On 9 July 2026, Ghana’s Intellectual Property Office and the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) signed a Statement of Intent to establish an Accelerated Patent Grant (APG) arrangement.  The arrangement is particularly significant because it is the USPTO’s first Accelerated Patent Grant arrangement with an African intellectual property office, creating a new work-sharing pathway between the United States and Ghana.

How will the accelerated patent route work?

Under the proposed arrangement, an eligible applicant who has already obtained a corresponding patent from the USPTO will be able to request accelerated grant of the corresponding patent application in Ghana.

In practical terms, the arrangement will allow Ghana’s Intellectual Property Office to leverage the examination work already undertaken by the USPTO, rather than requiring the same patentability issues to be considered afresh through the ordinary process.

The arrangement is expected to operate for an initial period of five years.

Importantly, the signing of the Statement of Intent does not mean that the accelerated procedure is immediately available to applicants. Ghana’s Intellectual Property Office is expected to issue implementation guidelines setting out the eligibility requirements and procedures for requesting accelerated grant.

Why is this important?

The arrangement could significantly improve the speed and efficiency with which international patent owners obtain corresponding patent protection in Ghana.

For businesses that already prosecute patent portfolios in the United States, the new route could potentially shorten the time required to obtain a Ghanaian patent; reduce duplication in patent examination; improve predictability for applicants seeking corresponding protection in Ghana; and make Ghana a more attractive jurisdiction for businesses seeking to protect and commercialise technology in West Africa.

The arrangement also represents an important development in international patent work-sharing involving African IP offices. As the first USPTO APG arrangement on the continent, its implementation will be worth watching to see whether similar arrangements emerge elsewhere in Africa.

For international businesses entering Ghana, the arrangement may become an important consideration when developing African patent filing and prosecution strategies, particularly where the United States is already a key jurisdiction within the global patent portfolio.