The National Office for Technology Acquisition and Promotion (NOTAP) has promised to assist Chukwuemeka Odomegwu Ojukwu University (COOU) Uli, Anambra State to upgrade its Chemistry and Chemical Laboratory with state of-the-art equipment to enhance critical research.
Speaking when she received the first female Vice Chancellor of the University, Prof. Kate Azuka Omenugha and her management staff on a courtesy visit to NOTAP, the Director General of NOTAP, Dr. Obiageli Amadiobi, said that NOTAP was established to regulate the inflow of foreign technologies through the registration of technology transfer agreements but also has the responsibility of encouraging the development and domestication of indigenous technologies.
She said that as a regulatory agency, and a critical stakeholder in the development of Science, Technology and Innovation (STI) ecosystem in the Nigeria, NOTAP discovered a disturbing disconnect between the academia and industry and since no nation effectively develops economically without bridging such gap, the Office introduced the establishment of Intellectual Property and Technology Transfer Offices (IPTTO) in the Nigerian knowledge institutions.
The DG stated that NOTAP is committed to supporting research and innovation in Nigerian universities through the establishment of IPTTO as well as the NOTAP-Industry Technology Transfer Fellowship scheme among other developmental programmes. She noted that the Office’s mandate includes promoting technology acquisition and development in the country and that the organization would be happy to collaborate with COOU to upgrade its laboratory facilities.
In a Press Statement signed by Raymond Onyenezi Ogbu of the Public Relations and Protocol Unit of NOTAP, Dr. Amadiobi emphasized the need to synergize with critical stakeholders, adding that the working relationship between the two organizations started years back, when NOTAP established the Intellectual Property and Technology Transfer Office (IPTTO) in the institution. She stated that the school should be channeling its research energy towards market and demand-driven research, as NOTAP will assist the school in patenting any viable inventions that emanates from their research undertaking free of charge.
She equally invited the University to encourage their students and staff who are passionate about furthering their education to PhD level to apply for the NOTAP-Industry Technology Transfer Fellowship (NITTF) scheme. She stated that the fellowship is a voluntary sponsorship programme whereby multinational companies operating in Nigeria willingly sponsor candidates to undertake a PhD research programme on a topic that will be determined by the benefactor.
The Vice Chancellor of the University, Prof. Kate Azuka Omenugha, who was visibly elated, said her visit to NOTAP was to congratulate the DG on her appointment as the 5th substantive Director General and Chief Executive Officer of NOTAP and also to express her appreciation for the partnership that had existed between the two agencies even before her appointment as the VC.
The University don said that she was informed about the Intellectual Property and Technology Transfer Office (IPTTO) established in the School by NOTAP and other critical infrastructure that the Office expends to Nigerian Universities and decided to pay a courtesy visit to discuss on further opportunities.
She commended the DG of NOTAP for accepting to put the institution on the list of the next institutions that will benefit from the upgrading of Chemistry and Chemical Laboratories. She highlighted the importance of science and technology in driving national development and emphasized the need for functional laboratories to support research and innovation.
The VC and the NOTAP DG expressed their commitment to working together to achieve their objectives. The visit marked the beginning of a promising stronger working partnership between COOU and NOTAP, which is expected to have a positive impact on the university’s research capabilities and the nation’s development.
