Registrar General Martina Egbenda Attends Intellectual Property Leadership Programme in Canada
Sia Lucy Kannah Sierra Leone’s Administrator and Registrar General, Martina Egbenda, is attending an international intellectual property leadership programme in Gatineau, Québec, Canada, aimed at strengthening strategic management and improving the delivery of intellectual property services.
Egbenda is participating in the World Intellectual Property Organisation–Canadian Intellectual Property Office (WIPO-CIPO) Executive Programme, organised by the WIPO Academy and the Canadian Intellectual Property Office (CIPO). The programme runs from October 5 to 9, 2026, bringing together senior intellectual property officials for specialised capacity building.
The programme focuses on enhancing participants’ leadership and strategic management capabilities, equipping them with practical tools to improve the administration of intellectual property offices and respond to changes in the global intellectual property landscape.
Egbenda’s participation is relevant to ongoing efforts to strengthen Sierra Leone’s intellectual property administration and advance digital transformation within public institutions.
In June 2026, the Office of the Attorney General and Minister of Justice, in collaboration with the Office of the Administrator and Registrar General (OARG) and the African Regional Intellectual Property Organisation (ARIPO), organised a workshop in Freetown on ARIPO’s online services.
The engagement highlighted the importance of digital systems, efficient intellectual property administration and stronger institutional capacity in promoting innovation and economic growth.
As Administrator and Registrar General, Egbenda is involved in the administration of intellectual property services in Sierra Leone. The international programme provides an opportunity to engage with approaches to institutional leadership, service delivery and the modernisation of intellectual property systems.
The WIPO-CIPO Executive Programme is part of broader international efforts to strengthen intellectual property offices through leadership development and improved management practices. Effective intellectual property systems can help protect innovation, support creators and businesses, and contribute to economic development.