The African Intellectual Property Organization (OAPI) and the African Guarantee Fund (AGF) signed today, May 6, 2025, at OAPI headquarters in Yaounde, a strategic agreement amounting to 40 billion FCFA, marking a decisive turning point in supporting the financing of invention and innovation in the 17 OAPI Member States.

Presided over by Mr. Denis BOHOUSSOU, Director General of OAPI, and Mr. Jules NGANKAM, Director General of AGF, the official ceremony marks the culmination of groundwork that began in 2020, embodying the determination to give new momentum to entrepreneurship and innovation on the continent.

A structuring mechanism, designed for the innovation ecosystem

This unique mechanism aims to support 1000 innovative projects over a five-year period, relying on two essential levers:

· A 5 billion FCFA equity investment by OAPI in AGF’s capital

· The creation of a guarantee window dedicated to bank loans granted to innovative project owners and SMEs whose inventions are protected by a patent in the Member States

In practical terms, this system will reduce the structural obstacles faced by innovators in accessing financing, by providing:

· A credit guarantee facilitating bank loans

· Technical support at each stage of the project life cycle (seed, growth, expansion)

· Connections with industrial partners

· Support for the commercial development of industrial property titles, particularly patents

A response to the challenges of financing innovation in Africa

The initiative is part of the implementation of OAPI’s 2018-2022 and 2023-2027 strategic plans, which make innovation financing a central lever for technological development. A study conducted in 2020 on innovation financing in Africa highlighted the absence of tools adapted to the context of innovative SMEs. OAPI thus developed a tailored mechanism, approved by its Board of Directors on July 26, 2024, through resolution No. 10/2.

According to the Director General of OAPI, “This partnership with AGF aims to fill a structural gap in our community space by providing innovation carriers with concrete, sustainable, and large-scale support.” “This is a historic and revolutionary mechanism,” affirmed the Director General of AGF.

The first calls for projects will be launched in the third quarter of 2025, with the goal of supporting 200 projects in the first year of implementation.