Log in or register
Share on LinkedInShare on LinkedIn

ARTICLE · 29 JULY 2019

Intellectual Property Protection For Software Rights In Nigeria

SPA Ajibade & Co
Explore more from SPA Ajibade & Co

Nigeria has a growing market for software products, and businesses have developed an increased need for this technology tool, to adapt to market changes, augment business processes...

NigeriaIntellectual Property
Bisola Scott
Bisola Scott
Author LinkedIn connections

Intellectual Property Protection for Software Rights in Nigeria

1. Introduction

Nigeria has a growing market for software products, and businesses have developed an increased need for this technology tool, to adapt to market changes, augment business processes, increase productivity and boost efficiency and speed in customer service delivery. Software products are valuable intellectual property assets and due to the competitive nature of the software industry,1 it requires adequate protection to enable software developers maximize the benefits of their work and prevent unauthorized exploitation by third parties. Software rights are protectable under intellectual property law in Nigeria through copyright, patents, trademarks and trade secrets law.

We operate a free-to-view policy, asking only that you register in order to read all of our content. Please login or register to view the rest of this article.

Register for freeORLog in

The content of this article is intended to provide a general guide to the subject matter. Specialist advice should be sought about your specific circumstances.

View source

Related Articles

Legal Intelligence Newsletters: sign up for the latest legal and regulatory news on your chosen topics

Read more about

Related Comparative Guides

See more popular content from

Article

Legal Safeguards Against Fashion Design Piracy In Nigeria

Fashion design piracy poses a significant threat to Nigeria's creative industry, with designers facing unauthorized copying of their original works. This analysis examines the intellectual property frameworks available to Nigerian fashion designers, including copyright, trademark, patent, and industrial design protections, while exploring the practical challenges of enforcement in a rapidly evolving industry where knockoffs and counterfeits proliferate faster than legal remedies can address them.
NigeriaIntellectual Property
G ELIAS
G ELIAS
Article

Fake Products In Nigeria: Legal Remedies, Civil Actions, And Brand Protection Strategies

Fake products in Nigeria require swift legal remedies, decisive civil actions, and proactive brand protection strategies to safeguard consumers and businesses. Without urgent intervention, unsuspecting buyers lose hard-earned money and suffer severe physical harm from substandard goods, while brand owners watch illegal syndicates clone their original packaging, steal their revenue, and destroy decades of commercial goodwill overnight.
NigeriaIntellectual Property
Olisa Agbakoba Legal (OAL)
Olisa Agbakoba Legal (OAL)
Article

Nigeria Clarifies Copyright Ownership Of Musical Works

A Nigerian Federal High Court has ruled on a high-stakes copyright dispute over the globally acclaimed gospel song "Way Maker," examining whether a music producer's technical contributions to a recording constitute co-authorship. The judgment clarifies the critical distinction between creative authorship and production services in determining copyright ownership. This decision carries significant implications for how the music industry documents and allocates rights between artists and technical contributor
NigeriaIntellectual Property
Adams & Adams
Adams & Adams
Article

Inside The New NFF $8.5m Kit And Merch Deal With Adidas: What It Signals For Sports And IP In Africa

The Nigeria Football Federation's landmark partnership with Adidas, worth a guaranteed $8.5 million annually, marks a significant shift in how African sports federations structure commercial deals. Beyond the headline figures lies a sophisticated intellectual property framework built on merchandise royalties, brand protection, and licensing rights that could reshape the commercial landscape of African sport.
NigeriaIntellectual Property
Olisa Agbakoba Legal (OAL)
Olisa Agbakoba Legal (OAL)
Article

The Business Of Creativity: Legal Risks In Nigeria's Creator Economy

Nigeria's creator economy has moved from informal hustle to an investable industry. The 2025 Nigerian Creator Economy Report (NCER), the first government-backed assessment of the sector, valued it at $31.2 million, with the music industry alone paying artists roughly ₦58 billion in royalties in 2024, and the fashion sector growing into a $4.7 billion contributor to GDP. Industry forecasters expect the broader African creator economy to multiply several times over by the end of the decade.
NigeriaIntellectual Property
Compos Mentis Legal Practitioners
Compos Mentis Legal Practitioners
Article

An Overview Of The Economic Valuation Of Intellectual Property Assets

We currently live in an era where the most valuable assets of a corporation may never be seen, touched, or physically inspected. Patents governing life-saving pharmaceutical compounds, trademarks representing decades of consumer trust, software architectures powering digital economies, and trade secrets encoding proprietary processes have displaced machinery, land, and buildings as the primary reservoirs of corporate wealth.
NigeriaIntellectual Property
SPA Ajibade & Co
SPA Ajibade & Co
Article

When A Signature Becomes A Liability: Understanding The Concept Of Guarantorship Under Nigerian Law

The concept of Guarantorship is often taken for granted in Nigeria. The seemingly small request we now hear from friends, family members or even colleagues can be captured in the following sample appeal: “I collected one small loan, and I need you to be my guarantor. Please just sign here, I already know how to pay back; it will not be a big deal.”
NigeriaCorporate/Commercial Law
SPA Ajibade & Co
SPA Ajibade & Co
Article

Substance, Procedure, And Proof: Unpacking The Supreme Court’s Judgment In Katagum v. Umar & Anor. And Its Effect On Witness Statements On Oath Improperly Sworn Or Signed

Modern legal practice has long evolved beyond witnesses testifying fully in court for their evidence-in-chief.2 To save valuable judicial time by expediting proceedings, and to enhance the due administration of justice, witnesses in civil proceedings now adopt their pre-prepared written statements at trial.
NigeriaLitigation, Mediation & Arbitration
SPA Ajibade & Co
SPA Ajibade & Co
Article

Nigeria Strengthens Cloud Governance And Sovereign Cloud Development

The National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA) has introduced four key instruments to strengthen Nigeria’s cloud governance, digital infrastructure, and investment landscape: the National Cloud Computing Guideline 2026, National Cloud Technical Guideline 2026, National Digital Infrastructure Assurance Framework (NDIAF), and National Cloud Investment Strategy. The Guidelines, signed by the Director-General of NITDA, Kashifu Inuwa Abdullahi, on 4 August 2026, are scheduled to take effect on 1 January 2027.1
NigeriaGovernment, Public Sector
SPA Ajibade & Co
SPA Ajibade & Co
Article

The Legal Status Of Gas Flaring After The Petroleum Industry Act 2021: Is Routine Flaring Still Indirectly Legal In Nigeria

Gas flaring has been a source of pollution in the Niger Delta region for more than six decades, polluting the atmosphere the soil, and eroding the lives of communities living in one of the most oil-rich regions in Africa. The Nigerian government's efforts at solving this environmental problem have been characterized by delay and capture. The enactment of the Petroleum Industry Act 20212 represents the most ambitious legislative attempt yet to bring routine flaring to an end, through an explicit statutory prohibition, mandatory monetisation planning, and a new institutional architecture anchored around the Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission.
NigeriaEnergy and Natural Resources
SPA Ajibade & Co
SPA Ajibade & Co
Article

An Overview Of The Economic Valuation Of Intellectual Property Assets

We currently live in an era where the most valuable assets of a corporation may never be seen, touched, or physically inspected. Patents governing life-saving pharmaceutical compounds, trademarks representing decades of consumer trust, software architectures powering digital economies, and trade secrets encoding proprietary processes have displaced machinery, land, and buildings as the primary reservoirs of corporate wealth.
NigeriaIntellectual Property
SPA Ajibade & Co
SPA Ajibade & Co