THE ROLE OF ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE IN STRENGTHENING IP ENFORCEMENT IN NIGERIA'S SUPPLY NETWORKS

In contemporary Nigerian supply chain management (SCM), the adjudication of intellectual property rights (IPRs) has become a significant concern for legal professionals. AIAugmented analytics has recently emerged as a promising solution for resolving disputes and ensuring IPR protection. This paper examines the role of AI-Augmented analytics in adjudication, highlighting its potential to improve efficiency, accuracy, and fairness in IPR disputes within Nigerian SCM. The study identifies several barriers to the effective adoption of AIAugmented analytics for IPR adjudication, including inconsistent data collection, inadequate infrastructure, unreliable internet, and insufficient technical support. Additionally, cultural resistance, ethical concerns, and a lack of adequate collaboration among stakeholders including government agencies, the judiciary, private sectors, and academia further complicate the effective implementation. To address these challenges, the researchers recommend that government and stakeholders in SCM should establish clear guidelines for AI use in intellectual property rights (IPR) adjudication to ensure compliance with laws. Foster partnerships among government agencies, private companies, legal experts, and academia to enhance skills of legal practi tioners and AI developers through targeted training. Implement tran sparent AI systems with explainable results to build stakeholder trust. Create standardized procedures for evaluating AI performance in IPR adjudication. Leverage publicprivate partnerships to develop AI tools for specific challenges. Conduct pilot projec ts to test AI applications before wider implementation and implement robust data protection measures