TRADE MARKS PROTECTION AND ENFORCEMENT IN NIGERIA: PROSPECTS FOR NATIONAL DEVELOPMENT

Sometime in the year 2007, the Federal Government unveiled a blueprint for the actualization of Nigeria’s desire to be among the top 20 countries of the world by the year 2020.' In the realization of this vision, it is expected that the real” and services sectors of the economy would lead the charge in this effort by growing the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) of the country. In the contemporary world, as has been evident since the industrial revolution, the economic development of any country is tied to technological advancement. In a related manner, technological advancement itself is a product of innovation. Innovation, which results from intellectual activity in the industrial, scientific, literary and artistic fields, is generally rewarded through the protection offered by intellectual property rights, one of which is the trade mark. It is against this background that this paper seeks to highlight and discuss the ways by which trade marks could encourage industrial activity leading to the realization of the vision 20: 2020. The paper shall undertake an examination of the existing legal framework for the administration and enforcement of trade mark rights in Ni genia, with a view to identifying those areas where amendments are urgently needed, if Nigeria is to fully harness the potential of the trade mark system. Finally recommendations would be proffered, which are aimed at addressing the problems created by the lapses in the existing framework.