Technology transfer initiatives introduced to boost Nigeria’s economy in the last five years have made the country N79bn richer.
The National Office for Technology Acquisition and Promotion said the funds would have left Nigeria as capital flight from the science and technology sector of the economy.
He said the saving was made from 2015 to 2019.
This was disclosed by NOTAP’s Director-General, Dr DanAzumi Ibrahim, while hosting the High Commissioner of the United Republic of Tanzania to Nigeria, Dr Alfred Bana, in Abuja.
He said the Nigerian government established NOTAP in 1979 to regulate the inflow of foreign technology and also promote locally motivated technologies.
Ibrahim said NOTAP has also developed numerous programmes and projects towards national development, one of which is the establishment of the Intellectual Property Technology Transfer Offices in universities, polytechnics and research institutes.
According to him, the concept was developed in partnership with the World Intellectual Property Organisation in 2006 to enlighten research communities on the need to protect their Intellectual Property, harness their competences and assist them in patenting their research and development results and inventions free of charge.
The Tanzanian High Commissioner, who lauded the technology transfer and promotion initiatives of NOTAP, said his nation had not done a lot in terms of promoting Tanzania-Nigeria relationship and expressed interest in promoting intra-African relationships and linkages in different fields of Science, Technology and Agriculture.
He noted that NOTAP’s technology transfer strategies ensure that a local component is developed to benefit the community, stressing that in most African nations, legislation tended to follow agreements.
But in Nigeria, NOTAP is firm in regulating technology transfer agreements, which has brought immense benefits to Nigerians, he added.
