Nigeria Celebrates African Day for Technology and Intellectual Property

Nigeria joins other African countries to celebrate African Day for Technology and Intellectual Property. Every September 13 has been set aside by the African Union (AU) to commemorate the African Day for Technology and Intellectual Property (IP). Nigeria joined the rest of Africa to celebrate this day, which indicates the great importance it and other African nations place on Science, Technology and Innovation (STI).

Arousing the latent creativity and innovative spirit of researchers, entrepreneurs, inventors and innovators is one of the ways of ensuring rapid development of a nation. This also signifies the important of Intellectual Property (IP) in any industrialized economy.

Intellectual property is any innovation, commercial or artistic, or any unique name, symbol, logo or design used for commercial purposes.

It also refers to the creation of human mind, innovations; literary and artistic work sorely belongs to the innovator and can only be transferable or sold with the permission of the innovator.

It is protected by patents on inventions; trademarks on branding devices; copyrights on music, videos, patterns and other forms of expression; trade secrets for methods or formulas having economic value and used commercially.

While Intellectual Property Rights (IPRS), is the rights given to persons over the creations of their minds, they usually give the creator an exclusive right over the use of his/her creation for a certain period of time Technology and IP systems have long been recognized to be among the foremost important factors in nation building and wealth creation.

Recognizing this concept of science and technology, and the need to awaken the consciousness of African nations on the potential of technology and IP, the African Union (AU) had in 1999 set aside September 13 every year as the African Day for Technology and Intellectual Property.

The commemoration indicates the need for African nations to place Science, Technology and Innovation (STI) at the forefront of all development initiatives.

Also the decision of the African leaders to declare a day for the commemoration of the role of technology and IP in achieving sustainable development in the African continent is a positive stride in the quest for technological self-reliance, sustainable socio-economic and industrial development.

The Federal Ministry of Science and Technology (FMST) through the National Office for Technology Acquisition and Promotion (NOTAP) will on Monday 14th September 2015 mark the event with a Science Exhibition for Secondary School Students within the FCT in which prizes and awards will be given students whose inventions and innovations excel.