Five African women recognised on World IP Review’s Influential Women in IP 2026 list

The future of intellectual property is being shaped now, says Tolu Olaloye, a partner at Jackson Etti & Edu, as she responded to the news she was one of five African practitioners to be named this month on the Influential Women in IP 2026 list.

“This recognition reveals not only my journey, but also the incredible value of the work being done to shape, strengthen, and expand the frontiers of intellectual property in the global space,” she shared. “I remain committed to contributing to a system that protects innovation, empowers creators, and deepens the conversation around the future of IP in an increasingly digital and interconnected world.”

World IP Review (WIPR) unveiled its Influential Women in IP 2026 list on 8 July.

The list celebrates an exceptional selection of women spanning private practice, in-house corporate legal departments, academia, and international public institutions. From record-breaking litigation wins to billion-dollar deals and global policy leadership, this year’s cohort features the women shaping the future of intellectual property law, said WIPR. They are recognised for driving innovation, rewriting legal precedents, and actively dismantling barriers for women in law.

Olaloye was one of two Nigerian lawyers honoured this year, and five practitioners across the African continent. A senior IP and data protection lawyer, she advises multinational and local clients on IP protection and commercialisation across Africa. She has expertise in managing and protecting IP portfolios across Africa, ASEAN, and the Middle East, with in-depth knowledge of over 40 African jurisdictions.

“I am especially grateful for the opportunity to stand among remarkable women whose excellence, resilience, and leadership continue to inspire progress across the industry,” she said on social media last week. “This honour is both a celebration and a call to do even more: to keep pushing boundaries, building bridges, and advancing the impact of intellectual property for individuals, businesses, and societies at large.”

Fellow Nigerian IP practitioner Lara Kayode, the Managing Partner of O. Kayode & Co, was also named by WIPR to its Influential Women in IP 2026 list. Other African honorees were Bilkis Daby, a partner at Adams & Adams, the largest IP law firm in Africa; Brenda Matanga of BMatanga Intellectual Property Attorneys for Africa in Zimbabwe; and Kenyan lawyer and executive leader Angela Ndambuki, the Regional Director Sub-Saharan Africa of the International Federation of the Phonographic Industry (IFPI), which represents the recorded music industry worldwide.

The 2026 Influential Women in IP list highlights women operating at the peak of the legal profession, navigating complex matters with profound commercial consequences. This year’s honorees, says WIPR, are not just practising law; they are actively running global legal operations and driving international IP policy.

A sustained commitment to advancing inclusion and fostering the next generation of professional talent is at the heart of the Influential Women in IP list, noted WIPR, as it highlighted Daby, who chairs Adams & Adams’ D&I Committee while serving on the International Trademark Association’s (INTA) global Women’s LeadershIP Initiative, in its official announcement earlier this month of the 2026 honorees.

“The final 2026 list stands as an inspiring testament to the depth of female leadership strengthening the intellectual property system worldwide,” said WIPR.