The United Dawah Ummah High School has won the national finale of the 2025 National Intellectual Property High School Club Competition after defeating five other finalist schools in a fierce contest on July 11, at the YMCA Conference Hall.
The competition, hosted by the Liberia Intellectual Property Office (LIPO), in collaboration with the Ministries of Education and Commerce, was judged by Sister Mary Laurene Browne, OSF, as Chief Judge, with Llord Aidoo and Abdul Karim Sheriff serving as co-judges.
Announcing the results, Sister Mary Laurene Browne, OSF, praised the students for mastering complex IP concepts such as copyrights and related rights, piracy, patents, and industrial designs.
“Every one of you here today is a winner,” she declared. “While one school emerges as champion, you are all champions for learning something important.”
According to Sister Mary Laurene Browne, United Dawah Ummah High School won the competition after an impressive showing, followed by Lott Carey Baptist Mission School as first runner-up, and Ganta United Methodist High School as second runner-up.
As champion, United Dawah took home a LRD 100k cash prize, while Lott Carey received LRD 60k as first runner-up, and Ganta United Methodist received LRD 45k as second runner-up.
United Dawah and Lott Carey advanced to the competition final after fiercely competing in the Montserrado County qualifier, with the former emerging as the county champion and the latter as first runner-up. Ganta United Methodist participated in the national finale as Nimba County Champion, with J.W. Pearson High School as first runner-up, and W.P.L. Brumskine High as Bassa Champion, with Bassa High School as first runner-up.
The national final marked the culmination of a journey spanning about six months that began earlier this year and included county-level qualifiers involving over 200 students from 13 schools across Montserrado, Nimba, and Grand Bassa Counties.
In his remarks, co-judge Abdul Karim Sheriff, who is also President of the Liberia Movie Union, praised the finalists for their impressive performances, noting their potential to shape Liberia’s creative and knowledge-driven economy in the years to come.
“Understanding IP is not easy, so seeing students demonstrate this with such ease makes me proud. Their performances on various types of IP were impressive,” Sheriff remarked, as he advocated for the competition’s expansion to further educate more Liberian youths on IP.
Launched in 2024, the competition is a pioneering initiative aimed at addressing the lack of IP literacy among high school students across Liberia. The initiative, which aligns with the ARREST Agenda, prioritizes human capital development as a key driver of inclusive national growth. It is designed as an extracurricular academic activity that creates awareness and understanding of IP rights while fostering the spirit of practical creativity through competition.
In a statement after the competition, Hon. Garmai Koboi, the Director General of LIPO, said the competition was not just a contest but a platform for young minds to explore the role of IP in shaping the future.
“From great performances to compelling presentations, the energy and enthusiasm were truly inspiring,” Hon. Koboi added. “What we witnessed at the final was the power of imagination, innovation, and intellectual curiosity, as each school brought forward brilliant ideas, showcased their understanding of intellectual property, and demonstrated how creativity can be protected and celebrated.”
Hon. Koboi added that, as her administration closes this chapter, she looks forward to nurturing the next generation of IP champions who will continue to innovate, protect, and inspire.
