OAPI championing copyright to increase economic growth

OAPI, in collaboration with the World Intellectual Property Organization and the Government of Cameroon, hosted the joint regional conference in Yaoundé on 28 and 29 July 2025. The event brought together public decision makers, experts and cultural actors from Central and West Africa with the view of developing a roadmap to ensure that copyright is used as a driver of economic growth.

Key sectors of the entertainment industry such as cinema, music and visual arts must be strengthened in order to maximise economic and fiscal benefits indicated Denis Bohoussou, Director General of OAPI. According to research conducted by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO), the creative and cultural industries contribute around 2.2% to Africa’s Gross Domestic Product and employs nearly five million people across the continent. It is estimated that cultural consumption on the continent could reach up to USD 15 billion by 2024, driven by access to digital platforms and streaming services.

In Cameroon, for example, the cultural and creative industries represent around 3% of the country’s GDP and generate many job opportunities. Creative works such as music, films and other audiovisual content are exported across Africa. However, due to weak management structures and inadequate copyright enforcement, an estimated 70% of revenue generated still escape the creators and the state.

The Bangui Agreement does provide for copyright protection, but OAPI and its partners seek to go further to ensure that creators draw the fruits of their works and to build a system that supports job creation and economic diversification, in a continent that is mainly still dependent on raw materials and agriculture. The conference resulted in the formulation of strategies to:

• Promote the collective management of copyright;
• Encourage the paid use of protected works;
• Stimulate the development of local solutions adapted for African realities; and
• Optimising digital infrastructure for better access to global markets.

Image source: Conférence régionale OMPI-OAPI à Yaoundé : un tournant stratégique pour l’économie créative en Afrique – OAPI