Nigeria Awards Patent Certificates To 18 Researchers, Inventors
The Nigerian Government has awarded patent certificates to 18 researchers for their various inventions and innovations in addressing economic problems.
The Minister of Science, Technology and Innovation, Mr Uche Nnaji presented the certificates to the beneficiaries at an event organised by the National Office for Technology Acquisition and Promotion, NOTAP, in Abuja.
Nnaji described the event as a boost to research, industrialisation and development in the country.
He praised NOTAP for delivering on its mandate by providing an efficient process for the acquisition and domestication of foreign technologies.
“Nigerian innovators, researchers and scientists should improve on their ability to protect their intellectual properties through the help of NOTAP.
”The recipients should make more efforts to move their Research and Development results to be available in the market, which would boost the nation’s overall socio-economic fortunes,” he said.
Nnaji further said that for any economy to strengthen its intellectual properties, it must increase its investment in Research and Development (R and D).
He called for an improved partnership between the private sector and research communities to reduce the nation’s dependence on oil.
The outgoing Director-General of NOTAP, Dr DanAzumi Ibrahim, said, ”for any economy to become independent, there is the need for capacity building.
“For any nation to become economically independent, we have to develop the necessary capacities, they are the human resources God has given us.
“In the process, we realise the gap between us and developing nations is wide and it is important to bridge it.”
”Doing so depends on our capacity to convert our raw materials into products and services, and food supply.
“We don’t need to import anything into the country, but to export and make income from other nations,” he said.
Ibrahim also said; “No nation can do it alone, scientists are expected to come up with technologies that should be able to assist Nigeria improve the quality of life of our citizens.”
He said that the private sector and research communities had responsibilities to come together to see how the country can grow into economic prosperity.
“We see the quantum amount that leaves this country as licensing fees, this should inspire our inventions,” he said.
Some of the beneficiary institutions included the research and development arms of the University of Maiduguri, the Federal Institute of Industrial Research (FIIRO), Oshodi; Federal University of Technology, Minna, Bayero University, Kano and University of Ilorin.
Other institutions are University of Jos, University of Uyo, Nnamdi Azikiwe University, Calvary Arrows college Gboko.
NAN/ Chidimma Gold
