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SECTION 1: COUNTRY OVERVIEW
1.1 GENERAL INFORMATION
Capital:
Population:
Currency of (ocial) fees:
Language for ling
IP applications:
GDP per capita:
Human Development
Index:
Main exports:
Main imports:
1.2 INTERNATIONAL IP AGREEMENTS AND CONVENTIONS
Nigeria is a contracting state to the following international legal instruments:
• Beijing Treaty on Audiovisual Performances;
• Berne Convention for the Protection of Literary and Artistic Works;
• Marrakesh Treaty to Facilitate Access to Published Works for Persons Who Are Blind,
Visually Impaired or Otherwise Print Disabled;
• Paris Convention for the Protection of Industrial Property;
• Patent Cooperation Treaty (PCT);
• Patent Law Treaty (PLT);
• Rome Convention for the Protection of Performers, Producers of Phonograms and
Broadcasting Organizations;
• The Agreement on Trade-Related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights (TRIPS)
Agreement;
• WIPO Copyright Treaty (WCT);
• WIPO Performances and Phonograms Treaty (WPPT).
Nigeria’s Copyright Act is TRIPS-compliant but its other IP laws have not been amended to reect
the provisions of the TRIPS Agreement. However, in practice, some of the principles are imple-
mented. This may have an impact on the eectiveness of some IP enforcement issues.
Abuja
206.1Million
Naira (NGN)
English
$2,097.09 (World Bank, 2020)
0.539
Crude petroleum, Cocoa beans, Rubber, Cashew nuts, Hides and
skin, beef and textiles.
Foodstus, Vehicles, pharmaceuticals, plastics, machinery, electrical
goods, transport equipment, textiles, fuel and petroleum products,
chemical goods, sh
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Nigeria is not a member of the Nice Agreement. However, its trade mark classication system is
based on the Nice classication system.
1.3 REGIONAL AGREEMENTS
Nigeria is a member of the following regional agreements.
ECOWAS
(Economic Community of West African States) ECOWAS is made up of 15 member countries located
in the Western African region. These countries have both cultural and geopolitical ties as well as
shared common economic interests. The agreement also recognises the importance of protecting
intellectual property rights (IPRs) as part of the promotion of science, technology and innovation
(STI) development and application in the member states.
AfCFTA
(African Continental Free Trade Area) The AfCFTA agreement includes a protocol on IP rights that
aims to advance the eective protection and promotion of IP rights in Africa. This agreement may
have an impact on the future shape of Nigerian legislation.
More information on the AfCFTA is available here: https://au.int/en/cfta
1.4 LEGAL FRAMEWORK OF IP PROTECTION AVAILABLE IN NIGERIA
The following IP protection is available in Nigeria:
1) trade marks: national;
2) patents: national and international (WIPO);
3) utility models and business methods: national;
4) industrial designs: national;
5) copyright and neighbouring rights: national and international;
6) plant varieties: national.
There are no specic Nigerian laws for geographical indications, traditional knowledge and layout
designs.
1.5 IP REGISTRATION ROUTES
IP protection in Nigeria can be secured through the national route. However, copyright protection
is subject to the fullment of some conditions. An international copyright can be protected and
enforced in Nigeria. Nigeria is not a party to The African Regional Intellectual Property Organization’s
(ARIPO) Banjul Protocol and therefore there is no regional registration/protection of trade marks.
National
The dierent types of IP mentioned above can be directly protected in Nigeria through the
Trademarks Act, Copyright Act, Patents and Industrial Designs Act and Plant Variety Protection
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Act. There are other Nigerian laws that have an impact on the protection of IP rights, namely:
Companies and Allied Matters Act, National Oce for Technology Acquisition and Promotion
Act, National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control Act, Federal Competition
and Consumer Protection Commission Act, Standards Organization of Nigeria Act, and National
Internet Registration Agency Regulations.
International
Nigeria is a contracting party to the Berne Convention and the Patent Cooperation Treaty (PCT).
Patents led through the PCT are acceptable in Nigeria (national phase) and the priority dates are
recognised. However, Nigeria is not a receiving state for such PCT patent application and therefore
PCT patent application cannot be led in Nigeria at the rst instance. The copyright of authors in
other contracting states to the Berne Convention are protected in Nigeria, subject to a declaration
by the Nigerian Attorney General of the Federation listing the countries for which such protection
will be aorded.
Choosing a suitable registration route: trade marks, patents, utility models and industrial designs.
