Patent protection in Nigeria

Costs, deadlines, technology markets and law firms for Nigeria

Nigeria

Nigeria: taking a PCT application to grant costs an estimated US$280, plus about US$530 in renewal fees over the patent's life. The PCT national phase for Nigeria must be entered within 30 months of the earliest priority date. It is also one of the world's leading exporters of cocoa beans.

Population237.5m
Economy (GDP)US$291bn
PCT national phase entries a year708
RouteNational phase

A leading exporter

  • #3 in the world for cocoa beans - US$2.2bn of exports (12% of the world's)
  • Crude oil: 64% of Nigeria's exports - US$40.6bn (#9 in the world)

Nigeria's economy

  • #2 in Sub-Saharan Africa for PCT national phase entries - 708 a year
  • #1 in Sub-Saharan Africa for Health spending - US$16bn
  • #3 in Sub-Saharan Africa for Household consumption - US$178bn
  • #3 in Sub-Saharan Africa for Services - US$169bn
Nigeria: the economy by sector (US$bn)
Nigeria's share of Sub-Saharan Africa's economy, by sector (%)
Nigeria: its leading and key exports (2024, US$m)

Goods where Nigeria is among the world's 3 largest exporters, has at least 15% of world exports, or that make up at least 25% of its own exports - of at least US$500m a year.

Questions about patents in Nigeria

How much does a patent cost in Nigeria?

Our estimate is about US$280 to take a PCT application to grant in Nigeria. That is about US$21 in official fees and US$259 in attorney fees. Renewal fees over the patent's life add an estimated US$530. These are estimates only, for a standard application (10 claims, 30 pages, a company applicant): the actual cost depends on the law firm and the application. Request a quote from a law firm on this site for an exact price.

What is the PCT national phase deadline for Nigeria, and which routes are there?

The PCT national phase for Nigeria must be entered within 30 months of the earliest priority date.

What does Nigeria's economy make and export?

Nigeria's GDP is US$290.8bn, of which services US$169.3bn, industry US$47.8bn (of which manufacturing US$24.0bn) and agriculture US$66.8bn. Spending a year: households US$177.9bn and health care US$15.9bn. Nigeria's exports of goods came to US$63.7bn in 2024. Its 10 largest exports were crude oil (US$40.6bn, 64% of its exports, #9 in the world), natural gas and LPG (US$10.7bn, 17% of its exports, #9 in the world), refined petroleum products (US$3.1bn, 5% of its exports, #38 in the world), cocoa beans (US$2.2bn, 3% of its exports, #3 in the world), nitrogen fertilisers (US$1.0bn, 2% of its exports, #10 in the world), dredgers and floating cranes (US$531m, 1% of its exports, #11 in the world), oil seeds (US$391m, 1% of its exports, #5 in the world), gold (US$348m, 1% of its exports, #63 in the world), coconuts, Brazil nuts and cashews (US$313m, 0% of its exports, #7 in the world) and aluminium (US$313m, 0% of its exports, #39 in the world). Where products are made, a patent there can stop infringing copies being made, not only being sold.

Law firms for Nigeria

  • Global IP & Consulting FZ LLE
  • Sibanda & Zantwijk

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Patent publications and PCT national phase entries: averages over recent years. Exports: customs trade statistics; re-export hubs are left out. Costs are estimates.