Folmi Yohanna To Represent IP Institute Nigeria At WIPO 42nd IGC Session In Geneva, Switzerland

Mr. Folmi Yohanna, an IP Lawyer and a partner in Knight and Valor Attorneys has been selected to represent the Intellectual Property Institute (Nigeria) at WIPO IGC 42 holding in Geneva, Switzerland from February 28 to March 4, 2022.

This was made known in a notice issued by Mr. Femi Sedemogun, Administrative Head of the Institute. In the Notice, Mr. Sedemogun expressed confidence that Mr. Yohanna would represent the Institute and Nigeria creditably in Switzerland.
Mr. Sedemogun also congratulated the IGC and stated that the Institute would provide opportunities for remote participation to foster a robust intervention from Nigeria.

The World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) Intergovernmental Committee on Intellectual Property and Genetic Resources, Traditional Knowledge and Folklore (IGC) was established to undertake negotiations for the adoption of international legal instrument(s) for the protection of Traditional Knowledge (TK), Traditional Cultural Expressions (TCEs) and Genetic Resources (GRs).

Nigerian Traditional knowledge made front page news in 2021 with the social media outrage over the trademarking of ‘Yoruba’ at the United Kingdom Intellectual Property Office and the lead judgment of Hon. Ehusani Simpa Abel validating the Bata origins of Salsa music and dance in the case of Intellectual Property Lawyers Association Nigeria v. Black Bones Theater Kompany.

In December, 2021, UNESCO bestowed world heritage status on Rumba, the Congolese music and dance.