Deadline: June 20, 2025
Submit entries for the WIPO National IP Essay Competition 2025. Every year on April 26, the World Intellectual Property (IP) Day is celebrated to learn more about the role that IP rights play in encouraging innovation, creativity, and economic and cultural development across the world. This year’s celebration is themed “IP and music: Feel the beat of IP”, shining the spotlight on the music industry and the critical ways IP empowers and supports the creatives, artists, innovators, and musicians that bring the industry to life.
Contest Details
Music is one of the most powerful forms of creative expression, capable of inspiring, uniting, and moving people across borders and generations. However, behind every beat, melody, and lyrics are IP rights which play an essential role in protecting the creators and ensuring that they earn a living, while incentivizing their artistic endeavour. This year’s campaign invites the world to explore how IP fosters a thriving music industry by empowering artists, encouraging investment in new talent, enabling collaborations, and allowing the global sharing of diverse musical cultures.
Nigeria’s booming music industry has become a dominant source of national identity and global influence. As Afrobeats and other Nigerian sounds increasingly capture the world’s attention, it becomes necessary to explore how innovation and effective IP protection can sustain this momentum and unlock greater economic value. From improved copyright enforcement to equitable royalty systems, from tech-driven music production and distribution to cross-border licensing opportunities, Nigerian artists and other stakeholders must navigate new frontiers for economic growth, with IP at the fore, both as a shield and a springboard.
The essay competition topic, “IP and Music: Harnessing Nigeria’s Music Industry for Economic Growth”, therefore, invites students to critically reflect on how the creativity of the various players in Nigeria’s music industry, combined with strong IP frameworks, can contribute significantly to the nation’s economy. It also challenges students to reflect on the obstacles, including the impact of emerging technologies, and propose forward-looking solutions that support sustainable growth in the industry and the larger economy.
Participation in this competition will provide students with an excellent opportunity to research and deepen their understanding of the role of IP in driving innovation within the music industry, while contributing fresh insights on how Nigeria’s vibrant creative sector can be harnessed to fuel sustainable economic growth.
Prizes
- Winners and outstanding participants of the 2025 National IP Essay Competition will receive a variety of exciting learning, professional development and capacity building prizes.
Eligibility
- Open to all registered students (undergraduate and postgraduate) of recognised tertiary institutions in Nigeria, including Universities, Colleges of Education, Polytechnics, as well as Professional or Vocational institutions.
Judging Criteria
- Originality of ideas;
- Structural flow, clarity of thought and expression, grammatical accuracy and coherence;
- Relevance to the field of intellectual property (IP);
- Relevance to the national, regional and/or international context; and
- Policy suggestions, proposals and/or pathways for improving the creative economy
Entry Requirements
- The essay must be written in English.
- Essay entries should not exceed 1,500 words (bibliography and references are excluded from the word count).
- Entries should be prepared in Arial (Black) font size 12, with double line spacing, and pages numbered.
- Entries should be submitted in both Word and PDF format.
- Entries must not include any pictures or other graphical illustrations.
- Entries must not contain any indication as to the name, 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.
- AI-generated works are not eligible for submission and will be disqualified.
- Submissions received after June 20, 2025 will not be considered.
- A valid student ID card or proof of enrolment will be required when submitting.
Application
For more information, visit WIPO National IP Essay Competition.
