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

The list features women working across private legal practice, corporate legal departments, academia and international public institutions. According to WIPR, this year's honourees include practitioners recognised for their work in innovation, legal precedent and global IP policy.

The African practitioners recognised are: Tolu Olaloye (partner at Nigerian law firm Jackson Etti & Edu), Lara Kayode (managing partner at Nigerian firm O. Kayode & Co), Bilkis Daby (partner at South African IP law firm Adams & Adams), Brenda Matanga (Zimbabwean firm BMatanga Intellectual Property Attorneys for Africa) and Angela Ndambuki (Regional Director for Sub-Saharan Africa at IFPI).

Olaloye, one of two Nigerian lawyers included in the 2026 list, advises multinational and local clients on intellectual property protection and commercialisation across Africa. Her work includes managing IP portfolios across Africa, the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) and the Middle East, with experience covering more than 40 African jurisdictions.

“The future of intellectual property is being shaped now,” Olaloye said. “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 added: “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.”

In a separate social media statement, Olaloye said the recognition was also a call to continue advancing the role of intellectual property in society.

“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. “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.”

Daby is a partner at Adams & Adams, described by WIPR as Africa’s largest IP law firm. She also chairs the firm's Diversity and Inclusion Committee and serves on the International Trademark Association's (INTA) global Women’s LeadershIP Initiative.

Ndambuki, a Kenyan lawyer and executive, serves as IFPI’s Regional Director for Sub-Saharan Africa. The organisation represents the recorded music industry worldwide.

WIPR said the 2026 list recognises women working on complex matters with significant commercial implications, as well as those involved in international IP policy and global legal operations.

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