Makongo Secondary School has emerged the national winner of the first Intellectual Property (IP) School Club Project competition held on March 6, 2026 in Dar es Salaam.
The competition brought together five secondary schools from four regions to test students’ understanding of intellectual property rights and innovation, as part of efforts to encourage creativity among young people.
Second place went to Kiembe Samaki Secondary School from Zanzibar, while Sikirari Secondary School from Kilimanjaro Region finished third.
With the victory, Makongo Secondary School will represent Tanzania in the regional competition organised by the African Regional Intellectual Property Organization (ARIPO).
Opening the event, Acting Director General of the Tanzania Institute of Education (TIE), Mr Moses Liota, who represented Dr Aneth Komba, said institutions responsible for intellectual property should ensure the initiative grows into a strong national programme that supports the country’s economic development.
He urged the Business Registrations and Licensing Agency (BRELA) and the Copyright Society of Tanzania (COSOTA) to strengthen collaboration and raise awareness among stakeholders and students about the importance of protecting intellectual property.
“The government is focusing on building an economy that empowers young people through innovation and self-employment. BRELA and COSOTA should therefore continue educating stakeholders on intellectual property rights,” he said.
Other schools that participated in the competition were Tanga Technical Secondary School and St Joseph Cathedral Secondary School in Dar es Salaam.
Speaking during the event, COSOTA Acting Chief Executive Officer Mr Philemon Kilaka said the competition is part of a broader programme that involves three stages: training teachers and students, national-level contests and international competitions.
During the contest, students were required to present innovative ideas and respond to questions from judges.
Makongo Secondary School impressed the panel with a drama performance that illustrated how artists can lose the benefits of their creative work when they fail to understand procedures for protecting intellectual property rights.
The Intellectual Property School Club Project is being implemented in Tanzania under the supervision of BRELA in collaboration with COSOTA.
The initiative started in 2025 and is coordinated by the African Regional Intellectual Property Organization in partnership with the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO), with funding support from the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism of South Korea.
The project aims to promote awareness of intellectual property among secondary school students while nurturing creativity and innovation that can contribute to national economic growth.
