— As LIPO Director General describes moment as “historic” undertaking
Seated on the front row, fourth from right, Hon. Garmai Koboi, Director General of LIPO, and fourth from left, Emmanuel Rougombinka, a counselor at WIPO, along with consultants, LIPO officials, and participants at the validation workshop held on December 19, 2025.
The Government of Liberia, through the Liberia Intellectual Property Office (LIPO), has held a stakeholder consultation and validation workshop of the draft of the country’s National Intellectual Property Policy and Strategy (NIPPS).
The workshop, held at the Corina Hotel on December 19, 2025, in collaboration with the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO), brought together a diverse group of stakeholders from several government ministries, agencies, commissions, the creative industries, academia, trade groups, and entrepreneurs to chart a path forward for a shared national vision in building a vibrant innovation and creative ecosystem that uses IP as a tool for economic growth.
Key components of the NIPPS discussed were IP awareness and education, IP enforcement and legal frameworks, enhanced institutional coordination, support for IP commercialization, particularly for SMEs and creators, and the role of traditional knowledge and geographical indications.
“The gathering represents a key step in achieving the Government of Liberia’s commitment in the ARREST Agenda to develop a robust intellectual property ecosystem that drives national development and economic diversification,” said Hon. Garmai Koboi, Director General of LIPO, during the opening session.
Hon. Koboi noted that the NIPPS is a historic document geared toward setting a clear direction for the country’s intellectual property ecosystem, highlighting the role the strategy will play in strengthening and sustaining the national economy in line with the government’s socioeconomic development plans, including Vision 2030 and the ARREST Agenda.
In remarks, Emmanuel Rougombinka, a counselor at WIPO, noted that the NIPPS is a strategic tool to support national development by aligning policies and actions that promote the creation, use, and enforcement of IP with the country’s broader development goals.
Mr. Rougombinka added that the validation workshop comes as the Government of Liberia has been making sustained efforts toward advancing intellectual property reforms in the country.
According to Mr. Rougombinka, the NIPPS will guide Liberia in implementing its intellectual property system in line with national development goals, as the document clearly lays out why and how intellectual property should be used to support economic growth, innovation, cultural development, trade, and the public interest.
The workshop comes after WIPO consultant Dr. Theresa Thomas-Borbor, national consultant for LIPO; Bathusi Lesolobe, international copyright consultant; and Dr. Dick M. Kamugasha, international consultant, conducted a series of prior stakeholder consultations to assess the current state of the country’s innovation ecosystem and audit the country’s past Intellectual Property Development Plan.
The consultations and audit identified existing strengths, challenges, and opportunities, as well as gathered recommendations that informed the current draft NIPPS, which focuses on the country’s needs and IP priorities. The draft document reflects views from more than 50 stakeholders from government institutions, the private sector, and academia.
The NIPPS is a five-year strategic plan (2026–2031) designed in alignment with national development goals. It sets out national objectives, principles, and priorities for intellectual property and explains how intellectual property should be used to support economic growth, innovation, cultural development, trade, and the public interest. The strategy translates the policy into actionable programs and defines institutions, timelines, responsibilities, resources, and monitoring mechanisms.
