By:Usman Fambuleh
Sierra Leone is celebrating National Intellectual Property Week 2026 with a focus on promoting innovation, protecting creativity and unlocking economic opportunities for researchers, entrepreneurs and emerging innovators.
The four-day initiative, running from October 13 to 16, aims to strengthen awareness of intellectual property rights and empower universities, research institutions and innovators to transform their ideas, inventions and creative works into economic value.
The programme is organised by the Office of the Administrator and Registrar General (OARG) and the Office of the Attorney General and Minister of Justice, in collaboration with the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) and the Japan Patent Office (JPO). The first phase was held on October 13 and 14 at New Brookfields Hotel on Jomo Kenyatta Road in Freetown.
Held under the theme, “Empowering Universities, Research and Development Institutions and Emerging Innovators Through Intellectual Property,” the initiative highlights the role of intellectual property protection in encouraging research, supporting entrepreneurship and promoting sustainable economic growth.
Attorney General and Minister of Justice Alpha Sesay Esq. has called for stronger intellectual property protection to safeguard creativity and help Sierra Leonean innovators benefit economically from their work.
Speaking at an earlier intellectual property workshop in June 2026, Sesay emphasised the need for Sierra Leone to move beyond being primarily a consumer of innovation and become a producer of ideas, technologies and creative products capable of competing in the global economy. He also highlighted legal reforms, improved administrative systems, digital transformation and public awareness as important measures for protecting and commercialising intellectual assets.
Intellectual property protection is important to universities, researchers, software developers, musicians, designers and entrepreneurs, as it helps safeguard their original works and inventions against unauthorised use while allowing them to gain recognition and economic benefits from their creations.
Sierra Leone’s intellectual property reform agenda includes the Trade Marks Registration Act, 2024, alongside efforts to modernise the administration of intellectual property services. Accessible registration procedures, effective implementation of the legal framework and sustained public education are essential to helping innovators understand and exercise their rights.
As the celebrations continue, the initiative seeks to encourage the commercialisation of locally developed innovations, strengthen research and development, and connect creativity with entrepreneurship and investment.
The programme also provides an opportunity to equip students, researchers and emerging innovators with the knowledge and institutional support needed to protect their creations and contribute to Sierra Leone’s economic development.
