By: Akoi M. Baysah, Jr.
The leadership of the Liberia Intellectual Property Office (LIPO) on Tuesday paid a courtesy visit to the Embassy of the People’s Republic of China in Monrovia, where they held discussions with His Excellency Yin Chengwu, Ambassador of the People’s Republic of China to Liberia, on strengthening cooperation in the area of intellectual property (IP).
The LIPO delegation was led by the Director General, Garmai Koboi, and included the Deputy Director General for Industrial Property, Jamus P. Bannah.
The meeting provided an opportunity for the LIPO leadership to reaffirm Liberia’s appreciation to the Government and people of China for their longstanding friendship, partnership, and continued support to Liberia’s development efforts.
During the engagement, Ms. Koboi outlined LIPO’s mandate and emphasized the strategic importance of intellectual property in driving innovation, technology transfer, private sector development, and sustainable economic growth.
She highlighted the need for strong IP systems to support micro, small and medium-sized enterprises (MSMEs), local innovators, and creators across Liberia.
Discussions focused on potential areas of cooperation, including capacity building for IP administrators and enforcement agencies, digitalization of IP administration systems, support for MSMEs and innovators, and the protection of traditional knowledge and cultural expressions.
The two sides also explored opportunities for South-South cooperation and technical exchanges aimed at strengthening institutional capacity.
Ambassador Yin Chengwu welcomed the engagement and reaffirmed China’s commitment to continued collaboration with Liberia, noting the importance of intellectual property in fostering innovation-driven development.
Both parties expressed their commitment to sustained engagement and agreed to explore practical frameworks for technical cooperation and institutional partnerships.
The meeting underscores LIPO’s ongoing efforts to strengthen international partnerships in support of the Government of Liberia’s ARREST Agenda for Inclusive Development (AAID) and broader economic transformation goals.
