Oct. 17, 2023

The Federal Government has awarded patent certificates to 18 researchers for their various inventions and innovations in addressing economic problems.

The Minister of Science, Technology and Innovation, Mr. Uche Nnaji, presented the certificates to the beneficiaries on Tuesday in Abuja.

The presentation was organised by the National Office for Technology Acquisition and Promotion (NOTAP).

Nnaji described the event as a boost to research, industrialisation and development in the country.

He praised NOTAP for delivering on its mandate by providing an efficient process for the acquisition and domestication of foreign technologies.

The minister urged the beneficiaries to create an impact for the Federal Government’s economic sustainability plan where research was translated to production activities and create jobs for the youths.

“ Nigerian innovators, researchers and scientists should improve on their ability to protect their intellectual properties through the help of NOTAP.

“The recipients should make more efforts to move their Research and Development results to be available in the market, which would boost the nation’s overall socio-economic fortunes,” he urged.

Nnaji added that for any economy to strengthen its intellectual properties, it must increase its investment in Research and Development (R and D).

He called for an improved partnership between the private sector and research communities to reduce the nation’s dependence on oil.

Earlier in his opening remarks, the outgoing Director-General of NOTAP, Dr. Dan Azumi Ibrahim, said, ”for any economy to become independent, there is the need for capacity building.

He added, “For any nation to become economically independent, we have to develop the necessary capacities, they are the human resources God has given us.

“In the process, we realise the gap between us and developing nations is wide and it is important to bridge it.

“Doing so depends on our capacity to convert our raw materials into products and services, and food supply.

“We don’t need to import anything into the country, but to export and make income from other nations.”

The director general added that no nation that was aspiring to become economically independent would fold its arms and allow its economy to collapse.

Ibrahim also said that more than 90 per cent of the technologies that powered the Nigerian economy were imported technologies.

“No nation can do it alone, scientists are expected to come up with technologies that should be able to assist Nigeria improve the quality of life of our citizens,” he said.

Ibrahim added that the private sector and research communities had responsibilities to come together to see how the country can grow into economic prosperity.

“We see the quantum amount that leaves this country as licensing fees, this should inspire our inventions,” he said.

Some of the innovations were based on renewable energy, bio process for leather making, home emergency alert system, hardware and automated system for food production.

Some of the beneficiary institutions included the research and development arms of the University of Maiduguri, Federal Institute of Industrial Research (FIIRO), Oshodi; Federal University of Technology, Minna, Bayero University, Kano and University of Ilorin.

Other institutions were: University of Jos, University of Uyo, Nnamdi Azikiwe University and Calvary Arrows College Gboko.

Individual recipients were: Mr. Arthur Ode and Mr. Fawole Elijah among others. (NAN)