The Honourable Minister of Innovation, Science and Technology, Chief Geoffrey Uche Nnaji has commended the partnership between the National Office for Technology Acquisition and Promotion NOTAP with PZ Cussons Nigeria Plc in carrying out NOTAP-Industry Research Laboratory Upgrade (NIRLUP).

Chief Nnaji in his address presented by the Director General of NOTAP, Dr. Obiageli Amadiobi at the Commissioning of the ninth upgraded Chemistry laboratory, under the NOTAP-Industry Research Laboratory Upgrade (NIRLUP) said that education is the bedrock of every nation’s development, and investing in critical educational infrastructure, such as equipping Chemistry laboratories was a sure way to achieving greatness.

He said that NOTAP as a technology regulatory agency in carrying out it’s monitoring responsibility, observed some inadequacies and disconnect between industries and the National Innovation System (NIS), and critical among the observed inadequacies, was lack of confidence in the Nigerian graduates and research capabilities.

He noted that in order to address the identified weaknesses and bridge the gaps, NOTAP came up with the NOTAP-Industry partnership initiative with a number of schemes in 2009 to compliment the efforts of the FMIST in strengthening linkage with industry and provision of infrastructure in Nigerian knowledge establishments.

The Honourable Minister stated that one of the strategic partners with NOTAP since the initiatives is PZ Cussons that have committed close to a billion naira in upgrading a total of nine Chemistry Laboratories of the Nigerian knowledge institutions, adding that the benefiting institutions are, Modibo Adama University of Technology, Yola, National Research Institute for Chemical Technology (NARICT) Zaria, University of Calabar, (UNICAL), Alex Ekweme University of Technology, Ndufu Alike, Ebonyi State, Abubakar Tafawa Balewa University, Bauchi, University of Jos, Plateau State and University of Port Harcourt which just being commissioned.

He called on other multinational companies operating in Nigeria to emulate PZ in giving back to the society as a way of Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR). He promised that the Ministry through NOTAP will find a legal way of reciprocating the goodwill of PZ within the ambient of the law.

Similarly, the Director General and Chief Executive Officer of NOTAP, Dr. Obiageli Amadiobi in her welcome remarks, presented by the Director Consultancy Services of NOTAP, Mrs. Yejide Akinkunmi said that NOTAP was primarily established to regulate the inflow of foreign technology into the Country but also has the responsibility of encouraging an efficient development of indigenous technologies.

She said that in carrying out its responsibilities, the Office observed that most of the foreign companies operating in Nigeria carry out their critical laboratory research and analyses in their parent companies overseas, reason being lack of adequate research facilities in Nigeria.

In a Press Release issued by Raymond Onyenezi Ogbu of the Public Relations and Protocol Unit of NOTAP, Dr. Amadiobi noted that for a Country that is desirous of grooming a critical mass of skilled manpower, the research infrastructure in our knowledge institutions needed an upgrade, hence the partnership with PZ Cussons in upgrading the Chemistry laboratories of the Nigerian knowledge institutions with state of-the-art equipment.

While appreciating the donation from NOTAP and PZ Cussons, the Vice Chancellor of the University of Port Harcourt, Prof. Owunari Abraham Georgwill, represented by the Provost of the Collage of Health Sciences, Prof. Ngozi Onyanunam Ekeke said that the school is lucky to have been picked as a beneficiary of the kind gesture. He said that the University will ensure proper utilization of the equipment to demonstrate that the choice of the school as one of the beneficiaries of the Laboratory upgrade is justified.

Prof. Owunari stated that there will not be any meaningful development of any nation without a critical and industry-based research. He added that those equipment will aim in speedy carriage of research that will translate into tangible goods and services for the benefit of mankind.