NOTAP Boost Intellectual Property Rights Advocacy in Mubi

The National Office for Technology Acquisition and Promotion (NOTAP) has taken a significant step to boost awareness of Intellectual Property Rights (IPR) across Nigerian knowledge institutions by inaugurating the 66th Intellectual Property and Technology Transfer Office (IPTTO) at the Federal Polytechnic, Mubi, Adamawa State, in Northern Nigeria.

The initiative aims to strengthen innovation and intellectual property management within academic and research institutions, promoting technological advancements and fostering economic growth in the country.

A statement signed by Raymond Onyenezi Ogbu on behalf of the Head Public Relations and Protocol Unit of NOTAP said that the Director General of NOTAP, Dr. Obiageli Amadiobi, speaking while commissioning the centre, said that as a regulatory agency, NOTAP observed a lack of intellectual property culture in the Nigerian knowledge institutions.

The DG, who was represented by the Director of Technology Acquisition and Research Coordination in the TARC department, Mrs Caroline Anie-Osuagwu, added that because no meaningful technology development could be achieved without a vibrant IP system, the office, in collaboration with the World Intellectual Property Organisation (WIPO), in 2006, initiated the establishment of IPTTOs in the Nigerian knowledge institutions.

She reiterated that NOTAP was primarily established to regulate the inflow of foreign technology through the registration of technology transfer agreements but also has the responsibility to encourage the development of locally motivated technologies.

“While carrying out these responsibilities, the Office observed a weak intellectual property system in our knowledge institutions, and for a country that is desirous of becoming a global player in the science, technology, and innovation (STI) ecosystem, the situation is unacceptable, hence the need for the establishment of the IPTTOs.

“In developed countries, knowledge institutions are instrumental to the economic sustainability of their countries, but in developing countries, universities and polytechnics wait for the budgetary allocations from the federation account. Such narratives could be changed if the IPTTOs are strategically used by the institution,” she said.

Dr Amadiobi stated that knowledge institutions should contribute to problem-solving in societies by churning out technically skilled young graduates who can confront the developmental challenges rather than graduates who will roam the streets in search of jobs, adding that knowledge institutions should engage in the market- and demand-driven research instead of conventional research for publications and career progression.

She decried the alarming level of inventions and innovations wasted on the shelves in the country’s knowledge institutions, adding that with the establishment of IPTTOs, such inventions and innovations could further be translated into goods and services for the benefit of the public.

“Although intellectual property is intangible, it should be protected to allow the owners some monopoly of financial exploitation of the inventions.”

Dr Amadiobi reiterated the commitment of the office to continue to encourage the development of inventive and innovative spirits of Nigerians through strategic advocacy on the importance of research for the development of a stronger IPR ecosystem.

In his address, the rector of the institution, Dr. Abdul-Rahman Aspita Ishiaka, represented at the occasion by the deputy rector, Dr. Mustapha Dauda Belel, said that the decision by NOTAP to establish an IPTTO in Federal Polytechnic Mubi, given the competitive nature of the selection process, is a testament to the academic blueprints of the present administration.

He said that the Polytechnic has been strategic in technology development through its activities on the fabrication of agricultural tools, adding that the IPTTO will further facilitate their efforts and also fast-track the progress of patent applications within the community.

The rector further expressed appreciation for the gift of the IPTTO by NOTAP and challenged the school community to justify the reason for attracting the centre by churning out critical research and development (R&D) results that could translate into goods and services for onward commercialisation.

In her paper titled “Intellectual Property Assets Management,” the Director of Technology Acquisition and Research Coordination (TARC), Mrs Caroline Anie-Osuagwu, said that IP assets are collections of intellectual properties such as patents, trademarks, copyrighted works, industrial designs, geographical indications, and trade secrets that are strategically chosen for their business values.

She encouraged the researchers to protect their inventions and inventions so that they could enjoy the financial benefits accruing from their research and development undertakings.