The Patent system in Nigeria Original Research Article

The article briefly traces the historical development of the Patent system in Nigeria and describes the current system, under the Patents and Designs Act of 1970. A database of Nigerian Patents is under construction, but currently Patent searches can be conducted by the Registryʹs Patent section upon request. The author concludes that the present law needs updating in line with the WTO/TRIPS Agreement and with current realities, that the infrastructure and capacity for enforcement need improvement, and that public awareness of the potential importance of Patents and other IPR needs to be raised.