Since its first edition in 2023, the WIPO IP and Women Business Summit has created a platform for women entrepreneurs, Intellectual Property (IP) experts and government stakeholders to come together to engage on the role of IP in empowering women entrepreneurs, innovators and creators.
The pilot edition of the summit held on April 26, 2023 in commemoration of the World IP Day. It was themed, “Women as Catalysts of Innovation and Creativity in Nigeria: Opportunities and Challenges; and aimed to celebrate the “can do” attitude of women inventors, creators and entrepreneurs in Nigeria, while yet discussing opportunities for increased participation of women in the fields of innovation, creativity and business. Over 100 women entrepreneurs from different sectors, government officials and IP experts were in attendance, marking a significant start to what would become a much-anticipated gathering of women entrepreneurs all over Nigeria.
Building on the success of the previous edition, the 2024 edition of the Summit, organized in partnership with Women in Management, Business and Public Service, had over 600 women in attendance. It was themed “Leveraging Intellectual Property for Business Growth” and aimed to explore how deliberate investment in women entrepreneurs can support innovation and creativity for national prosperity, and how IP can be leveraged by female entrepreneurs to grow their businesses.
