Attorney General and Minister of Justice Alpha Sesay has called on universities and state research centres in Sierra Leone to strengthen intellectual property protection and create systems that will enable researchers and innovators to turn their ideas into commercial products.
Sesay has set the end of December 2026 as the deadline for the institutions to establish or modernise their intellectual property (IP) policies and technology transfer offices, stressing the need to protect innovations from unauthorised copying and exploitation.
He made the call during National Intellectual Property Week, held at the New Brookfields Hotel in Freetown on 13-14 October 2026, under the theme,
“Empowering Universities, Research and Development Institutions and Emerging Innovators Through Intellectual Property.”
Addressing participants, Sesay emphasised that Sierra Leone’s challenge was not a shortage of talent or innovative ideas, but the lack of adequate systems to transform those ideas into commercial value.
“Your idea is an asset. Protect it,” he said, urging universities, researchers, technology developers and creative entrepreneurs to recognise intellectual property as an important tool for safeguarding their work and promoting economic opportunities.
The summit was jointly organised by the Office of the Administrator and Registrar General (OARG), the Office of the Attorney General and Minister of Justice, the World Intellectual Property Organisation (WIPO) and the Japan Patent Office (JPO).
OARG Administrator and Registrar General Martina Baindu Egbenda also called for stronger intellectual property management frameworks in tertiary institutions, noting the importance of creating pathways for research findings and inventions to move from academic institutions into the marketplace.
As part of efforts to improve intellectual property administration, OARG is transitioning from manual record-keeping to digital registries and working with the African Regional Intellectual Property Organization (ARIPO) to enhance registration services.
In July 2026, Sierra Leone acceded to the Banjul Protocol, becoming part of ARIPO’s regional trademark system.
The initiative further highlighted plans to establish intellectual property clubs in schools and tertiary institutions to educate students about innovation and the importance of protecting creative works.
The measures are aimed at strengthening intellectual property management, encouraging innovation and creating an environment in which research and creative ideas can be protected and developed into commercially valuable products and services.