigerian universities. The Copyright Institute of the Nigerian Copyright Commission has been working to address this problem.
The Institute developed a course pack for an Intellectual Property class that can be taught in any Nigerian University. The materials include a detailed syllabus as well as compiled reading materials. Afro-Leo has learned from a friend at the Institute that copies of the syllabus recently went out to every Nigerian University. The Institute has also received funds to produce 260 copies of the course materials.
The hope is that professors at some of the universities will be willing to teach the new IP class and future graduates will enter the legal field with enough background knowledge of intellectual property to work in the field.
