NOTAP inaugurates Intellectual Property and Technology Transfer Office at ESUT
NOTAP
By Tolu Aiyegbusi
Abuja, July 4, 2018 (NAN) The National Office for Technology Acquisition and Promotion (NOTAP), has established an Intellectual Property and Technology Transfer Office (IPTTO) at the Enugu State University of Science and Technology(ESUT).
Mr Raymond Ogbu, the NOTAP Communication Officer disclosed this on Wednesday in Abuja in a statement.
Dr DanAzumi Ibrahim, the Director-General at the inauguration said NOTAP initiated the establishment of Intellectual Property and Technology Transfer Offices (IPTTOs) in Nigerian knowledge institutions to trigger the market and demand-driven research.
Ibrahim, who was represented by Mr Adamu Tandam, the Director, Consultancy Services Department said that the establishment of IPTTO in the Nigerian Universities, Polytechnic and Research Institutions was to create awareness on the importance of Intellectual Property (IP).
“In order to encourage the development of indigenous technologies, NOTAP in 2006 in partnership with the World Intellectual Property Organisation (WIPO), established IPTTOs in some selected Nigerian knowledge Institutions.”
According to him, the establishment of IPPTO in Nigerian universities, polytechnics and research institutions will expose the researchers to over six million research results which will serve as a guide to researchers in carrying out their work.
He bemoaned the low Intellectual Property culture in Nigeria, saying that for a country that aspires to be one of the leading economies in the world, Nigeria should be an exporter of technology and not depend on foreign technologies.
He challenged the university community to maximise the opportunity offered by IPTTO to ensure that patents are generated for licensing and for eventual generation of funds for the institution.
“There are a lot of inventive and innovative activities going on in Nigerian knowledge institutions but not properly directed toward demand and market-driven research.
“I therefore urge you to maximise the opportunity offered by IPTTO to ensure that patents are generated for licensing and for eventual generation of funds for the institution,” he said.
The Vice Chancellor of ESUT, Prof. Luke Anike said the inauguration of IPTTO in the institution was a dream come true for him during his tenure.
He said a lot of research activities had been carried out by the institution but they had not been presented for patenting due to inadequate knowledge on patents.
Anike encouraged researchers within and outside the university community to take advantage of the technical training being rendered by NOTAP to ensure that their research works were patented for onward licensing and commercialisation.
NAN reports that NOTAP establishes IPTTO in selected Nigerian knowledge based institutions to secure Intellectual Property Rights portfolio through patenting, copyright and technology licensing to support the institution’s initiative in developing patent culture.
It piloted the initiative by establishing IPTTOs in five institutions but the number of the institutions with the office has risen to over 42 in 2018. (NAN)
TOLU/COA/GY
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Edited by Constance Imasuen/Grace Yussuf