Nigerian patent – GlobalIPCo
After increasing South African patent filings by about 5,000 patents per year, GlobalIPCo now aims to do the same in Nigeria.
Nigerian patents are quick
GlobalIPCo has developed an online system for filing Nigerian patents. As with South African patents, Nigerian patents are not subject to substantive examination by the Nigerian Patent Office and are issued within a few months of filing.
If a Nigerian PCT national phase patent is filed before publication of the PCT patent, proof of the PCT patent filing must be lodged with the Nigerian Patent Office.
Nigerian patents are affordable
The total cost of a Nigerian patent is US$677.50* (inclusive of official fees, professional fees, disbursements and courier of certificate). The simplest is to file Nigerian patents online.
Download the Nigerian Patent Guide.
Amendments
As with South African patents, Nigerian patents may be amended at any time (including after grant), provided that: the scope of the claims is not increased by the amendment; and the amendment is “fairly based” on material in the description. Therefore, it is unusual for applicants to delay acceptance of Nigerian patents to effect an amendment pre-grant.
Nigerian PCT national phase patents may be filed with a voluntary amendment. However, a clean copy of the amended specification and a tracked version showing amendments made must be submitted on filing.
Renewal
Nigerian patents may be “renewed to term” on filing (i.e. pre-pay renewal annuities for all 20-years) for only US$630*.
Since a typical annual renewal fee for Nigeria is +US$200, it is best to pre-pay all future renewals.
Nigerian-South African combination patent
Instead of filing only a Nigerian patent, file a Nigerian-South African Combination Patent (SANi patent) for only $875 (S&Z pricing to law firms) and renew it “to term” for only $875 (S&Z pricing to law firms).
Combined, South Africa and Nigeria has a greater GDP than OAPI and ARIPO combined.
* Law firms are provided with discount codes that further reduce the cost.