Geographical Indication (GI) options for Ethiopian Coffee and Ghanaian Cocoa

Chapter 5
A Consideration of Communal rademarks T for
Nigerian Leather and extile T Products
Adebambo Adewopo, Helen Chuma-Okoro and
Adejoke Oyewunmi
Abstract
This chapter describes and interprets the findings of a case study into the possible applicability of
communal trademark systems for certain Nigerian leather and textile products. Consideration is
given to the national legal and regulatory environment, to the level of standardisation currently
practised by small-scale leather and textile producers, and to the views of producers regarding
the viability of communal trademarking. The study found producer interest in communal trademarking,
but also several potential undermining factors of a legal and practical nature.
1. Introduction
Small-scale enterprises constitute an integral part of the formal and informal sectors
of the Nigerian economy (Osotimehin et al., 2012). Such enterprises are also increasingly
vulnerable to the adverse impacts of globalisation and trade liberalisation.
They appear ill-equipped to compete favourably with other manufacturers in terms
of the standards, quality and marketing strategies necessary to comply with regulatory
policies and consumer demand on the local and global stage (UNESCAP,
2009, p. 34). The key challenges that have been identified for these small-scale enterprises
are: meeting standards and quality requirements; marketing their products
and building brands; identifying and exploiting the unique characteristics of their
products; and protecting their brands in the global environment (UNIDO, 2010).
The status of Nigeria’s textile and leather manufacturing sectors is strongly
impacted by the general character of the Nigerian economy, which has been dominated
by the oil sector since the late 1970s. A significant proportion of current
exports is constituted by crude oil and associated products (CBN, 2012, p. 179;