Every year on April 26, we celebrate the World Intellectual Property (IP) Day to learn more about the role that IP rights play in encouraging innovation and creativity, and ultimately in shaping our world. This year’s celebration is themed “IP and SDGs: Building Our Common Future with Innovation and Creativity”, highlighting the role that IP plays in achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) of the United Nations.
The essay competition topic “IP and Sustainable Agriculture: Combating Food Insecurity in Nigeria” is an opportunity for students to reflect on the relationship between IP and SDG’s, with a primary focus on the opportunities and challenges for harnessing IP towards achieving food security in Nigeria.
Essay entries will be assessed for factual accuracy, imagination, originality, creative and innovative thought, by an independent expert Panel of Judges drawn from leading IP practitioners and entrepreneurs, academics, policy experts, scholars, and regulators across the country. Participation in this competition will provide students with an excellent opportunity to research and learn more about the field of intellectual property and its interaction with SGDs, while yet contributing directly to policy making as they explore policy ideas along the lines of this year’s essay topic.
Aim and Benefits
- Five (5) scholarship spots to attend the WIPO Summer Schools on Intellectual Property.
- Fellowship spots on the West African Young Innovation Leaders Fellowship.
- Authors of the top 15 essays will receive special WIPO Packages and Certificates of Achievement.
- The top three essays will be submitted to WIPO for possible publication in the WIPO Magazine, subject to WIPO publication schedule and review.
- All authors of winning essays will receive scholarships to undertake any of the WIPO Distance Learning (DL) courses.
- Several other exciting IP learning and professional capacity building prizes will be won!
Requirements
The national competition is open to all registered students (undergraduate and postgraduate) of recognized tertiary institutions in Nigeria; Universities, Colleges of Education, Polytechnics, as well as professional or vocational institutions.
Interview date, Process and Venue
What our judges will look out for:
- Originality;
- Structural flow, clarity of thought and expression, grammatical accuracy and coherence;
- Relevance to the field of intellectual property (IP);
- Relevance to national, regional and/or international context;
- Clear policy suggestions, proposals and/or pathways.
Application Deadline
May 31, 2024
How to Apply
Interested and qualified? Go to World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) on surveys.wipo.int to apply
- Font- 12 Arial (Black);
- The essay shall be written in English in not less than 500 but not more than 1,500 words (500min- 1500 max), bibliography and references excluded;
- Double-line spacing and page numbered;
- Submissions must be made in word and pdf format;
- Do not include any pictures or other graphical illustrations;
- Entries must not contain any indication as to the names, school, number, email address or other means of identification or affiliation of its author and/or any other person;
- Plagiarism of any sort will result in disqualification;
- Submissions received after the announced deadline of May 31, 2024 will not be considered.
For more details,visit WIPO website
