CALL FOR PAPER
Welcome to the All Africa IP Summit 2025 Call for Papers.
We are now accepting abstract submissions for the upcoming summit. This will be an in-person summit with a diverse audience, featuring high-level panel discussions, paper presentations, breakout sessions, an exhibition, and a marketplace. Participants will include representatives from IP offices, industry experts, innovators, academics, civil society, policymakers, investors, creatives, IP practitioners, and business and trade membership organizations from Africa and beyond.
We invite researchers, academics, development practitioners, scientists, investors, and professionals whose work intersects with Intellectual Property to submit abstracts of their original work for consideration.
The theme of the summit
Building an Inclusive IP Ecosystem for Africa’s Future
Subtheme
What is the IP Ecosystem We Want for Africa?
Topics of Interest
Innovation, Protection & Inclusive Development
- Encouraging homegrown innovation and Patent Protection.
- Fostering African innovation through IP
- Harnessing IP for inclusive development
- Empowering Women and youth within Africa IP system
- Strengthening the protection of industrial designs.
- New Plant Variety protection for Africa’s food security
Traditional Knowledge, Cultural Heritage & Genetic Resources: preserving Africa’s cultural heritage.
- Supporting rural communities through traditional products.
- Marketing, promoting and protecting Africa Geographical Indications.
- The WIPO Treaty on Traditional Knowledge, Traditional Cultural Expressions and Genetic Resources: Implications – Implications and Opportunities for Africa.
- Examining African countries’ experiences with legislation on TK associated with genetic resources.
- Protecting African traditional knowledge and know-how
- African traditional knowledge inside the IP Ecosystem for Africa’s Development
IP and Technology: Digital Trade, AI & Access
- The AfCFTA Protocol on Digital Trade: IP Implications.
- Intellectual property law in Africa confronted with the challenges of Artificial Intelligence.
- Access to technologies for Africa’s development: The use of IP Public Domain and Patents database information as a tool.
- Intellectual property and access to medicine.
Legal & Policy Frameworks for a Future-Ready IP System
- Implementing policy and legal reforms for a future-ready IP system.
- The Pan African Intellectual Property Organization: Role and challenges.
- Dakar Declaration on Intellectual Property for Africa.
- Combating Counterfeiting under AfCFTA
- Anti-counterfeit measures: the role of governments, private sector actors, and communities
Strategy for Africa’s IP Ecosystem
- What is the ideal IP Ecosystem We Want for Africa?
- Rethinking Africa’s IP strategy to overcome systemic barriers
- Aligning IP strategy with Agenda 2063
Economic Growth, Competitiveness & Investment
- Enhancing global competitiveness of Africa IP innovated products and Services
- Leveraging IP to foster development, economic growth, and regional integration under the AfCFTA
- Promoting collective prosperity through IP in Africa
- Intellectual Property Cooperation in China-Africa relations.
IP and University and Research Systems in Africa. - Mobilizing African direct investment to fund Innovation and commercialization
- Balancing IP commitments with continental, regional, national and local development needs
Submission Guidelines
Please adhere to the following guidelines when preparing your submission:
Submission Process
The Abstract and paper must be in English or French
The abstract (300 -500 words count) should be submitted along with the title of the paper, the author’s name, the name of the author’s institution, the author’s email and telephone number, etc.
The abstract should be uploaded to the platform provided
Important Dates
Submission of Abstract Deadline: 30th June 2025
Notification of Acceptance: 18th July 2025
Submission of Complete paper: 19th September 2025
Submission 5-15 PowerPoint Presentation: 30th September 2025
Review Process
An abstract will be selected based on its originality, quality, alignment with the theme/sub-themes, topic of interest and capacity to provoke productive debate.
All submissions will undergo a rigorous peer-review process. At least two Faculty Advisors will review each abstract. The review process is double-blind, ensuring the anonymity of both authors and reviewers.
When the decisions on the acceptance of the abstract have been communicated to the selected applicant, the selected applicant will be expected to submit their complete paper (not exceeding 10,000 words) by the stipulated date below. Submissions must be original and not under consideration for publication elsewhere.
Publication
Accepted papers will be published with a reputable publishing house after the summit.
Contact Information: For any inquiries regarding the Call for Papers, please contact:
Name: Shukurat Amosa
Email: africaipsummit@it-rc.org
LinkedIn: Shukurat Amosa
We look forward to receiving your submissions and welcoming you to the leading All Africa IP Summit 2025!
Sign
Sand Mba-Kalu
Chairman Organising Committee
