The Office of the Attorney General and Minister of Justice, in collaboration with the Office of the Administrator and Registrar General and the African Regional Intellectual Property Organization (ARIPO), convened an ARIPO Online Services Sensitization Workshop at the New Brookfields Hotel in New England Ville, Freetown.
The workshop brought together government officials, legal practitioners, innovators, entrepreneurs, intellectual property professionals, and other stakeholders to deepen their understanding of ARIPO’s digital services and strengthen Sierra Leone’s intellectual property ecosystem.
In her welcome address, Madam Martina Baindu Egbenda, Administrator and Registrar General of Sierra Leone, extended a warm welcome to the ARIPO delegation and reaffirmed Sierra Leone’s commitment as a proud Member State of ARIPO. She emphasized the importance of intellectual property as a strategic tool for promoting innovation, creativity, entrepreneurship, and economic development.
Madam Egbenda highlighted the growing significance of digital transformation in intellectual property administration, noting that the workshop would equip participants with practical knowledge of ARIPO’s electronic services platform. She stated that the initiative would contribute significantly to improving efficient, accessible, and modern intellectual property service delivery in Sierra Leone and across the region.
Delivering remarks on behalf of ARIPO Director General, Mr. Bemanya Twebaze, the Organization’s Head of ICT, Mr. Grey Njowola, reaffirmed ARIPO’s commitment to supporting Member States through digital transformation, enhanced intellectual property administration, and the promotion of innovation, creativity, and sustainable economic development across Africa.
Mr. Njowola highlighted the success of ARIPO’s e-Service platform, revealing that 80 percent of all new applications received by ARIPO in 2025 were filed online. He said the figure demonstrates growing confidence in the platform’s efficiency, accessibility, and user-friendly design.
He also commended Sierra Leone for its continued commitment to intellectual property reforms and efforts to domesticate outstanding intellectual property protocols. As ARIPO marks its 50th anniversary this year, he reaffirmed the Organization’s dedication to fostering stronger institutions, deeper collaboration, and a future-ready intellectual property ecosystem across the continent.
Delivering the keynote address, Attorney General and Minister of Justice, Alpha Sesay Esq., described intellectual property as a critical pillar of economic growth, innovation, investment, and entrepreneurship. He stressed that Sierra Leone must transition from being primarily a consumer of innovation to becoming a producer of innovation capable of competing in the global knowledge economy.
The Attorney General highlighted Sierra Leone’s longstanding partnership with ARIPO and recent legislative reforms, including the enactment of the Trade Marks Registration Act, 2024, and Cabinet’s approval of the ratification of the Protocol on Intellectual Property. He noted that these milestones demonstrate the Government’s commitment to establishing a modern, accessible, and internationally aligned intellectual property system.
He further emphasized that legislative reforms must be supported by strong administrative capacity, digital transformation, and increased public awareness to ensure that innovators, entrepreneurs, creators, and businesses can effectively protect, commercialize, and benefit from their intellectual assets.
Reaffirming the Government’s commitment to strengthening cooperation with ARIPO and advancing intellectual property reforms as part of Sierra Leone’s broader economic transformation agenda, the Attorney General officially declared the ARIPO Online Services Sensitization Workshop open.
The workshop represents another significant step toward modernizing intellectual property administration in Sierra Leone and enhancing the country’s capacity to support innovation, creativity, and sustainable economic development.