A national route is suitable when trade mark protection is required in Nigeria.
A regional route is not applicable in Nigeria.
An international route is available, but only as stated above.
Useful information:
Professional representation
Applicants for trade mark, patent or design registrations must appoint agents for the ling
and administration of such applications. These agents must be accredited/registered with the
Trademarks, Patents and Designs Registry and been issued a registration number. Agents are
appointed by providing them with a power of attorney. This power of attorney only needs to be
signed without any need for notarisation or legalisation. Hard copies of these powers of attorney
are not necessary if the application is to be led via the Registry’s online platform. There is no
database containing a complete list of Nigerian agents for ling IP rights.
Trade marks
Nigeria practices the single class trade mark system. Applications are led in any of the 45 classes
of goods and services and the fees for each application are the same.
Nigeria is not a signatory to the Nice Agreement, but the classication of goods and services is
currently tailored to the 9th edition of the Nice Classication.
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SECTION2: OVERVIEW OF IP ENFORCEMENT
Nigeria is a signatory of the WTO’s TRIPS Agreement. Though the TRIPS Agreement was not
domesticated as a national law enforceable in Nigeria, the Copyright Act was amended in 1999 to
reect some of the provisions in the TRIPS Agreement. Aside from the Copyright Act, most of the
other IP laws are not TRIPS-compliant in terms of providing a legal framework for the protection
and enforcement of IP rights.
The Copyright Act mandates that the Nigerian Copyright Commission (NCC) enforce the copyright
of authors and bring infringers to justice. This is aside from the private rights of copyright owners
to enforce their rights.
In recent years, the NCC has, in collaboration with Nigerian Police and Copyright Inspectors,
increased its anti-piracy campaigns and raids of pirated goods in dierent locations across the
country.
Trade mark and patent rights are private rights and the rights are enforced by the owners. However,
a brand owner can engage the police, or any of the relevant enforcement agencies such as National
Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC), The Standards Organisation of
Nigeria (SON), Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (FCCPC), to conduct
raids and seize counterfeit goods in any part of Nigeria.
The IP Agencies (NCC, Trademarks, Patents and Designs Registries, etc.) constantly engage with
other stakeholders, including the body representing IP lawyers, who have a role to play in combating
IP infringements. These include Interpol, border ocials, customs ocials, the legal profession, the
Ministry of Trade and Investment, the Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission,
IP Associations, and the public.
Despite the involvement of government agencies and state eorts to curb IP infringement,
rights holders must play a signicant role in policing the use of their IP in Nigeria. Rights holders
must constantly check that the industrial and commercial markets in which they sell their goods
or services take appropriate action against the infringement of their IP rights by competitors,
retailers, or street vendors. Nigerian IP legislation entitles rights holders to take civil action against
infringers to recover their lost revenue and/or to have the infringing products destroyed.
Nigeria does not have express legislation on specic border control measures related to the
protection of IP rights. However, the Nigerian Customs Service is obligated under law to stop
the importation of pirated and counterfeit products into Nigeria. While there is no provision for
formal customs recordal in Nigeria, rights holders engage in informal customs recordal, which
includes training customs ocers on how to identify genuine products and distinguish them from
counterfeits as well as depositing relevant materials with the customs ocers to aid in identifying
counterfeit goods.
For copyrights, the Copyright Act provides for conservatory measures that seek to prevent
infringements and to preserve relevant evidence related to an alleged infringement. In addition,
the Act empowers the police to conduct searches of premises where it is suspected that infringing
goods are concealed and to seize any oending goods. The Copyright Act allows for Anton Pillar
orders as well as other types of injunctions to preserve the rights of the copyright holder. Other
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civil remedies include injunctions, accounts of prot, delivery of infringing copies to the copyright
holder, conscation of oending goods and payment of damages to the rights holder for any
economic damage suered because of an infringement of their rights. Criminal sanctions include
the imposition of nes and imprisonment. A copyright owner is expected to ‘police’ their work
and take action against infringers of their rights. That means that the rights holder should initiate
action such as reporting infringements to the police or customs (if the infringing goods have been
imported) and seek the intervention of the courts to ght third parties who infringe their rights.
More information on the copyright act is available here: https://copyright.gov.ng/documents/
SECTION3: TYPES OF AVAILABLE IP PROTECTION
3.1 TRADE MARKS
• A registered trade mark gives its proprietor the exclusive right to the use of the mark in
the course of trade. The registration of the mark gives the trade mark proprietor protection
and the right to prevent third parties from using the same mark or a similar mark without
authorisation for the same class of goods/services.
