NOTAP to Partner Trademark Registry for National Development

National Office for Technology Acquisition and Promotion (NOTAP), is exploring partnership with the Trademark Registry, Federal Ministry of Industry, Trade and Investment for national development.

Dr. DanAzumi Mohammed Ibrahim, director-general of NOTAP,  who dropped the hint while hosting Shafiu Adamu Yauri, registrar, Trademark Registry, said because the world is moving from resource to knowledge base and that the vibrancy of Research and Development in an economy determines the industrial and technological development of a nation, NOTAP would like to see products being developed by Nigerians.

He decried that the pattern of consumption in Nigeria is import-dependent with the resultant negative effect on the nation’s foreign reserves, noting that the only solution is to reduce foreign consumption, develop local substitutes and improve them for export.

He added that for the Nigerian economy to improve at a sustainable level, its Research and Development must translate into products and services.

Ibrahim disclosed that NOTAP’s concentration for a long time had been on assisting researchers to patent technologies through filling forms, citing the claims and paying the patent fees at the Patent Registry.

He stressed that NOTAPs intervention in the area of patent promotion was yielding positive results with the attendant increase in patents secured by researchers through the Office over the years, citing examples of the increase in patents from six in 2015 to 16 in 2016, and from 50 in 2017 to 55 in 2018, and 57 in 2019.

The director-general said with the collective goals of enhancing the development of the nation that both organizations share, available windows for partnership with the Trademark Registry would be fully explored.

Earlier, Yauri, said the visit is to seek partnership because of the crucial role trademark plays in commercialization which is intertwined with the statutory functions of NOTAP.

He added that the Trademark Registry desired to also ensure that it embeds the function and essential role of trademarks in NOTAPs projects and activities not only to sensitize and educate but to establish a relationship that will make it easy for scientists and researchers to protect their trademarks in the Trademark Registry.

The Registrar said the Trademark Registry is the gateway to the market and had decided that a desk officer from NOTAP would be needed at the Registry that will handle every trademark application from the Office efficiently.

He advocated a robust relationship between Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) of government to drive processes and complement each other in their activities.