Nigeria and Algeria to host Africa's first regional WIPO office

The bid to host the first Africa Regional Office of the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO), has been won by Nigeria and Algeria. This follows the decision by WIPO member states at the 2016/17 Biennium to prioritize the opening of an external regional office in Africa.

Countries interested in hosting the regional office submitted bids to WIPO which were then presented before the Intra-african assembly for voting. Nigeria won the bid by taking first place with 33 votes and Algeria garnering 29 votes put it firmly in second place at the recent Assembly of member states of WIPO meeting in Geneva Switzerland.

WIPO maintains a headquarters at Geneva, Switzerland, with five regional Offices located in Russia (Europe); Japan, China, Singapore-Philippines (Asia); and Rio de Janeirio –Brazil (South America). The two offices are to be established between 2016 and 2017 .