By Amin Kef-Ranger

The Attorney General and Minister of Justice, Alpha Sesay Esq., has officially opened the African Regional Intellectual Property Organization (ARIPO) Online Services Sensitization Workshop, reaffirming the Government of Sierra Leone's commitment to strengthening digital intellectual property administration and promoting innovation-driven economic growth.

The workshop, held on Tuesday, 23 June 2026, at the New Brookfields Hotel in New England, Freetown, was organized by the Office of the Attorney General and Minister of Justice in collaboration with the Office of the Administrator and Registrar General and ARIPO. It brought together Government officials, legal practitioners, innovators, entrepreneurs, intellectual property professionals and other stakeholders to enhance awareness and understanding of ARIPO's online intellectual property services.

Welcoming participants, the Administrator and Registrar General, Madam Martina Baindu Egbenda, expressed appreciation to the ARIPO delegation and reaffirmed Sierra Leone's commitment as a proud Member State of the regional intellectual property body.

She described intellectual property as a vital instrument for fostering innovation, creativity, entrepreneurship and sustainable economic development, while emphasizing that digital transformation has become increasingly important in modern intellectual property administration.

According to her, the workshop would equip participants with practical knowledge of ARIPO's electronic services platform, thereby improving the efficiency, accessibility and modernization of intellectual property service delivery in Sierra Leone and across the region.

Delivering remarks on behalf of ARIPO Director General, Bemanya Twebaze, the organization's Head of Information and Communication Technology, Grey Njowola, reaffirmed ARIPO's commitment to supporting Member States through digital transformation and stronger intellectual property systems.

He disclosed that ARIPO's electronic services platform has significantly streamlined intellectual property filing and administrative processes, revealing that 80 percent of all new applications received by the organization in 2025 were submitted online. He noted that the figure reflects growing confidence in the platform's efficiency, accessibility and user-friendly design.

Grey Njowola also commended Sierra Leone for its continued commitment to intellectual property reforms and the domestication of outstanding intellectual property protocols. As ARIPO marks its 50th anniversary this year, he reiterated the organization's determination to deepen collaboration with Member States while building stronger institutions and a future-ready intellectual property ecosystem across Africa.

In his keynote address, Attorney General and Minister of Justice, Alpha Sesay Esq., described intellectual property as a critical driver of economic development, innovation, entrepreneurship and investment.

He stressed that Sierra Leone must move beyond being primarily a consumer of innovation to becoming a producer of innovative ideas and technologies capable of competing in the global knowledge economy.

The Attorney General highlighted the country's longstanding partnership with ARIPO and pointed to recent legislative achievements, including the enactment of the Trade Marks Registration Act, 2024, and Cabinet's approval of the ratification of the Protocol on Intellectual Property. He said those milestones demonstrate Government's determination to establish a modern, accessible and internationally aligned intellectual property regime.

He further emphasized that legislative reforms alone are insufficient, noting that they must be supported by improved administrative capacity, digital transformation and greater public awareness to enable innovators, entrepreneurs, creators and businesses to effectively protect, commercialize and benefit from their intellectual assets.

Reaffirming Government's commitment to strengthening cooperation with ARIPO and advancing intellectual property reforms as part of Sierra Leone's broader economic transformation agenda, Alpha Sesay Esq. officially declared the ARIPO Online Services Sensitization Workshop open.

The workshop concluded with participants reaffirming their commitment to closer collaboration in advancing digital intellectual property services. It enhanced the knowledge and capacity of key stakeholders, laying a stronger foundation for more efficient intellectual property administration while promoting innovation as a driver of Sierra Leone's national development. https://thecalabashnewspaper.com/attorney-general-reaffirms-commitment-to-innovation-at-aripo-online-services-workshop/