NOTAP grants 400 patents from 1,079 applications
By Jeph Ajobaju, Chief Copy Editor
Tertiary institutions received 400 national patents by May out of 1,079 applications made to the National Office for Technology Acquisition and Promotion (NOTAP) through the Federal Ministry of Industry, Trade and Investment.
NOTAP Technology Acquisition and Research Coordination Director Carol Anie-Osuagwu made the disclosure in a paper on Intellectual Property Rights Exploitation through Licensing, which she presented in Bauchi.
NOTAP is an agency under the ministry.
Anie-Osuagwu defined Intellectual Property (IP) according to the World Intellectual Property Organisation (WHO) as creations of the mind – everything from works of art to inventions, computer programmes to trademarks and other commercial signs.
She said NOTAP supports and guides genuine IP holders who seek its assistance to exploit their IPs and implement government policies on Technology Transfer Agreements (TTAs).
Her speech was reported in a statement issued by NOTAP Public Relations and Protocol Head Solomon Nshem.
NOTAP has promoted the development of Intellectual Property Rights in Nigeria through a Patent Information and Documentation Centre, acquisition and dissemination of more than one million technological data contained in expired patent documents from WIPO in Geneva, she said.
Anie-Osuagwu also cited the establishment of 60 Intellectual Property and Technology Transfer Offices across tertiary education and research institutes in Nigeria.
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Foreign tech powers 90% of Nigerian economy
NOTAP Director General DanAzumi Ibrahim disclosed at the forum that over 90 per cent of the technologies that power the Nigerian economy are foreign.
He urged the forum to facilitate cooperation between researchers and funding institutions in order to facilitate the movement of Research and Development (R&D) outputs from knowledge centres to the market as products and services.
He said NOTAP has through registration and monitoring of technology transfer agreements saved the treasury more than N79.6 billion in capital flight, according to The PUNCH.
NOTAP achieved this through programmes and policies such as Local Vendor Policy, NOTAP-Industry Technology Transfer Fellowship, and upgrade of chemical laboratories in institutions of higher learning/research institutes in a bid to stimulate indigenous skills development in Science, Technology, and Innovation.
The Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) has numerous facilities and grants for researchers, inventors, and innovators.
This was disclosed by CBN Bauchi Development Finance Office Manager Umaru Ishaku, who presented a paper on Instruments for Commercialisation of Patents (Protected R&D Results).
