By: Akoi M. Baysah, Jr.
In an effort marking another milestone to promote creativity and IP literacy among Liberian students, the Government of Liberia, through the Liberia Intellectual Property Office (LIPO), has awarded cash prizes to the winners and runners-up of the second National Intellectual Property High School Club Competition.
The competition, which concluded several months ago, crowned United Dawah Ummah High School as the overall champion. Lott Carey Baptist Mission School and Ganta United Methodist High School emerged first and second runners-up, respectively.
A total of L$205,000 was awarded to support student-designed projects that will benefit their respective school communities.According to LIPO, the winning institutions will implement the following projects based on their submitted proposals.
The United Dawah Ummah High School – L$100,000 to purchase furniture and assorted materials for the effective operation of the school’s IP club, Lott Carey Baptist Mission School – L$60,000 will be used to procure trash bins aimed at improving campus sanitation while the Ganta United Methodist High School, L$45,000 will be used to repaint all 20 classrooms, enhancing the school’s learning environment.
The IP Club project, which was rolled out in Nimba, Grand Bassa, and Montserrado counties, has benefited more than 200 students. The initiative is fully funded by the Government of Liberia through LIPO and is designed to nurture creativity, innovation, and understanding of intellectual property rights among high school learners.
“We are immensely proud of the dedication and enthusiasm demonstrated by all participating schools,” said Hon. Garmai Koboi, Director General of LIPO, during the presentation of checks on November 14, 2025.
“We extend our sincere gratitude to these schools for their active participation and commitment to intellectual property education.”
Hon. Koboi emphasized that the clubs form part of the government’s broader investment in the creative capacity of Liberian youth. “We look forward to seeing them take full ownership of their IP clubs and continue to champion creativity and innovation,” she added.
Speaking also at the ceremony, Yvette Fayiah of Lott Carey Baptist Mission School described the program as transformative, noting that the IP Club has opened “students’ eyes to the importance of protecting creative ideas and innovations.”
“Students are now thinking differently about their talents and how they can use intellectual property rights to build sustainable futures,” she said. “We hope the club continues, as it equips us with knowledge that goes beyond textbooks.”
Launched in 2024, the National Intellectual Property High School Club Competition forms part of government efforts to address the gap in IP literacy across schools.
Through extracurricular activities, including presentations, quizzes, role plays, and practical demonstrations, the program exposes students to various aspects of intellectual property, such as copyright and related rights, trademarks, patents, and utility models.
