Uwa Ohiku

Uwa Ohiku is a distinguished Senior Partner in the Intellectual Property Practice at Jackson, Etti & Edu, based in Victoria Island, Lagos. Her practice focuses on Intellectual Property Law, renowned for her tailored and commercially sound advice.

Uwa is a trusted advisor to many, helping clients navigate complex international IP landscapes and maximise the value of their IP assets. She is the go-to person for complex matters and enjoys mentoring teams.

Uwa is a trailblazer, being the first Nigerian appointed by WIPO's Arbitration & Mediation Center to handle domain disputes. She has also handled cases under Nigeria's Dispute Resolution Policy and has worked with the Federal Government on various IP-related initiatives, including reviewing the Trademarks Act and advising on Nigeria's participation in ARIPO. Her data-backed report led to the record publication of Trademark journals, and she has also drafted key documents, such as the Terms of Reference for OPEC's IP study.

Her outstanding contributions have earned her prestigious recognition in directories like IP Star and Who's Who Legal. Notably, Chambers & Partners has consistently rated her a Band 1 Lawyer for eight years and elevated her to the esteemed status of Senior Statesperson, a distinction she holds as the only Nigerian in IP. Additional accolades include being named one of the Most Influential Women in Intellectual Property by WIPR in 2020 and receiving the Gold Standard IP Practitioner award from World Trademark Review (WTR1000). She serves as a Trustee of IPLAN and has held editorial roles, including for The Brown Book, and was the only African speaker at the 2008 BRICS IP Summit.

Uwa is also a Mentor, Life Coach and Health & Wellness Coach, and serves on the Board of Directors of The Sickle Cell Foundation of Nigeria. She is the Founder of The MediSSupport Foundation, which provides financial support to people living with life-threatening conditions.

She holds a BL from the Nigerian Law School (1986, one of the best graduating students) and an LLB from the University of Benin (1985, one of the top 3 graduating students), and has completed executive programmes at Lagos Business School, Harvard Business School and a 3-Day Executive MBA for Lawyers in London. She is a member of the Nigerian Bar Association, IPLAN, the IP Committee Section on Business Law and the International Trademark Association (INTA), and served as Chairperson of the Panel on Review of the Nigerian Draft Trademarks Act (2002).