Registrar General's Department

13/07/2026

The Registrar-General's Department (RGD) participated in the National Flood Aftermath Clean-up Exercise on Friday, 10 July 2026, as part of the Government's coordinated effort to restore communities affected by the recent floods.

Staff of the Department joined hands to clean the office premises and surrounding areas, demonstrating a shared commitment to environmental cleanliness.

As a government institution dedicated to serving the people of Ghana, RGD remains committed to supporting national initiatives that promote sustainable development and inspire responsible environmental practices.

12/07/2026

Registrar-General’s Department and USPTO Sign Accelerated Patent Grant Agreement

On Thursday, 9th July 2026, the Registrar-General of Ghana and Head of the Ghana Industrial Property Office (GHIPO), Mrs. Grace Ama Issahaque, met with the Director of the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO), Mr. John A. Squires, in Geneva, Switzerland, to sign an Accelerated Patent Grant (APG) Agreement between Ghana and the United States.

The agreement establishes a framework that enables applicants who have already obtained a patent from the USPTO to request an accelerated grant of a corresponding patent application in Ghana, based on the examination already conducted by the USPTO. This initiative is expected to enhance the efficiency of Ghana's patent examination process.

The agreement marks a significant milestone as it is the tenth Accelerated Patent Grant Agreement signed by the USPTO and the first of its kind with an African country, underscoring Ghana's growing role in strengthening international cooperation in intellectual property in line with the Patent Act and regulations .

04/07/2026

The Registrar General's Department (RGD), in collaboration with the Crop Services Directorate of the Ministry of Food and Agriculture (MoFA) and a Private Sector Stakeholder, engaged the general public on The Morning Target show on Bullet TV, Friday 26th June, to educate and create awareness on the importance of intellectual property (IP) and its role in advancing Ghana's agricultural sector through plant Variey Protection System.

The discussion featured the Head of the Geographical Indications and Plant Variety Protection Unit at RGD, Dr. Courage Komla Besah-Adanu; a Deputy Director of Crop Services Directorate of MoFA, Mr. George Prah; and the Founder of Bio Ghana Network, Mr. Samuel Nii Quarcoo, an experienced farmer who highlighted perspective of farmers and the private sector.

The panel highlighted the growing importance of intellectual property in promoting innovation, protecting new plant varieties, and strengthening Ghana's agricultural value chain.

20/06/2026

REGISTRAR-GENERAL'S DEPARTMENT ENGAGES STAKEHOLDERS ON THE INTERNATIONAL REGISTRATION OF KENTE GEOGRAPHICAL INDICATION

The Ghana Industrial Property Office (GHIPO) under the Registrar-General's Department (RGD) convened a stakeholder workshop on the International Registration of the Kente Geographical Indication (GI) on Wednesday, 17th June 2026, in Accra. The workshop brought together representatives of Kente weaving communities and staff of GHIPO to discuss pathways for securing international protection for Kente.

The Registrar-General, Mrs. Grace Ama Issahaque, in her opening remarks, underscored the importance of the workshop in advancing Ghana's efforts to secure international protection for Kente, following its successful protection at the national level. Mrs. Issahaque noted that while Ghana has established a legal framework for GIs, different countries adopt varying approach for protecting such products. The Registrar-General shared light on how some GIs are protected under trademark law in some jurisdictions, such as the United States, while other countries maintain stand-alone sui generis GI systems.

The Registrar-General emphasised the need to develop strategies that would enable Ghana to effectively pursue protection for Kente through the most appropriate legal mechanisms in target markets. Mrs. Issahaque further encouraged participants to engage actively in the deliberations and contribute their perspectives to ensure that stakeholder concerns are adequately reflected in the proposed strategies. She expressed confidence that the workshop would contribute significantly to Ghana's efforts to secure stronger international recognition and protection for its culturally significant Kente product.

The Head of the GI and Plant Variety Protection Units at RGD, Dr. Courage Besah-Adanu, during his presentation, provided participants with an overview of GIs and their role in protecting products whose qualities, characteristics and reputation are linked to specific geographical origins.

