Barr. Mohammed Hassan Abdulahi, Honourable Minister of State for Science and Technology, has said that the functions and activities of the National Office for Technology Acquisition and Promotion (NOTAP) were very strategic in the development of Science, Technology and Innovation (STI) in Nigeria.
Barr. Abdullahi made this statement recently at NOTAP corporate headquarters when he paid his first Official working visit to the Office.
He said the development of this country depends largely on the vibrancy of our research establishments to reinvigorate Science, Technology and Innovation which are the instruments for socio-economic development of every functional society.
The Honourable Minister said that NOTAP has carved an inch for itself for saving the country a hooping sum of over N240 billion through the Registration of Technology Transfer Agreement which is the major function of the Office.
Barr. Abdullahi further assured the management of NOTAP that he and the Hon. Minister of Science and Technology Dr. Ogbonnaya Onu will do their best to ensure the completion of NOTAP new Office complex building before the end of the year to ensure workers operate in a comfortable environment.
He urged NOTAP to be very meticulous in evaluating application for Registration of Technology Transfer Agreements, bearing in mind that the country is almost becoming a dumping ground for all forms of substandard and obsolete technologies.
Dr. DanAzumi Mohammed Ibrahim, Director General of NOTAP, while welcoming the Minister and his entourage said that NOTAP was established over three decades ago to regulate the inflow of foreign technology into the country and at the same time, promote the development of indigenous technologies for a rapid technological growth of the country.
According to the Director General, NOTAP registers technology transfer agreements between Nigerian entrepreneurs and their foreign technical partners as one of its major functions. He noted that the Office considers the registration of Technology Transfer Agreement under three major perspectives: legal, economic and technical perspectives.
He said all these conditions are taken into account before any agreement is registered by NOTAP and as a result of this regulatory roles, NOTAP has saved the country over 240 billion naira that would have left the country as capital flight in the last seven years.
The DG also said that in partnership with the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO), NOTAP in 2006 introduced the establishment of Intellectual Property and Technology Transfer Offices in some selected Nigerian knowledge Institution and considering the impact of these IPTTOs in promotion of Patent, NOTAP has established 54 with the intension to establish more.