The African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) Secretariat and the All Africa Intellectual Property Summit (AAIPS) are set to deepen collaboration to accelerate the implementation of the AfCFTA Intellectual Property Rights Protocol as part of efforts to drive industrialisation, innovation and intra-African trade.
The renewed commitment emerged during a courtesy visit by the leadership of AAIPS to the AfCFTA Secretariat on the sidelines of the 18th Meeting of the AfCFTA Council of Ministers Responsible for Trade in Abuja, Nigeria.
The engagement also saw the Secretary-General of the AfCFTA Secretariat, Wamkele Mene, receive the All Africa Intellectual Property Leadership and Continental Integration Award in recognition of his contribution to advancing Africa’s trade and economic integration agenda.
Led by its Chairman, Sand Mba Kalu, the AAIPS delegation commended Mene for steering the implementation of the AfCFTA and transforming the continental trade agreement into a practical framework for economic development.
Presenting the award, Kalu described Mene’s leadership as instrumental in moving the AfCFTA from a continental vision to a functioning platform that is creating opportunities for businesses and strengthening regional markets.
He stressed the need for a formal partnership between AAIPS and the AfCFTA Secretariat to support the implementation of the Intellectual Property Rights Protocol, arguing that stronger institutional collaboration would help unlock Africa’s innovation and creative economy potential.
“The time has now come to move from goodwill to structure, from participation to partnership, and from occasional engagement to a formal continental collaboration,” Kalu said.
Responding, Mene welcomed the proposal, describing intellectual property as a strategic tool for Africa’s industrial transformation rather than merely a legal framework.
He said the Intellectual Property Rights Protocol could help boost local manufacturing, support pharmaceutical production, encourage innovation and reduce the continent’s dependence on imports.
“The Protocol on Intellectual Property Rights is not just a legal instrument. It is an opportunity for us as a continent to leverage intellectual property to advance industrial development, strengthen public health through local pharmaceutical production, and reduce over-reliance on imports,” he stated.
Mene also announced that negotiations on all AfCFTA protocols had been completed, with attention now shifting towards implementation across member states.
He emphasised that the success of the continental free trade agreement would largely depend on stronger engagement with the private sector, which he described as the engine for translating policy into economic growth and job creation.
“We have to accelerate implementation and deepen collaboration with the private sector because it is the private sector that will ensure that we see the benefits of this Agreement,” he said.
The discussions also focused on preparations for the 7th All Africa Intellectual Property Summit, scheduled to take place in Nairobi in November 2026, where stakeholders are expected to explore strategies for leveraging intellectual property to support trade, industrialisation and Africa’s creative economy.
The engagement underscores growing efforts to align Africa’s trade and intellectual property agendas as key pillars for sustainable economic transformation under the AfCFTA framework.
