I left the 2025 All-Africa Intellectual Property Summit in Dakar with one clear conviction: while the world is racing forward in the new economy of Geographical Indication (GI), Nigeria, the largest market in the African continent is moving far too slowly and leaving billions of dollars on the table.

At the just concluded summit where I had the privilege of not only participating but also chairing one of the breakout sessions, two themes shaped and dominated the day: Geographical Indication (GI) as a tool for economic transformation, and copyright protection in the age of AI. Proud to say, these two topics which I had previously explored in earlier articles, are no longer theoretical. They are now defining global economic strategies. In fact, countries are now harnessing clearly defined GI frameworks not just for the protection of ideas, but to build wealth, elevate local industries, and secure cultural heritage.

Across the world, Geographical Indication has become a strategic tool for unlocking untapped economic opportunities. GI protection attaches value to origin, tradition, craftsmanship, and local knowledge. GI protected products gain premium status because consumers trust their authenticity. For example, “Champagne is not just wine, “Parmigiano Reggiano” is not just cheese, “Swiss Made” is not just a label.

These are global economic engines, and this is because the law protects their identity, reputation, and origin.

The most striking recent African example that has placed Ghana in the lead occurred in September 2025 when Ghana took a major and audacious leap by officially granting Kente cloth Geographical Indication status. It was a move applauded worldwide. For the first time, this means that only clothes woven in designated Ghanaian communities such as Bonwire, Adanwomase, Kpetoe, Agbozume, can legally be called Kente. The factory-printed imitations flooding global markets can no longer use the name.
This is economic revolution disguised as cultural protection.

What this means is that Ghana has now positioned Kente alongside Champagne and Parmesan-elite, globally respected, legally protected products tied to specific regions and traditions. Hence, this will drive export revenue, empower small weavers, open direct access to fashion houses, and preserve heritage for generations.

Meanwhile, Nigeria which is Africa’s largest market, brimming with indigenous products has no single officially recognized GI. A development that I call an economic tragedy and disaster.

Nigeria Leaving Money on the Table

Nigeria has the raw material for a thriving GI ecosystem. For instance: Benue yam, Nsukka yellow pepper, Bida brass works, Kano leather, Aba shoes, Adire Abeokuta, Afikpo masks, Ofada rice, Forcados crude oil, these products already have identity. They already enjoy local and regional reputation. However, what they lack is legal protection, which is the foundation upon which multi-billion-dollar industries are built.

Today, Switzerland earns billions annually from watches largely because the phrase “Swiss Made” is regulated by law. Only products meeting strict standards can use that label. It protects authenticity, preserves trust, and sustains a global reputation.

Imagine if “Made in Nigeria” were not just a slogan, but a protected Geographical Indication, reserved only for products certified for their origin and quality by competent Nigerian agencies. It would reassure global buyers, strengthen our domestic industries, and increase bargaining power for producers. This is not just branding, but a national economic strategy.

The Cost of Inaction in Nigeria: Adire as a Case Study

The absence of clear GI regulation in Nigeria has already created a crises unknown to many, and none is more alarming than what is currently happening to Adire a cultural and economic symbol of Ogun State.
During a recent survey I conducted in Abeokuta, local Adire producers expressed deep frustration. Chinese manufacturers, equipped with advanced machines and substantial capital, have flooded the market with mass-produced “Adire,” sold at impossibly cheap prices. These counterfeits have displaced authentic, hand-made fabrics, pushing indigenous creators to the brink.
“We are losing our market and our heritage,” one producer said to me: “They have taken over the business because we lack protection.”

This is not merely an economic loss, it is cultural erosion, and it would never happen in a country with proper GI laws.

Nigeria Must Wake Up And Now!

If Nigeria is serious about strengthening the naira, improving exports, empowering rural producers, and building sustainable industries, then we must urgently:

1. Enact a Geographical Indications Act
A standalone GI law harmonized with WIPO and TRIPS standards. It must define, register, and enforce GIs for Nigerian products.
2. Establish strong regulatory and certification frameworks
This would mean that only products that meet originality and quality tests should earn GI status. As I emphasized in earlier articles, without stringent quality control, GI becomes meaningless.
3. Integrate GI with our national economic vision
GIs should be tied to agriculture, tourism, manufacturing, and trade strategies.
4. Build local capacity for enforcement
Associations of producers, cooperatives, and local communities must be trained to understand and defend their GI rights.

Ghana Has Woken Up, And Made a Move That Matters

Ghana has demonstrated what political will and cultural pride can achieve. With Kente now protected globally, its value will rise, its producers will prosper, and its heritage will remain intact.
What makes this moment even more spectacular is that the move builds on Ghana’s success in getting Kente inscribed in UNESCO’s Intangible Cultural Heritage list in 2024.

Nigeria has even more to protect, more to preserve, and more to gain.
The All-Africa IP Summit made it clear that the continent is moving toward harmonized IP protection under AfCFTA, with GIs playing a central role in export competitiveness, and Countries that delay will not only lose markets, they will lose value, and lose identity.
It is important to note that Africa is no longer waiting, the world is not waiting either, so Nigeria must not be the last to act.

Conclusion: The Path Forward

If Nigeria embraces Geographical Indications today, we will not only protect our heritage, we will unlock billions in economic value, empower grassroots producers, strengthen the naira, and elevate “Made in Nigeria” to a mark of pride and global trust.

The message from Dakar was loud and clear: Africa is preparing to lead, not follow, in the next chapter of global intellectual property development. GI is no longer optional. It is unavoidably essential, and Nigeria, with its wealth of culture, creativity, and natural resources, must seize this moment.

The train is moving, and the world is watching.

It is time for Nigeria to wake up, and step confidently into the future.

About the Author

SOMADINA EUGENE OKORIE ESQ. is an advocate, Intellectual Property/Business Solicitor and researcher based in Lagos. His research work explores how legal innovation can drive inclusive economic growth and cultural preservation in Africa.