The development Research and Projects Centre (dRPC) is currently implementing Creative Rights to Market: Building Intellectual Property Readiness for Nigeria’s Next Generation of Creative Entrepreneurs, a 12-month initiative designed to strengthen intellectual property (IP) literacy, rights management, and commercialization capacity among young Nigerian creatives and digital professionals. The project is supported through a grant from the U.S. Department of State and implemented in collaboration with U.S. Government exchange alumni, creative industry experts, and intellectual property professionals.
The project responds to the growing need for Nigerian creators to better understand and leverage intellectual property as a tool for wealth creation, business growth, and international market access. Despite the rapid expansion of Nigeria’s creative economy, many filmmakers, musicians, writers, fashion designers, content creators, and creative-sector professionals face significant barriers in protecting, licensing, and commercializing their work. Through this initiative, dRPC is helping emerging creators build the practical skills and knowledge required to engage confidently with local and international markets.
Over the course of the project, participants will take part in intensive IP readiness bootcamps, rights inventory and ownership documentation clinics, licensing and contract literacy workshops, virtual masterclasses with U.S. intellectual property and entertainment law professionals, and structured mentorship opportunities led by experienced exchange alumni. These activities are designed to equip participants with the tools needed to protect their creative assets, negotiate licensing agreements, understand copyright and trademark systems, and pursue commercial opportunities linked to U.S. and global creative industries.
The project targets 60 young creative and digital professionals in Lagos State between the ages of 18 and 35, including filmmakers, musicians, writers, fashion designers, content creators, and creative-sector lawyers. By the end of the programme, participants will have developed rights inventories, completed intellectual property action plans, strengthened their negotiation and contract management skills, and increased their readiness to pursue copyright registrations, licensing agreements, and other commercial pathways.
As part of dRPC’s commitment to sustainable development and economic empowerment, the project will establish a Creative Rights Referral and Mentorship Network and produce a Creative Rights Clinic Toolkit to ensure that participants continue to access technical support, mentorship, and professional guidance beyond the life of the grant. Through this work, dRPC is contributing to a more competitive, innovative, and commercially viable creative sector, enabling Nigerian creators to maximize the value of their intellectual property and participate more effectively in the global creative economy.
