The recent 2025 All-Africa Intellectual Property Summit in Dakar has delivered a stark warning: Nigeria, despite being the continent's largest market, is being left behind in a lucrative global trade revolution centered on Geographical Indications (GI).
Ghana's Bold Move with Kente Sets a Continental Standard
While Nigeria hesitates, Ghana has seized the initiative. In a landmark decision in September 2025, Ghana officially granted Geographical Indication status to Kente cloth. This legal move, applauded globally, means only textiles woven in specific Ghanaian communities like Bonwire and Agbozume can legally bear the Kente name.
This action effectively places Kente in the same elite category as Champagne and Parmigiano Reggiano. It is a strategic economic play disguised as cultural preservation. The protection is expected to boost export earnings, empower local weavers, create direct links to international fashion houses, and safeguard heritage for future generations.
Nigeria's Untapped GI Goldmine and the Cost of Delay
In stark contrast, Nigeria has not a single officially recognized GI, despite being brimming with qualifying indigenous products. The nation possesses the raw materials for a thriving GI ecosystem, including Benue yam, Nsukka yellow pepper, Kano leather, Aba shoes, Adire Abeokuta, and Ofada rice.
These products already carry identity and regional reputation. However, without the legal shield of GI, they cannot command premium global prices or be protected from imitation. As noted at the summit, chaired in part by advocate Somadina Eugene Okorie, this inaction represents an economic tragedy, leaving billions of dollars on the table.
Adire Crisis: A Cautionary Tale of Cultural and Economic Erosion
The consequences of Nigeria's lack of a GI framework are already devastatingly clear. A case study from Abeokuta, Ogun State, reveals how mass-produced counterfeit Adire from China is flooding markets.
These cheap imitations, produced with advanced machinery, are displacing authentic, hand-crafted Adire fabrics. Local producers report being pushed to the brink, losing both their market and their cultural heritage. This scenario of cultural erosion and economic loss would be virtually impossible in a jurisdiction with robust GI laws.
The Urgent Call to Action for Nigeria
The path forward for Nigeria is clear and urgent. To strengthen the Naira, boost exports, and empower rural producers, the country must immediately:
- Enact a standalone Geographical Indications Act harmonized with global WIPO and TRIPS standards.
- Establish rigorous regulatory and certification frameworks to ensure only authentic, quality products earn the GI label.
- Integrate GI strategy into the national economic vision, linking it to agriculture, tourism, and trade.
- Build local capacity by training producer associations to understand and defend their GI rights.
The summit made it clear that under the AfCFTA, Africa is moving towards harmonized intellectual property protection, with GIs as a central pillar for export competitiveness. The world is not waiting, and Africa is preparing to lead. Nigeria, with its immense cultural and natural wealth, must wake up and step confidently into this future, or risk losing its identity, value, and rightful place in the new economy.
