IP and the Nigerian Creative Economy - Why Founders Are Leaving Money On The Table

IP and the Nigerian Creative Economy: Why Founders Are Leaving Money On The Table

Business Advisory, Business, Entrepreneurs, computers and technology, fashion, Innovation and Technology, Intellectual Property, Startups and MSME Law

Film, music, fashion, digital content, gaming, and design, as well as the technology platforms that distribute and monetise creative work, are among Nigeria’s fastest-growing sectors and among its top exports to the world. Nollywood is the second-largest film industry in the world by volume with the industry projected to surpass ₦20 billion in gross box office revenue by the end of 2026. The Nigerian music industry is attracting international commercial interest in a way that seemed impossible a decade ago. Nigerian fashion, design, and digital content are gaining commercial sophistication.

World IP Day 2026 Your Nigerian Brand Is Not Protected Until You Have Done This

World IP Day 2026: Your Nigerian Brand Is Not Protected Until You Have Done This

Business Advisory, Corporate & Commercial, Intellectual Property, Startups and MSME Law

Every week, we hear a story about a Nigerian business owner who has just discovered that someone else has registered their brand name as a trademark. Or that the logo their designer created is legally owned by the designer, not the business. Or that the technology they licensed from a foreign company cannot be enforced because it was never registered with NOTAP.
In every case, the business owner believed they were protected. They registered their business name with the Corporate Affairs Commission. They had a contract with their designer where they signed a license agreement but none of that was enough. And the cost of fixing it where feasible is always higher than the cost of getting it right in the first place.
On World IP Day, this article explains what it actually takes to protect a brand and its intellectual property in Nigeria in 2026.

Goldsmiths Solicitors – Legal Recap for the Year 2025

Banking and Finance Law, Business Advisory, Business, Entrepreneurs, Business, Sales, Capital Markets, Corporate & Commercial, Financial Services, Financial Technology (FinTech), Innovation and Technology, Intellectual Property, Public Sector, Startups and MSME Law, Telecommunications

2025 was a very exciting year and saw significant changes in Nigeria’s legal and regulatory landscape. Series of laws were enacted by the National Assembly and regulatory guidelines were also issued by regulators including the Central Bank of Nigeria, Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission, the Nigerian Communications Commission, etc. There were also some important judicial decisions from the courts in Nigeria which shaped the legal and regulatory space in the country. This recap is divided into four parts representing the four quarters of the year, highlighting what we think are the most impactful laws and regulations, reforms, and judicial decisions in 2025.

Better Late than Never: Nigeria Finally Passes the Data Protection Act

Banking and Finance Law, Business Advisory, Corporate & Commercial, Financial Services, Financial Technology (FinTech), Innovation and Technology, Insights, Intellectual Property, Labour and Employment, Media and Entertainment, Startups and MSME Law, Telecommunications, Transportation

On 12 June 2023, the Nigeria Data Protection Act, 2023 (“the Act”) was signed into law by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu. The Act provides a legal framework for the protection…

Trademarks in Nigeria: Registration, Infringement and Enforcement

Business Advisory, Corporate & Commercial, Innovation and Technology, Insights, Intellectual Property, Media and Entertainment, Sports Law, Startups and MSME Law, Telecommunications

A Trademark is a unique sign or mark that distinguishes the goods and services of one business from another. A mark can either be a device, brand, heading, label, ticket, name, signature, word, letter, numeral, or any combination thereof. Most businesses, companies or organizations have distinctive marks that sets them apart from other businesses.