Nigerian law lets the government override a patent to protect public health. So why is it almost never used?
Nigeria relies on imports for an estimated 60 to 75 per cent of its medicines, yet one leading scholar found no reported decision on the government use provision as at 2021, even during COVID-19. Long waiting periods, vague statutory terms and weak local capacity may explain why the safeguards exist on paper but rarely work in practice.
This article from The Law Suite examines the gap between what the law promises and what patients actually get, and the reforms that could close it.
Prepared by Ifeoma Ben and Emeka Lawrence Okwuokie, with contribution from Ihuoma Akuma.