IP protection critical in national development - Mateke

Government has pledged more support for the innovations and creatives sector.

The state minister for youth and children affairs, Sarah Mateke Nyirabashitsi, says that government has an elaborate arrangement to ensure support, especially for young people involved in innovating and creating, saying that the sector was critical in achieving the country’s development agenda.

“By supporting the youth to protect their innovation and creativity, we are creating and fostering a culture of ingenious sustainability that will drive economic growth,” Mateke said.

On Tuesday (April 26, 2022) Uganda joined the rest of the world to commemorate the International Intellectual Property Day 2022 and a national event organized by the Uganda Registration Services Bureau was held at Protea Hotel in Kampala.

 The global theme this year by the World Intellectual Property Organisation (WIPO) is 'IP and Youth; Innovation for a Better Future.' 

While Uganda’s national theme is; 'Using the IP system to achieve youth employment in Uganda.'

She added that young people were creating promising solutions, illustrating the fact that they are not merely recipients of innovations, but co-creators of the future they will inherit.

“Uganda government continuously allocated resources to the innovations fund, in addition to establishing various institutions that promote research and innovation,”  Mateke added.

The minister indicated that many young people are stepping up in the area of innovation and creativity, despite poised challenges such as climate change.

"Therefore, we must support our youth in all of their endeavours because if supported through IP, they can achieve their goals, “she said.

"Awareness about IP should be harnessed all across including the learning institutions. There is still a lot to do in that area,” Mateke added. 

The minister also wants IP made part of the curriculum at different levels of education.

"I want to thank the URSB which organised this event not only to highlight challenges but also opportunities provided by IP," she said.

The theme for this year according to URSB registrar general, Mercy Kainobwisho resonates well with Uganda’s status, which has the youngest and fastest-growing population globally.

According to the Uganda National Household Survey 2019/2020, 54% of Uganda’s population is below the age of 18 years.

“Uganda’s young people are an incredible source of creativity and ingenuity,” she said. 

Kainobwisho insisted that IP Day 2022 was an opportunity for young people to find out how IP rights can support their goals, help transform their ideas into reality, generate income, create jobs and make a positive impact on the world around them.

 IP, Kainobwisho said was a critical part of the national creative and innovative ecosystem, especially for individual creators, entrepreneurs, start-ups, and small and medium-sized entrepreneurs (SMEs).

“Unfortunately, IP rights are increasingly threatened by activists who deny creators and innovators their livelihoods in favour of access to free content and products,” Kainabwisho said.

She tasked educational institutions to support young people to grow their talents and their innovative and creative abilities.

"IP is critical for social political and economic transformation. Therefore, it is critical for young people who are innovative to be brought on board," she said.

Kainobwiisho highlighted that there is a conducive environment in Uganda to aid creativity as she tasked young people to create employment through creativity.

"Today we have an enabling framework which enables the use of IP as collateral," she said.

 To build advocacy around IP, Kainobwiisho Indicated that they have collaborations with different people including learning institutions.