) The National Office for Technology Acquisition and Promotion (NOTAP) has restated its commitment to uphold intellectual property rights as a tool for economic advancement and nation building.
Dr DanAzumi Ibrahim, the Director-General (D-G) NOTAP said this on Tuesday in Abuja in celebration of the African Day for Technology and Intellectual Property.
Ibrahim told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) that in realisation of the importance of intellectual property to national development, NOTAP was committed to protecting the latent creativities and inventive spirit of young inventors and innovators.
“Intellectual property is one of the ways through which rapid development of a nation can be achieved.
“Promotion of the development of indigenous technology will further help in sensitising and facilitating domestication and development of intellectual property right (IPRs) system in the continent.
“It will reawaken the creative ability of the people in the continent to eradicate poverty and drive sustainable development.’’
The D-G highlighted the correlation between invention, innovation and development of societies and economies adding that a nations that concentrates on inventive talents becomes potential sources of high innovation and modern technology.
Ibrahim said that the agency was able to stop capital flight and strengthen the weak IP culture through its refusal to approve the importation of technological services that could be rendered by Nigerian technologists.
“Most times, when Nigerian entrepreneurs enter into technology transfer agreements with their foreign counterparts, the agreements are drafted in such a way that indigenous technologists/service providers do not benefit.
“Rather expatriates will be deployed to execute jobs that Nigerian technologists are competent enough to handle.
“Through NOTAP’s interventions, poorly drafted patents are not approved unless redrafted to take care of indigenous technologists/skills and strengthen our intellectual property culture,” he stated.
Ibrahim said that the office was actively involved in patent protection from filing, examination, granting and publication; and ensured the conditions were favorable to indigenous inventors.
To further strengthen intellectual culture, the D-G said that NOTAP had embarked on establishments of Intellectual Property and Technology Transfer Offices (IPTTOs) in tertiary and research institutions across the country.
“NOTAP currently has over 50 IPTTOs that will spur the inventive and innovative prowess of researchers in the institutions and strengthen the poor innovative and intellectual property protection culture.
“IPTTO will facilitate the galvanisation of research results for onward commercialization and bridge the gap existing between the academia and the Industry.
He explained that the establishment of IPTTOs was in order to link education to industry due to the disconnection between both, which had led to shelving of research efforts with little or no contribution to industrialisation.
“Through IPTTOs, we have promoted Intellectual Property (IP), innovation and demand driven research in knowledge based institutions as we as contribute to the needs of industry through the technology value chain,’’ Ibrahim said.
He promised to continue to work closely with other government agencies and private bodies to ensure intellectual property was respecteed.