Ghana reaffirms commitment to intellectual property as driver of innovation
Date: 2025-12-20
By: Nana Appiah Acquaye
Ghana
has reaffirmed its commitment to leveraging intellectual property as a catalyst
for innovation, cultural identity, and inclusive economic growth following a
high-level visit by the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO)
Director General, Daren Tang.
The
visit brought together WIPO leadership and senior Ghanaian government
officials, including President John Dramani Mahama, ministers responsible for
justice, youth, trade, culture and tourism, agriculture, as well as the deputy
minister for foreign affairs, the head of the civil service, and senior
representatives from the University of Ghana. Discussions focused on aligning
national development priorities with the strategic use of intellectual property
to support innovation and sustainable growth.
Loretta
Asiedu, Director of WIPO’s Division for Africa, accompanied the Director
General during the visit and highlighted the strong unity of vision among
Ghana’s leadership in positioning intellectual property as a central pillar of
the country’s development agenda. Engagements with policymakers underscored
Ghana’s intention to harness IP beyond its legal dimensions, emphasizing its
role in entrepreneurship, creative industries, and national identity.
Key
areas of discussion included the review and updating of Ghana’s National
Intellectual Property Policy to support the country’s Reset Agenda for economic
transformation, the development of IP skills for youth- and women-led
businesses, and initiatives to strengthen IP asset management and
commercialization within universities and research institutions. Capacity
building for the creative industries also featured prominently in the
engagements.
The
visit coincided with the 20th Council of Ministers Meeting of the African
Regional Intellectual Property Organization, during which Ghana assumed the
chairmanship of the Council for the next two years. The development was
described as a significant milestone for both Ghana and the continent’s
intellectual property ecosystem.
At
the regional level, the ARIPO Council reaffirmed its collective commitment to
modernizing intellectual property systems, deepening cooperation among member
states, and ensuring that intellectual property serves as a meaningful driver
of innovation, cultural pride, and inclusive growth across Africa.