• A well-maintained trade mark builds the goodwill in the proprietor’s brand. The trade
mark becomes an assurance of quality and a valuable asset to the trade mark proprietor.
This enables them to expand their business via licensing, franchising, using the trade mark
as the collateral for a loan, or assigning the mark to another entity for a fee.
3.1.1 Who can register a trade mark?
Anyone can register a trade mark. This includes a natural person, a company, or any other entity
with juristic personality. The Trademarks Act provides that anyone who is the proprietor of a
trade mark may apply for the registration of the mark.
3.1.2 What are the registration requirements?
A trade mark application must contain the following:
• the applicant’s name, address and nationality;
• a signed copy of the power of attorney appointing the agent (Form1);
• the class of goods/services and the specication (use of a class heading is allowed) based
on the Nice Classication;
• copy of the priority document, if applicable;
• the prescribed application fees.
More information on the registration requirements is available here: http://www.iponigeria.com/
Services
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3.1.3 What qualies for registration?
A trade mark is any device, brand, heading, label, ticket, name, signature, word, letter, numeral
or any combination thereof used or proposed to be used in relation to goods or services for the
purpose of indicating, or so as to indicate, a connection in the course of trade between the goods
and some person having the right either as proprietor or as registered user to use the mark,
whether with or without any indication of the identity of that person. Trade marks are used by a
company as an indication of source in the course of trade.
Abstract marks and series mark can also be registered but sound marks are not yet registrable in
Nigeria.
3.1.4 What cannot be registered?
A trade mark cannot be registered if it:
• is similar to another trade mark already registered in the class of interest;
• is incapable of distinguishing the goods or services applied for;
• is in the ordinary connotation a geographical indication;
• is likely to deceive or mislead the public or cause confusion;
• is contrary to law and morality;
• is a word or words having a direct reference to the character or quality of the goods;
• is according to its ordinary signication, a geographical name or a surname;
• contains a likeness to a specic armorial bearing or ag emblem;
• contains an insignia, name or arms of a foreign government unless with the consent of that
government authority;
• is a mark where the use of which will be disentitled to protection in a court of justice;
• contains a scandalous design.
3.1.5 Where can I le an application?
• At the Trademarks Registry, Abuja or online through the dedicated platform.
3.1.6 How much does it cost?
Government (ocial) fees
• There are two types of fees. If a trade mark is led via the online platform then the fees
are slightly higher than the application fee for marks led manually at the Registry. The
slight increase in costs for online ling is because of the fees for the payment gateway and
the maintenance fees for the platform. The fees are payable in naira and are xed from
time to time by the Trademarks Registry. Ocial fees are paid twice, once for the application
and then for the certicate. There are no publication fees. There are no dierent fees for
trade marks in colour and black and white.
Professional fees
Professional fees vary according to the agents and IP rms. Expertise, experience and portfolio
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may aect the professional fees of dierent agents.
Likely overall registration costs
The registration costs for a trade mark in Nigeria is fair when compared to other jurisdictions.
The overall registration costs will also depend on whether the trade mark application progresses
to registration without incident (e.g. refusal/oce action or opposition). A trade mark applicant
will be expected to pay the ocial fees shown in the table below for a trade mark application to
registration. Note that the fees shown below are exclusive of professional fees.
3.1.7 How long does registration take?
The trade mark registration process takes an average of between 12-18months from the ling
date to issuance of the registration certicate, assuming no unusual delays, no oce actions and
no oppositions. This does include the opposition period of 2months.
3.1.8 What is the duration of protection?
A registered trade mark is initially valid for 7years and then valid for a further 14years after each
renewal.
3.2 PATENTS
Nigeria Patent Registrations
National Phase patents can be led in Nigeria as well patents led at WIPO claiming priority
according to the PCT. An invention is granted a patent in Nigeria if it is new, involves an inventive
step and is capable of industrial application; or if the invention constitutes an improvement upon
a patented invention and also is new, results from inventive activity and is capable of industrial
application.
National Patents
3.2.1 Who can register a patent?
The statutory inventor, that is, the rst person to le for the registration of the patent. The true
inventor (assuming they are not the statutory inventor) must be named in the patent application.
Description of Process/Service Fee (NGN)
Application to register a trade mark in one
class
17,000
Publication
Not applicable
Registration 13,000
Renewal 13,000
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The inventor or a successor in title or an assignee of an invention can apply to register a patent.
