The director-general of the National Office for Technology Acquisition and Promotion (NOTAP), Dr. Obiageli Amadiobi has called for enhanced collaboration with the World Intellectual Property Organisation (WIPO) to strengthen intellectual property (IP) development in Nigeria.
Amadiobi made this appeal during a recent courtesy visit to the WIPO Nigeria office, where she met with the country director, Dr. Oluwatobiloba Moody at the United Nations headquarters in Abuja.
During the visit, Amadiobi highlighted the critical need for capacity building and increased awareness of intellectual property among Nigerian researchers, inventors, and innovators. She noted that her visits to several Intellectual Property Technology Transfer Offices (IPTTOs) established by NOTAP in various universities across Nigeria revealed the importance of fostering demand-driven research and ensuring the protection of IP.
“Having seen firsthand the state of our IPTTOs, it is clear that we need to intensify our efforts in capacity building and IP awareness,” Dr. Amadiobi stated. “WIPO has been a longstanding partner of NOTAP, with our relationship formalized through a memorandum of understanding (MOU) signed in 2006. However, the pace of execution has been slow, and there is an urgent need to reinvigorate this collaboration to achieve better results.”
One of the key areas of focus for Amadiobi was the reassessment and retraining of IPTTO coordinators. She emphasized the need to equip these coordinators with the necessary skills and knowledge to manage the centers more effectively, thereby optimising their contribution to intellectual property management in Nigeria. She appealed to WIPO to consider providing specialised training for both IPTTO coordinators and NOTAP officials at the WIPO Academy, particularly in light of the rapid advancements in technology and the evolving landscape of intellectual property.
In response, Moody acknowledged the vital role NOTAP plays in promoting innovation in Nigeria. He underscored the importance of the partnership between WIPO and NOTAP, noting that WIPO’s existing Technology Innovation and Support Centers (TISC) in Nigeria could benefit significantly from the broader reach and structure of NOTAP’s IPTTO network.
Moody highlighted several ongoing WIPO initiatives aimed at fostering IP development in Nigeria, including the IP Labs for start-ups, the IP Skill Acquisition Learning and Youth Entrepreneurship (IP SALAYE) program launched in collaboration with the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) and the IP for Green Innovators project in partnership with the Nigeria Climate Innovation Centre in Lagos. He expressed WIPO’s interest in collaborating with NOTAP on these programmes to ensure that IP becomes an integral part of Nigeria’s innovation ecosystem.
“WIPO is open to co-designing projects and programs with critical partners like NOTAP to identify and train individuals on how IP works,” Moody said. “We are also considering the development of a specialised training course for NOTAP officials and IPTTO coordinators and we look forward to receiving input from NOTAP on specific training needs to design a tailored training plan.”
During the visit, Director of Technology Acquisition and Research Coordination at NOTAP Mrs. Carol Annie-Osuagwu emphasised the need for specialised training in IP and patent drafting. She mentioned that while some NOTAP officials had previously benefited from WIPO training, there remains a significant demand for more targeted training in these areas. Annie-Osuagwu also pointed out that NOTAP has established 65 IPTTOs across the country, but there are numerous requests from universities and research institutes to set up additional offices—a demand that NOTAP currently struggles to meet due to limited funding.
“The requests for training and the establishment of more IPTTOs are increasing, and this shows the growing interest in IP across our academic and research institutions,” Annie-Osuagwu noted. “As a result of NOTAP’s awareness programmes, we are seeing a rise in the number of patents originating from these institutions.”
A statement by NOTAP’s Deputy Director of Public Relations Solomon D. Nshem highlighted that the visit by Amadiobi has reinvigorated the collaboration between NOTAP and WIPO. The strengthened partnership is expected to play a crucial role in entrenching a culture of innovation and inventiveness in Nigeria, ultimately contributing to the country’s technological advancement and economic growth.
The renewed collaboration between NOTAP and WIPO marks a significant step towards enhancing Nigeria’s intellectual property landscape, ensuring that researchers and innovators are better equipped to protect and capitalise on their creations. With the support of WIPO, NOTAP is poised to drive forward Nigeria’s IP development, fostering a more robust and innovative environment for the nation’s future.
