The European Union has listed Nigeria among countries with serious concerns over intellectual property rights (IPR) violations, placing the country on its priority watch list alongside China, India, Türkiye, Brazil, and others in its latest biennial report.
The report, released by the EU’s Trade and Economic Security Commission, warns that global counterfeiting and piracy continue to pose significant threats to the European economy. In 2023 alone, EU customs intercepted 17.5 million counterfeit goods worth nearly €811 million.
According to the EU, Nigeria falls into the third-priority group, which includes nations where IPR violations persist due to legal, institutional, and enforcement challenges. While Nigeria has made progress—such as launching a National IP Policy in 2022 and passing the new Nigeria Customs Service Act—the EU noted that these reforms have not yet translated into meaningful impact.
One major obstacle remains the Industrial Property Commission Bill, introduced in 2016 but yet to be passed. Without it, Nigeria’s IP framework lacks alignment with global standards like the TRIPS Agreement.
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The report also criticizes the Nigerian Patents and Designs Registry for outdated processes, lack of transparency in copyright enforcement, and the absence of a proper Geographical Indications system.
The EU further flagged Nigeria’s role as a key transit hub for counterfeit goods, including fake pharmaceuticals and electronics entering West Africa, mostly via seaports.
Challenges such as underfunded agencies, poorly trained personnel, and a judiciary lacking digital capacity continue to weaken Nigeria’s fight against IPR abuse, the report added.
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