3.2.2 What are the registration requirements?
An application for the grant of a patent must contain the following:
• the applicant’s full name and address;
• a specication including the claim(s), plans and drawings;
• a declaration by the true inventor requesting that they be mentioned as the true inventor
in the patent;
• a signed power of attorney or authorisation of agent (if the application is to be made by an
agent);
• the proof of payment of the prescribed fee and any other matter requested by the Registrar;
• the priority date if a convention priority is claimed.
Examination – Formality only, no substantive examination.
More information on the registration requirements is available here: http://www.iponigeria.com/
Services
3.2.3 What qualies for registration?
A patent must meet the following requirements.
• Be novel. This must be absolute novelty in that the invention must be a new characteristic
that is not known in the body of existing knowledge (prior art) in its technical eld. It must
not be anticipated by prior art.
• Be an inventive step. Meaning that, having regard to prior art, the invention is not obvious
to a person skilled in the art.
• Have an industrial applicability. Meaning that it can be used in any kind of industry, including
agriculture.
3.2.4 What cannot be registered?
The following inventions cannot be patented:
• plant and animal varieties or essentially biological processes for the production of plants
and animals (other than micro-biological processes and their products);
• inventions which will be deemed contrary to public order or morality;
• principles and discoveries of a scientic nature;
• inventions that have been disclosed or exhibited in public prior to ling of the application
(unless the exhibition occurred in a government approved exhibition and the application
was led within 6months of the exhibition);
• a scientic theory or mathematical method.
3.2.5 Where can I le an application?
At the Patents and Designs Registry, Abuja or online through a dedicated platform.
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3.2.6 How much does it cost?
The cost of ling online is slightly more expensive than the manual ling.
Government (ocial) fees
The ocial ling fees are xed from time to time by the Registry. All the fees are paid in naira.
Application fees are paid just once at the point of ling and thereafter annuities are paid yearly
until the lapse of the patent.
Professional fees
Professional fees vary depending on the IP rm or agent that is contracted. Expertise, experience
and portfolio may aect the professional fees of dierent agents.
Likely overall registration costs
The table of fees is shown below:
3.2.7 How long does registration take?
A patent application takes an average of between 6-12 months until issuance of the registration
certicate.
3.2.8 What is the duration of protection?
Protection lasts for 20years from the ling date, subject to the payment of annual maintenance
fees (annuity). A patent will lapse if the patentee fails to pay the patent’s annuity.
3.2.9 When are renewal fees paid?
National patents
Annuity fees are paid yearly, on the anniversary of the ling date. There is a grace period of
6months in which to pay the annuity after it has become due.
Type of Fee Fee (NGN)
Application fees 27,000
Annuity fee
12,000
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3.3 UTILITY MODELS
Utility models are not provided for under the Patents and Designs Act. However, in 2021 the
Patents Registry issued a circular stating that protection for utility models is now available
and therefore applicants can le applications for the protection of utility models and business
methods. Utility models are considered to be similar to patents, but have less stringent conditions
for their registration. The term of registration is also usually shorter than for a patent. Currently,
the Patents and Designs Registry is working with lawmakers to amend the Patents and Designs Act
to introduce utility models into it and make provisions for a proper structure for the protection of
utility models in Nigeria.
National Utility Models
Presently, in the absence of legislation setting out a full structure for the protection of utility
models in Nigeria, utility models can only be led in Nigeria. It is not clear at this point whether the
Patents Registry accepts foreign utility models claiming priority from a foreign jurisdiction ling.
In conclusion, the protection structures around utility models in Nigeria are, at this point, still
sketchy.
3.4 INDUSTRIAL DESIGNS
An industrial design can be a combination of lines or colours or both, as well as any three-
dimensional form, whether or not associated with colours. An industrial design must be intended
by the creator to be used as a model or pattern to be multiplied by industrial processes and not
intended solely to obtain a technical result. An industrial design is capable of registration if it is new
and is not contrary to public order or morality. The right to a registered industrial design is vested
in the statutory creator, being the person who is the rst to le an application for the registration
of the design. The statutory creator may also refer to a person who has validly claimed a foreign
priority for an application for registration of the design. In any event, where the statutory creator
is dierent from the true creator, the true creator is entitled to be named as such in the register.
There are no provisions for industrial design searches in Nigeria.
Applications for the registration of industrial designs in Nigeria can only be led in Nigeria
(because Nigeria is not a party to any regional or international agreement for the protection of
industrial designs). Although Nigeria is not a signatory to the Hague Agreement, industrial design
applications led in other foreign jurisdictions are acceptable for ling in Nigeria and the foreign
priority date is recognised.
