The capital of Equatorial Guinea opened its doors this Tuesday, March 11, for the 25th consultation meeting between the Directorate General of the African Intellectual Property Organization (OAPI) and the Heads of the National Liaison Structures (NLS) of the 17 member states. This major event, which runs until March 13, 2026, marks OAPI's return to Equatorial Guinea, seven years after its last visit in 2019.
The opening ceremony was chaired by Mr. Anacleto OLO MIBUY , President of the Scientific and Technological Research Council (CICTE) and Administrator of OAPI for Equatorial Guinea, in the presence of Mr. Denis L. BOHOUSSOU , Director General of OAPI, the representative of the Mayor of Malabo and the heads of the SNLs from the member states of the Organization.
In his address, the President of the CICTE emphasized the importance of this meeting for the country: “My country is honored to host this meeting, following the last OAPI visit seven years ago, which was dedicated to the inauguration of the National Intellectual Property Documentation Center .” He also reiterated the crucial role of the National Liaison Structures: “The NLSs play an essential role in promoting intellectual property in our member states and in acting as OAPI’s liaison with users .
Mr. OLO MIBUY took this opportunity to commend the progress made by Equatorial Guinea, particularly in the area of national trademark filings, and announced the upcoming acquisition of the country's first collective trademark: "Evinayong Pineapple".
The Director General of OAPI, Mr. Denis L. BOHOUSSOU, expressed his emotion at returning to Malabo: "It is with deep emotion and immense pleasure that I find myself in this beautiful city of Malabo, almost exactly seven years to the day after our last consultation meeting .
Mr. BOHOUSSOU placed this 25th edition within a specific strategic context: "This year's meeting takes place in a particular context, marked primarily by the final year of effective implementation of the 2023-2027 Strategic Plan ." He emphasized collective responsibility: "We have a responsibility, through concrete actions, to make intellectual property a true driver of development in our countries .
The agenda for this 25th consultation meeting includes several topics of vital importance:
- The invention and innovation funding mechanism , which effectively starts in 2026 and for which the contribution of the SNLs is essential
- The strategy for developing industrial designs and models in Member States, aimed at broadening the range of protected objects and promoting African craftsmanship
- Support for registering utility models , a form of protection still underutilized but particularly suited to local innovations
- Optimizing the framework for collaboration between OAPI and its member states, including considerations on the management of trade names and structuring projects
Alongside the consultation meeting, a government seminar will be held on March 13, 2026, chaired by the Prime Minister of the Republic of Equatorial Guinea . This event illustrates the commitment of the highest Equatorial Guinean authorities to integrating intellectual property into national development policies.
