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ARTICLE · 19 SEPTEMBER 2025

OAPI Championing Copyright To Increase Economic Growth

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OAPI, in collaboration with the World Intellectual Property Organization and the Government of Cameroon, hosted the joint regional conference in Yaoundé on 28 and 29 July 2025.

South AfricaIntellectual Property
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OAPI, in collaboration with the World Intellectual Property Organization and the Government of Cameroon, hosted the joint regional conference in Yaoundé on 28 and 29 July 2025. The event brought together public decision makers, experts and cultural actors from Central and West Africa with the view of developing a roadmap to ensure that copyright is used as a driver of economic growth.

Key sectors of the entertainment industry such as cinema, music and visual arts must be strengthened in order to maximise economic and fiscal benefits indicated Denis Bohoussou, Director General of OAPI. According to research conducted by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO), the creative and cultural industries contribute around 2.2% to Africa's Gross Domestic Product and employs nearly five million people across the continent. It is estimated that cultural consumption on the continent could reach up to USD 15 billion by 2024, driven by access

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