JEE Africa

Africa IP Practice
Nigeria

Nigeria

Nigeria is a West African country on the Gulf of Guinea, has many natural landmarks and wildlife reserves. The Country has 36 states with about 520 languages and over 1150 dialects and ethnic groups. The three largest and most popular are Hausa, Igbo and Yoruba

    Capital

    Lagos

    Currency

    Naira

    Population

    193,632,537

    Area

    923 768 km²

    GDP $

    405.10 Billion

    Internet domain

    ng

    Languages

    English (official language) , Yoruba, Hausa etc.

    Exports

    Machinery, chemicals, transport equipment, manufactured goods, food and live animals.

    Imports

    Petroleum and petroleum products, cocoa, rubber

JEE Practice Details

  • Nigeria is a member of the

    1. Berne Convention

    2. The Rome Convention

    3. Paris Conventio

    4. The PCT

    5. The Patent Law Treaty

    6. The WTO/TRIPS.

  • TRADEMARKS

    The International Classification of goods applies.

    Types of trademark registrable

    Nigeria operates a “Single-class” registration system (A separate application is required for each class).

    There are provisions for the registration of SERIES, DEFENSIVE and CERTIFICATION Marks. Nigeria is a member of the Paris Union however priority cannot be claimed as the country is yet to publish Convention Countries Order concerning Trade Marks.

  • Patent protection is available via a national filing. Although it is a member of PCT, Nigeria has not amended its laws to implement the PCT. Accordingly, it is not certain whether valid patent protection can be obtained via a PCT national phase application in Nigeria. However, in practice PCT national phase applications are being accepted and processed through to grant by the Nigerian Patent Office.

    Foreign applicants must be represented by a local agent.

    Filing Requirements

    NON-PCT Applications

    • Simply signed power of attorney,

    • Specifications, claims and abstract

    • Formal drawings

    • Priority document

    • Assignment of Priority rights

    National Phase PCT Application

    • Simply signed power of attorney

    • International Search Report

    • International Examination Report

    • Assignment of Priority rights

    Renewal Applications must be lodged 6 months before expiry

  • The registration of a novel design gives to the owner the right to preclude all others from using the design in order to derive a commercial benefit. Design protection is available by way of a national filing.

     

    Filing Requirements

    • Power of Attorney

    • Drawings, photographs or graphic representations of the industrial design

    • Statement of the features of the design for which novelty is claimed.

    • Certified copy of priority document, if priority claimed, with verified English translation

    • Assignment document

  • The Act provides for the following works to be eligible for copyright protection:

    • Literary works

    • Musical works

    • Artistic works

    • Cinematograph films

    • Sound recordings

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