The Nigerian Copyright Commission (NCC) has honoured 18 students of some tertiary institutions who emerged winners and finalists of the 2021 Intellectual Property (IP) Essay Competition with copyright ambassadors.
The Director-General of NCC, Mr John Asein, said this on Friday when the Counselor, World Intellectual Property Organisation (WIPO), Mr Oluwatobiloba Moody, led the students to pay him a visit in Abuja.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that out of the 167 students who participated in the 2021 WIPO Intellectual Property Essay Competition, 18 emerged winners and finalists.
The theme of the essay was “Intellectual Property (IP), Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) and Economic Recovery.”
Asein, who was represented by the Director, Finance and Account of the NCC, Mr Mark Obasi, said that the honour was part of the commission’s efforts to strengthen knowledge and awareness on the importance of Intellectual property.
“This visit is apt and has come at right time especially when the whole world is commemorating the International Intellectual Property Day,” the director general said.
Moody said the visit was part of the WIPO activities to commemorate World Intellectual Property Day.
He said that the WIPO embarked on National Intellectual Property study tour to the commission and other relevant agencies to make the winners benefit the dividend of the competition.
“When we launched IP Essay Competition with theme of IP, SMEs and Recovery in Nigeria, we opened it to all students of tertiary institutions across Nigeria.
“They were invited to summit essay of 1,500 words on Intellectual Property, Small Medium Enterprises and Economic Recovery.
“This is part of efforts to celebrate the world Intellectual Property Day in Nigeria.
“In terms of schools, we invited university, polytechnic. College of Education and other professional institutions like law school.
“We received 167 entries across the country and there was a panel of judges comprising academic, policy experts, government’s officials and representatives from international organizations who met to review these entries.
“We went out of the rigorous process and this was how winners emerged.
“We also did a basic check by constituting a planning committee that review each essay to ensure that it passed a test of plagiarism,” WIPO counselor said.
He said that the winners and finalists would benefit a number of capacity building opportunities.
“In the prize package, we offer them a number of capacity building opportunities and this is the main focus of the competition. It is to build capacity on Intellectual Property in Nigeria.
“Each person who merges as a winner or a finalist in this competition, we commit to build their capacity as ambassadors who will go back to strengthen knowledge and awareness on intellectual property.
“In addition, we give them access to scholarship for WIPO distance learning courses and the winners benefit from international travel opportunity to go and learn more abroad,” Moody said.
The overall winner, Miss Oyin Komolafe, 300 level law student at the University of Ibadan expressed delight over the victory.
She said that she would take advantage of the competition to develop interest to practice intellectual property law in future.