He explained that countries are increasingly leveraging GI protection to preserve cultural heritage, strengthen product identity, and create economic opportunities for local producers. He also noted that GI protection helps formalise and reinforce the reputation that products have already established among consumers while safeguarding their names and distinctive characteristics from misuse and imitation.

Using the example of Ch*****ne from France, Dr. Besah-Adanu illustrated how GIs have been successfully used to protect products and enhanced their value in international markets. He further highlighted several Ghanaian products with strong potential for GI protection, including Smock, Pona Yam, Waakye, Jollof, Y)) ke Gari (Gobe), Ekumfi Pineapple, Anloga Shallots, Shea Butter, Bolga baskets and hats, Dzomi palm oil and Akpeteshie (apio).

He stressed that successful GI protection extends beyond legal registration and requires the establishment of strong systems for standardisation, traceability, quality assurance, and producer organisation. These systems, he explained, are essential for maintaining product authenticity and reputation while ensuring that consumers can confidently identify genuine products.

In addition, he noted that ongoing efforts to secure international protection for Kente were complimented by existing cultural preservation initiatives, including UNESCO's recognition of Kente as an intangible cultural asset of Ghana, which have also reinforce the significance of Kente and its uniqueness as Ghana's cultural heritage. He emphasised that international protection would provide an additional layer of recognition while creating new economic opportunities for producers and communities associated with the particular products.

The presentation further highlighted the distinctions between the Protected Designation of Origin (PDO) and Protected Geographical Indication (PGI) systems. He explained that products qualifying under the PDO scheme must have their raw materials sourced, production, processing, and packaging carried out entirely within a designated geographical area, while the PGI framework provides greater flexibility by recognising products for which at least one significant stage of production occurs within the area of origin

19/06/2026

19/06/2026

Ms. Godsentina Gogo-Tawiah, a State Attorney and Dr. Courage Besah-Adanu, Head of the Geographical Indications and Plant Variety Protection Unit, at the Ghana Industrial Property Office of the Registrar-General’s Department, were on the GBC Breakfast Show on 17 June 2026, for a discussion on Intellectual Property Rights and benefits on industries, where they focused on “Intellectual Property and Sports,” against the backdrop of the ongoing FIFA World Cup season.

The discussion highlighted how intellectual property fuels the world of sports through trademarks, broadcasting rights, designs, patents and other creative assets.

Their appearance formed part of efforts to raise awareness of the importance of intellectual property in shaping and sustaining the global sports ecosystem.

29/05/2026

In celebration of World Menstrual Hygiene Day, Softcare FM Manufacturing company Ltd, on Thursday, 28th May 2026, donated sanitary pads to the Registrar-General’s Department to support female staff members.

The donation forms part of Softcare FM Manufacturing company Ltd’s commitment to promoting menstrual hygiene awareness and supporting the wellbeing of women in the workplace.

The Registrar-General’s Department is grateful to Softcare FM Manufacturing Company Ltd for the thoughtful gesture and continued support towards women’s health and dignity. Together, we can help break the stigma around menstruation and promote a healthier and more supportive society for women and girls.

27/05/2026

Happy Edi Al-Adha

18/05/2026

Atomic Glory Football Team Defeats RGD 2–1 in Friendly Match on the Theme “IP and Sports”

The Ghana Industrial Property Office (GHIPO), a unit under the Registrar-General’s Department (RDG), organised a friendly football match between the RGD Football Team and Atomic Glory Football Team on Friday, 15th May 2026, at the McDan Sports Complex, Teshie as part of activities inspired by the 2026 World Intellectual Property global theme, “IP and Sports: Ready, Set, Innovate,”

The football match was organised to highlight the connection between intellectual property and sports while promoting staff wellness and teamwork.

The match delivered excitement and healthy competition, with Atomic Glory Football Team securing a hard-fought 2–1 victory over the RGD Football Team after an impressive display from both sides.

The friendly encounter formed part of the Department’s efforts to engage stakeholders and raise awareness on the important role intellectual property plays across sectors, including sports.