Mao urges African leaders to prioritise knowledge over cash in global partnerships

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Uganda's justice Minister, Norbert Mao, has challenged African nations to fundamentally rethink their approach to international collaboration, arguing that intellectual property and knowledge transfer are far more valuable than short-term financial aid.

​Speaking at a regional seminar on intellectual property and audiovisual rights at Onomo Hotel in Kampala on Wednesday, September 10, 2025, Mao urged African leaders and development partners to ensure that international agreements translate into tangible, long-term benefits for local communities.

​"The most you can get from these international partners is actually their knowledge," Mao said.

"I can steal your knowledge—and I am better than someone who has stolen your wallet. Because through knowledge, I can get many, many wallets."

​He drew a parallel from a Cold War-era fishing deal between the Soviet Union and Mozambique, highlighting a missed opportunity for the African nation.

​"How I wish the Mozambicans had said, 'The Soviet Union shall offer technical support to Mozambique to build stronger and better fishing boats.' But they didn’t put it there," Mao recalled. "Instead, Soviet boats came and took away the best fish, while Mozambicans wondered how to reach the waters of the Soviet Union."

​Mao challenged the seminar's participants to move beyond discussion and become a force for practical, regional co-operation. "Let this seminar be a catalyst for practical solutions... not just because audiovisual work enriches our culture, but because it has economic power that must be harnessed."

Call for IP Police

In a separate but related address, Uganda Registration Services Bureau (URSB) registrar general Mercy Kainobwisho made a case for establishment of a dedicated Intellectual Property (IP) Police Unit to combat widespread piracy and copyright infringement. 

​"We need an Intellectual Property Police," Kainobwisho stated, emphasising that URSB's current enforcement unit is insufficient for a country of over 45 million people with a booming creative sector.

​She highlighted how digital platforms like TikTok and WhatsApp have enabled the unauthorised distribution of films, music and books, leading to significant revenue loss for creators. To address this, URSB is amending the country's copyright law.

​"It must now address online infringement and hold offenders accountable, including those who casually share music or books on WhatsApp," she warned.

​Kainobwisho equated copyright infringement to "land grabbing," urging a cultural shift where intellectual property is respected as much as physical property. 

"Playing music in a business, using books for training, or broadcasting films without paying is theft—the same as planting maize on someone’s land without paying rent."

​She reminded the public that no venue is exempt from copyright law, from hotels and hospitals to taxis and weddings. She also called on Collective Management Organisations (CMOs) to improve licensing and royalty collection to ensure creators are fairly compensated.

​"No artist records music or produces a film just for fun," she said. "Yet many of our greatest artists die in poverty while their work is still being used." She added that copyright protection extends for 50 years after a creator's death, but this value is often lost due to unregistered or pirated works.

​The seminar, which followed editions in Zimbabwe, Zambia, and Lusaka, focused on strengthening copyright enforcement and ratifying international treaties such as the Kampala Protocol on Voluntary Registration of Copyright and the Beijing Treaty on Audiovisual Performances.

​Participants included national copyright offices, CMOs, and stakeholders from African Regional Intellectual Property Organisation (ARIPO) Member States, with observers from Nigeria and South Africa.