Examination and novelty of designs for Nigeria
Nigeria’s Patents and Designs Registry does not carry out a substantive examination of industrial
design applications. Applications are examined only for compliance with formal requirements.
National Industrial Designs
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3.4.1 Who can register?
The statutory creator or assignee of an industrial design can apply to register an industrial design
in Nigeria. If the statutory creator is dierent from the true creator, the true creator must be
mentioned in the application.
Furthermore, it is possible for two or more persons or companies to jointly own and apply for the
registration of an industrial design.
3.4.2 What are the registration requirements?
An application for the grant of an industrial design must contain the following:
• a signed power of attorney;
• three sets of specimens or representations of the design;
• an indication of the article/product covered by the design and the material used in producing
the design;
• a description of the design indicating its novel aspects;
• a declaration by the true creator (where applicable);
• a certied copy of the priority document (if claimed);
Late ling of the abovementioned documents is allowed within 3months from the ling date with
the payment of a penalty fee.
More information on the registration requirements is available here: http://www.iponigeria.com/
Services
Validity
• 5years from the date of the application and renewable for two further consecutive terms
of 5years each subject to the payment of the prescribed fees;
• a grace period of 6months is allowed from the date when a design should lapse to pay for
its renewal subject to the payment of the prescribed penalty fees.
3.4.3 What qualies for registration?
An industrial design is capable of registration if it is new and is not contrary to public order or
morality. The application should state the novel features of the industrial design.
3.4.4 What cannot be registered?
The following cannot be registered:
• designs that are contrary to the law, public policy or morality;
• designs consisting solely of a minor dierentiation from existing or already known designs;
• designs that have already been exposed to the public, unless the exhibition was done at an
ocial exhibition and the application for the registration of the design is made within
6months of the exhibition;
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• designs whose features correspond to or are determined by functions to be performed by
the products.
3.4.5 Where can I le an application?
Application for the registration of an industrial design are led at the Patents and Designs Registry,
Abuja or online via the dedicated online platform. However, in both cases samples of the designs
will have to be submitted at the Registry.
3.4.6 How much does it cost?
National fees
Registration fees consist of government (ocial) fees and of professional fees, as indicated below.
Government (ocial) fees
The ocial fees for the registration of designs are xed from time to time by the Patents and
Designs Registry. Application fees are paid once, then annuities are paid yearly. After the rst
5years, the design owner can renew the registration by paying the renewal fees.
Professional fees
Professional fees vary according to the dierent IP rms and agents. Expertise, experience and
portfolio may aect the professional fees of dierent agents.
Likely overall registration costs for a Nigerian industrial design
The ocial fees for the prosecution of the registration and maintenance of an industrial design
are shown below:
3.4.7 How long does registration take?
An industrial design application takes an average of between 6-9months from the date of ling.
3.4.8 What is the duration of protection?
An industrial design registered in Nigeria is valid for an initial period of 5years from the ling date,
with the possibility of two further consecutive 5-year terms (for a total of 15years).
Type of Fee Fee (NGN)
Application fee 26,000
Annuity 11,000
Renewal fees 11,000
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3.4.9 When are renewal fees paid?
Renewal fees must be paid within 6months from the due date.
3.5 GEOGRAPHICAL INDICATIONS (GIs)
About GIs in Nigeria
Registration of GIs is not specically provided for under any Nigerian IP legislation. Presently, such
applications are led as trade marks and protected as such.
For further details, refer to the section on trade marks above.
3.6 COPYRIGHT AND NEIGHBOURING RIGHTS
A copyright is the term used to describe the rights that creators have over their literary, musical
and artistic works, as well as cinematograph lms, sound recordings and broadcasts. Once a work
is original and xed in a denite medium it is considered to be protected as a copyright without
the need for a formal registration once it. However, copyright will not be bestowed on literary,
musical and artistic works unless sucient eort has been expended in the making of the work to
give it an original character and it is xed in a denite medium. Copyright will also not be bestowed
on an artistic work that the author has made as a model or pattern to be used in the industrial
production of other copies. For administrative convenience, a xed copy of a work is required to
be registered with the Nigeria Copyright Commission (NCC) upon payment of xed fees.
Expressions of folklore and performers rights are recognised as neighbouring rights under the
Copyright Act.
