NOTAP to Partner KSUST on Technology Development

The National Office for Technology Acquisition and Promotion (NOTAP) is to partner with the Kano State University of Science and Technology (KUST) for the technological advancement of Nigeria.

Dr. DanAzumi Mohammed Ibrahim, director general of NOTAP, stated this while receiving the Management of the University who visited NOTAP headquarters in Abuja to explore areas of partnership.

Dr. Ibrahim said it has become expedient for Universities and Research Institutes to convert the enormous researches on their shelves into patents that will transform into products and services for the benefit of Nigerians.

He decried the present situation whereby many technologies being utilized in Nigeria are imported noting that Nigerian researchers publish their works for promotion rather than to acquire patents.

This situation he asserted, informed the institutionalization of the Intellectual Property Technology Transfer Offices (IPTTOs) scheme by NOTAP with the support of the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) in 2005, to create awareness on Intellectual Property Rights (IPR) and instill the culture of Intellectual Property(IP) in Universities and Research Institutions.

The Director General who noted that in the present world, patents are highly considered an index of development for any nation, said the awareness NOTAP has embarked upon in this area has started yielding dividends with more patents emanating from the institutions in recent times compared to when the programme commenced.

He called on Universities and Research Institutes to ensure the institutionalization of an Intellectual Property (IP) policy based on their peculiarities and assured the visiting team that NOTAP is ready for any partnership that will lead to the much needed technological advancement of Nigeria.

In his remarks, Professor Shehu Alhaji Musa, leader of the delegation and Vice-Chancellor of the University, said the visit to NOTAP is predicated on the need to tap from the enormous technological experiences of the agency for the benefit of the institution.

He said the University was established in 2000 as the third state University in Nigeria and the first University of Science and Technology in northern Nigeria and is exploring partnership with NOTAP in the area of patent support amongst others.