The Director-General of the Nigerian Copyright Commission (NCC), Dr. John Asein, has emphasized the urgent need for the protection and effective management of innovative technologies and knowledge-based assets of the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Ltd (NNPCL) and other industries within the country’s petrochemical sector.

Dr. Asein made this known at the opening ceremony of a five-day capacity-building workshop on Intellectual Property (IP) Law and Management for staff of the NNPC’s Research, Technology and Innovation (RTI) Department, organized by the Nigerian Copyright Academy (NCA), the training arm of the NCC, in collaboration with the NNPC Academy, in Abuja from 3rd to 7th November 2025.

Represented at the event by the Director of NCA, Mrs. Funmi Adewale, Dr. Asein highlighted that NNPC’s intellectual properties, including new technologies, critical research data, and proprietary software are crucial to the company’s future growth and competitiveness. He stressed that the failure to safeguard these assets could be detrimental to national development and the company’s reputation.

“Protecting these knowledge-based assets is as crucial as protecting your physical infrastructure,” Dr. Asein stated. “You secure your pipelines, drilling rigs, and refineries because they are critical to your operations. In the same way, you must secure your patents for new fuel formulas, software copyrights for data analysis tools, and trade secrets for proprietary extraction processes. The risks of not doing so,financial loss, weakened competitive position, reputational damage are simply too great to ignore.”

Dr. Asein noted that the workshop aimed to equip NNPC-RTI staff with practical knowledge on managing the company’s intellectual assets, including patents, copyrights, and trademarks, as well as strategies to mitigate risks associated with IP infringement. He emphasized that this initiative represents a significant step in the collaboration between NCC and NNPC to ensure that the company’s creative and innovative assets are protected and effectively utilized.

He further assured participants that the NCC is committed to providing NNPC with technical support necessary to establish a robust IP management system. He urged the attendees to actively engage with the facilitators, ask questions, and seek clarifications, stressing that they are the guardians of NNPC’s creativity and innovation.

During the workshop, participants, in collaboration with the NCC team, reviewed the draft IP Policy submitted by the NCC, aimed at providing a framework for managing NNPC’s IP assets and safeguarding the company’s innovative legacy. Observations and contributions from the review will be integrated, and the policy will be resubmitted.

Speaking at the end of the workshop, Mrs. Mercy Ogbonna, NNPC Manager, License and Acquisition, commended the NCC management and facilitators for the depth of knowledge shared. She expressed optimism that the collaboration with NCC will enhance the capacity of NNPC’s RTI Department while also contributing positively to the growth of Nigeria’s IP ecosystem and national economy.

Similarly, Mr. Haliru Adamu, NNPC Programme Coordinator, praised the NCC team, describing them as professionals of the highest caliber, noted for their excellence in coordination and delivery.

The workshop covered a wide array of topics, including: Introduction to IP, Dispute Resolution, Enforcement, Patent and Trademark Management, Copyright Law and Management, Trade Secrets, Confidential Information and Emerging Trends in IP, IP Management and Strategy, as well as Case Studies and Simulations.

Resource persons included: Mr. Collins Nweke, Director PRS; Mr. Kunle Olatunji, Deputy Director and Head, Regulatory and Compliance; Mr. Temitope Ogunbanjo, Assistant Chief Registrar, Commercial Law Department, Federal Ministry of Industry, Trade and Investment; Mr. Obi Ezeilo, Principal Partner, Boe Consult Legal Practitioners; Mr. Michael Akpan, Principal Partner, Alpha-Edge; Mr. Obafemi Agaba, Partner and Head, Litigation and Dispute Resolution, Jackson Etti & Edu RCO Court, among others from the NCC.

High points of the training included interactive presentation sessions, Q&A segments, review of the draft NNPC IP Policy, adoption of the name “The NNPC IP Pioneers” for the cohorts, and a final review of the workshop by participants.

At the conclusion of the workshop, participants commended the NCC facilitators for their depth of knowledge, professionalism, and impeccable delivery. They expressed confidence that the workshop would serve as a springboard for developing a robust IP management team at NNPC, capable of safeguarding and maximizing the value of the company’s innovative assets.