More information on the NCC is available here: https://copyright.gov.ng/
About Copyright and Neighbouring Rights in Nigeria
Nigeria has a specic Copyright Act, the Copyright Act Cap. C28 Laws of the Federation of Nigeria
2004.
Nigeria is also a signatory to the Berne Convention, the WIPO Copyright Treaty and the WIPO
Performances and Phonograms Treaty.
3.6.1 Can I register?
In accordance with Article 5(2) of the Berne Convention, there is no requirement for copyright
registration in Nigeria. The copyright is conveyed on the author and is protected as soon as the
eligible original work is xed in a denite medium.
However, the Nigerian Copyright Commission (NCC) developed the voluntary Copyright Notication
Scheme, which allows authors to register their work with the NCC as proof of both the ownership
and the date of publication. This NCC registration also enables the NCC to know the owner of the
work and seize pirated copies when found during raids.
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More information on copyright registration is available here: https://copyright.gov.ng/copyright-
registration/
3.6.2 What qualies for protection?
Any original work in the categories listed below qualies for protection:
1) literary works;
2) musical works;
3) artistic works;
4) cinematograph lms;
5) sound recordings;
6) broadcasts.
3.6.3 What cannot be protected?
The following cannot be protected:
1) any work whose subject matter does not qualify for legal protection;
2) any artistic work created with the intention that it will serve as a model or pattern to be
multiplied by industrial process;
3) ideas are not protected (but the expression of the ideas is).
3.6.4 What are the requirements for legal protection?
The original work must be in one of the following categories:
1) literary works;
2) musical works;
3) artistic works;
4) cinematograph lms;
5) sound recordings;
6) broadcasts.
3.6.5 What are examples of acts permitted in relation to copyright works?
While copyright gives the copyright owners rights over their literary, musical and artistic works,
some acts are permitted that do not infringe copyright. These include, among others, the following:
• fair dealing: for purposes of research, private use, criticism or review or the reporting
of current events, subject to the condition that, if the use is public, it be accompanied by
an acknowledgement of the title of the work and its authorship except where the work is
incidentally included in a broadcast;
• parody, pastiche, or caricature;
• educational use;
• copies made to replace or conserve library or archival copies of works;
• the inclusion in a lm or a broadcast of an artistic work situated in a place where it can be
by the public;
• the reproduction and distribution of copies of any artistic work permanently situated in a
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place where it can be viewed by the public;
• the incidental inclusion of an artistic work in a lm or broadcast;
• the inclusion in a collection of literary or musical work which includes not more than two
excerpts from the work, if the collection bears a statement that it is designed for educational
use and includes an acknowledgement of the title and authorship of the work;
• the broadcasting of a work if the broadcast is approved by the broadcasting authority as
an educational broadcast;
• any use made of a work in an approved educational institution for the educational purposes
of that institution subject to the condition that, if a reproduction is made for any such
purpose, it will be destroyed before the end of the prescribed period, or if there is no
prescribed period, before the end of the period of 12months after it was made.
3.6.6 What acts are not permitted in relation to copyright works?
The following can only be performed with the permission of the copyright owner:
• reproducing the work;
• publishing the work;
• performing the work in public;
• distributing the work;
• translating the work;
• making an adaptation of the work.
3.6.7 What is the duration of protection?
The duration of copyright protection is as follows.
1. Literary, musical and artistic works (other than photographs): 70 years after the end of the
year in which the author dies; in the case of government or a body corporate,70 years after
the end of the year in which the work was rst published.
2. Cinematograph lms and photographs: 50years after the end of the year in which the
work was rst published.
3. Sound recordings: 50years after the end of the end of the year in which the recording was
rst made.
4. Broadcasts: 50years after the end of the year in which the broadcast rst took place.
3.6.8 Can I renew copyright after its term of protection expires?
Copyright cannot be renewed once its term has expired. At the end of the term of protection the
work lapses into the public domain.
3.6.9 Notes
• Collecting Societies are available for each genre of copyright work to aid copyright owners
with the collection of royalties and granting of licences.
• The Copyright Act recognises and protects foreign copyright by authors from countries that
have signed treaties with Nigeria.
• However, judicial precedents have shown that there are preconditions before such foreign
copyright will be granted protection. One of these conditions requires that on the date of
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the rst publication of the work, at least one of the authors is a citizen of or domiciled in
a country that is a party to an obligation in a treaty or other international agreement to
which Nigeria is a party.
Contact the Nigerian Copyright Commission (NCC) here: https://copyright.gov.ng/general-
copyright-inquiry/
