2023 EXPO: Research Agency Earns 41 Patents for Innovations
Hadiza Ndadama
The Director General of the Raw Materials Research and Development Council (RMRDC), Prof. Hussaini Ibrahim, has said that the agency has obtained about 41 patents for its innovations.
The DG said this at the RMRDC day at the ongoing Science, Technology, and Innovation Expo in Abuja, Nigeria’s capital.
Honoured to have represented Mr President at the opening ceremony of the Science & Tech Expo in Abuja with the theme: STI: Solution to National Economic Challenges. This gathering of tech experts aims to showcase R&D products, engage investors & discuss socio-economic issues pic.twitter.com/88oerjOYHi
— Senator Dr. George Akume (@SGFAkume) March 11, 2024
Professor Ibrahim, who was represented by the Director of the Industrial Plant and Equipment Design Department of the agency, Engr. Emanuel Kwaya said that some of the patented innovations, which show proof of concepts, have been further updated to the levels of the pilot stages for commercialization.
“The pilot plant is the plant to show proof of concepts that you are actually producing. Usually, when it goes from the pilot plant, you will now commercialise or upscale that technology. A lot of them are at that stage. These are projects that already have patents, but we have several works that are either in the development stage or we have not yet applied for patents for,” he said.
He added that the agency cumulatively has close to 100 projects in different areas at different stages of development.
The DG further said that the agency is not mandated to commercialise the projects but rather to catalyse the development of the technologies.
“Some of these technologies that are difficult for ordinary Nigerians to go into, the council will get a team of scientists, researchers, and engineers to solve that particular problem. And when that is solved, the other establishments of government or private individuals will pick up that research and do a startup on it, then they take it to the market, taking the product to the market is out of the mandate of the council,” he said.
Prof. Ibrahim noted that the agency’s major key holders are the Manufacturers Association of Nigeria and the departments of the council are fashioned towards the ten sectors of MAN to address each of the sectors.
