My IP Story celebrates African experiences that demonstrate how intellectual property can contribute to value creation and business growth.
John Wobil · Ghana · Silver Medal
Enterprise: Wobil Technologies Limited, co-founder and Chief Executive Officer
Field: Agricultural technology and manufacturing
An electrical engineer, inventor and rice farmer, John Wobil designs and manufactures agricultural technologies locally. His developments include the patent-pending Multi-Stage Rice Thresher and the Solar-Powered Grain Winnower. He was second-prize winner in the 2022 WIPO World IP Day Youth Video Competition.
His work sits at the point where two of the continent’s constraints meet: post-harvest losses that erode the income of smallholder farmers, and the cost of importing equipment designed for other conditions. A patent application on locally manufactured machinery is a claim not only on a device but on the right to supply a market with it.
