Intellectual Property Lawyers — Nigeria

Nigeria’s Specialist
IP Boutique

Protecting intellectual property across Nigeria and sub-Saharan Africa since 1996. From our Lagos office, we serve domestic and international clients with the full range of IP rights.

Our Practice Areas Contact the Firm
Chambers & Partners Ranked Firm — Nigeria IP
WTR 1000 World Trademark Review
IP STARS Ranked Firm
IAM Patent 1000 Recognised
MIP Top 250 Women in IP — Lara Kayode
MIP Practitioner of the Year 2023
About the Firm

Practising IP, and only IP, since 1996

O. Kayode & Co. is a specialist intellectual property boutique. It is not a general practice firm with an IP group, and every instruction we handle falls within our sole practice area.

From our Lagos office (Ikeja), we advise domestic and international clients on trademarks, patents, copyright, industrial designs, anti-counterfeiting, IP finance, advertising law, and dispute resolution.

Our associate network reaches across sub-Saharan Africa. An important point for international counsel: Nigeria sits outside both ARIPO and OAPI, so protection obtained through those regional systems does not extend to Nigeria. A separate national filing and enforcement strategy is required.

Lagos
Ikeja, commercial hub
1996
Year founded
100%
IP practice, no other areas
ARIPO
Nigeria is outside ARIPO & OAPI
Lara Kayode, Founder and Managing Partner, O. Kayode & Co.
Omolara (Lara) Kayode Founder & Managing Partner
Practice Areas

The full range of intellectual property rights

Trademarks

Filing strategy, prosecution before the Trademarks, Patents and Designs Registry, portfolio management, oppositions, assignments, and licensing across Nigeria and sub-Saharan Africa.

Patents

Patent prosecution and portfolio management in Nigeria. Particularly relevant for pharmaceutical, technology, and manufacturing sector clients building bankable IP assets under NIPPS 2026.

Copyright

Ownership, assignment, licensing, and enforcement under the Copyright Act 2022. Extensive experience advising Nollywood producers, music industry clients, and digital content businesses.

Industrial Designs

Design registration, portfolio management, and enforcement. Valuable for fashion, packaging, consumer goods, and electronics sectors where product appearance drives commercial value.

Anti-Counterfeiting

Multi-agency enforcement across NAFDAC, the Nigerian Customs Service IPR unit, and the Federal High Court. Active working relationships with each agency developed over decades of practice.

IP Finance

Portfolio audits, IP valuation advice, and structuring for IP-backed financing under the NIPPS 2026 framework. Enabling registered IP assets to function as bankable commercial instruments.

Dispute Resolution

IP litigation before the Federal High Court and CEDR-accredited mediation. Member of the Lagos Multi-Door Courthouse panel of neutrals. Advice on the most appropriate path for each dispute.

Advertising Law

Pre-publication clearance, regulatory compliance for advertising in Nigeria, and disputes arising from advertising content. Member of GALA, the Global Advertising Lawyers Alliance.

Sectors

Where we concentrate our experience

Pharmaceuticals & FMCG

Anti-counterfeiting and NAFDAC compliance for pharmaceutical and FMCG clients. Direct working relationships with NAFDAC, SON, and the NCS IPR unit for coordinated multi-agency enforcement.

Technology & Fintech

IP strategy for Nigerian startups and technology companies. Intersection of IP with the Nigeria Startup Act 2022, investor due diligence, and the NIPPS 2026 financing framework.

Entertainment & Nollywood

Copyright ownership, licensing for streaming platforms, and rights documentation under the Copyright Act 2022. Experience advising across Nollywood productions, music, and digital media.

Fashion & Creative Industries

Trademark, copyright, and industrial design strategies for Nigerian fashion brands operating domestically and across international markets in London, New York, and Dubai.

International Business

Local counsel for international firms with Nigerian and sub-Saharan African portfolios. Nigeria requires separate national filings — protection through ARIPO or OAPI does not extend here.

Startups & Innovation

IP strategy for innovation-driven businesses. Patent and trademark portfolio building, IP due diligence for investment rounds, and IP finance opportunities under NIPPS 2026.

The Firm

Founder & Managing Partner

Omolara (Lara) Kayode, Founder and Managing Partner of O. Kayode & Co.
Founder, 1996

Omolara (Lara) Kayode

Founder & Managing Partner

Lara Kayode was called to the Nigerian Bar in 1992 and has practised exclusively in intellectual property for over 30 years. She read law at the University of Buckingham, England, and completed an LLM in intellectual property law at Queen Mary, University of London in 1994.

She concentrates her practice in trademark, patent, and design portfolio management for domestic and international clients across Nigeria and sub-Saharan Africa, with particular depth in anti-counterfeiting, advertising law, and IP dispute resolution. She is a CEDR-accredited mediator since 2005 and a Notary Public since 2014.

Lara has served the international IP community through INTA for over a decade, including as Co-Chair of the 2026 INTA Annual Meeting in London and as a recipient of INTA’s President’s Award in 2019. She chairs the INTA Global Advisory Council for Africa and served on the INTA Board of Directors from 2012 to 2015.

Chambers & Partners — ranked as an intellectual property luminary, Nigeria
Managing IP Top 250 Women in IP; MIP Practitioner of the Year 2023
INTA President’s Award 2019; Co-Chair, INTA Annual Meeting London 2026
Vice President, AIPPI Nigerian National Group
Member: GALA, FICPI, PTMG, ITMA, NBA Section of Business Law
CEDR-accredited mediator — Lagos Multi-Door Courthouse panel of neutrals
International Associates

Nigeria requires its own filing strategy

For international brand owners and their counsel, a critical point that is frequently misunderstood: Nigeria operates outside both ARIPO and OAPI. Protection obtained through either regional system does not extend to Nigeria.

A separate national filing and a separate enforcement strategy is required to obtain and maintain IP protection in the Nigerian market. Our enforcement capabilities span direct working relationships with NAFDAC, the Standards Organisation of Nigeria, and the Nigerian Customs Service IPR unit.
Contact the Firm View Contact Details
Get in Touch

Contact O. Kayode & Co.

General Enquiries

ip@okayode.com

Managing Partner

lara@okayode.com

Website

www.okayode.com

Telephone

+234 707 429 5059

Lagos

20 Oba Akran Avenue
Ikeja, Lagos
Nigeria

This website is for general information purposes only and does not constitute legal advice. No attorney-client relationship is formed by the use of this information. © 2026 O. Kayode & Co. All rights reserved.