By Usman Fambuleh

Deputy Minister of Justice, Madam Saptieu Elizabeth Saccoh, has challenged Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs), startups, creative industry professionals and producer communities to embrace intellectual property (IP) as a strategic business asset to protect their innovations, strengthen their brands and unlock new economic opportunities.

Madam Saccoh made the call while delivering the keynote address at the opening of the two-day workshop 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), as part of Sierra Leone’s National Intellectual Property Week 2026.

The workshop, which runs from October 15 to 16 at the New Brookfields Hotel on Jomo Kenyatta Road in Freetown, is being held under the theme, “Transforming Innovative Ideas and Creativity into Competitive Businesses: Leveraging Intellectual Property for MSMEs, Startups, Creative Industries and Producer Communities.”

The initiative aims to educate and empower participants on the importance of intellectual property rights and demonstrate how IP can be used to protect creativity, commercialise innovative ideas, build competitive businesses and generate sustainable income.

Addressing participants, Madam Saccoh underscored the commercial value of intellectual property, urging businesses and creative professionals to integrate IP protection into their operations rather than treat it as an afterthought.

She reaffirmed the Government’s commitment to promoting intellectual property in Sierra Leone, stressing that a stronger understanding of IP rights would help local entrepreneurs and innovators protect their work and benefit financially from their ideas.

Reflecting on her previous service as Administrator and Registrar General before her appointment as Deputy Minister of Justice, Madam Saccoh commended the current leadership of OARG for its efforts to take intellectual property education to the people of Sierra Leone.

She expressed her appreciation for the institution’s work in raising awareness of IP and making it more accessible to businesses, innovators and creative professionals.

The Deputy Minister further cautioned artists and creative professionals against signing contracts without first understanding their terms and implications, urging them to seek the necessary knowledge and advice before committing themselves to agreements.

She also encouraged inventors to understand the requirements for registering and protecting their works, noting that a clear understanding of the law is essential to safeguarding ownership and maximising the value of creative output.

Madam Saccoh warned against undervaluing creative works, emphasising that professionals must understand the legal frameworks governing their industries if they are to protect their rights and receive fair recognition for their efforts.

She further stressed that National Intellectual Property Week should extend beyond ceremonial celebrations to produce practical outcomes that advance the country’s intellectual property agenda.

According to her, the observance should prompt stakeholders to consider what more Sierra Leone can do to strengthen IP awareness, improve protection mechanisms and support the commercialisation of local innovations.

She concluded by reminding creative professionals that talent must be matched with responsibility, knowledge and a commitment to understanding the laws that protect their work.

Yves Nyoubeyou, Counsellor in the Division for Africa at the World Intellectual Property Organization, outlined WIPO’s mandate and highlighted the importance of intellectual property in promoting business growth, innovation and economic development.

He emphasised that intellectual property offers businesses more than legal protection, explaining that it can serve as a practical tool for building strong brands, differentiating products and services, attracting commercial opportunities and generating revenue.

Nyoubeyou encouraged MSMEs, startups, creative industries and producer communities to identify and strategically use their intellectual property assets to strengthen their market positions and improve their competitiveness.

He also highlighted the need for entrepreneurs and creators to recognise the commercial potential of their ideas, brands and creative works, urging them to move beyond simply producing goods and services to developing strategies that enable them to derive economic value from their intellectual assets.

His presentation reinforced the workshop’s central message that intellectual property should be incorporated into business planning and development, particularly among small businesses and emerging entrepreneurs seeking to compete in increasingly demanding markets.

Local and International Experts Share IP Knowledge

The two-day workshop also featured presentations by intellectual property experts from Sierra Leone and other countries, including Uganda, Kenya, The Gambia and Cameroon.

The sessions provided participants with opportunities to deepen their understanding of intellectual property rights, explore practical approaches to protecting innovations and creative works, and examine how IP can support business development across different sectors.

By bringing together government representatives, international partners, entrepreneurs, creative professionals and producer communities, the workshop seeks to bridge knowledge gaps and encourage the practical application of intellectual property principles in business and creative activities.

The workshop forms part of Sierra Leone’s National Intellectual Property Week 2026, organised by OARG and the Office of the Attorney General and Minister of Justice in collaboration with WIPO and other partners.

The broader initiative seeks to strengthen awareness of intellectual property as a tool for innovation, economic empowerment and national development.

For MSMEs, startups, creative professionals and producer communities, the message emerging from the workshop is clear: protecting intellectual property is not merely a legal formality but an important step towards building sustainable businesses, safeguarding creative ownership and turning innovative ideas into competitive commercial opportunities.

As Sierra Leone continues to promote innovation and entrepreneurship, the effective use of intellectual property could play an increasingly important role in ensuring that the country’s creators, inventors and businesses are better positioned to protect, develop and profit from their ideas.