From Ahmad SAKA, Bauchi
The National Office for Technology Acquisition and Promotion (NOTAP) NOTAP has saved Nigeria over 79.63 billion naira foreign exchange to import foreign technology through sensitization in that direction between 2015 – 2019.
The Director General National Office for Technology Acquisition and Promotion NOTAP Dr Dan-Azumi Ibrahim gave the indication in Bauchi at a workshop on patentees forum with the theme, After Patent, What Next. He said “During our first term in office from 2015-2019, we computed, we saved this nation, N79.63 billion that would have gone out of this country as capital flight. We are now computing between 2020 to the time I will finish my term, hopefully by next year, we will be able to come out with another figure. But hopefully, the figure will be lower because of the sensitization we did where people will begin to realize that there are areas that we don’t need to spend so much of our hard-earned currency bringing in technologies. And technologies are emanating from our universities from our research establishments”.
Dr Dan-Azumi said the aim of organizing the workshop was to explore areas of collaboration between the private sector and the academia driven research opportunities for the development of the theme.
He advised Nigerians to patronize indigenous invented technologies to guarantee the nation’s economy and reduce overdependence on innovations from foreign countries and encouraged Nigerians to support the synergy between the private sector and academia towards sponsoring research and development work for the socio-economic development of the country.
He said “Researchers in our higher institutions of learning are doing their best in that direction, but laid their findings in shelves and the narrative has to be changed” he insisted.
The Vice Chancellor Abubakar Tafawa Balewa University Bauchi Professor Muhammadu Abdulazeez represented by the Director Centre for Research Development of the institution Professor Fatima Isawa who commended NATOP for organising the workshop pledged readiness to support the agency to achieve its mandate.
” I understand NATOP is committed to encourage Nigerians especially the academia to come up with research findings so that it will be sponsored. The VC added.
Professor Abdulazeez called on the participants to used the opportunity created by NATOP to explore their research findings for the development of the country.
The Director General Bauchi state Chamber of Commence and Industries Sani Rahir Aminu who said the workshop is apt promised to partner NOTAP to explore the abundant talents for the development of the country.
In an interview, the representative of the Patent Chief Registrar Mrs Rabi Garba restated their commitment to issue certificates to patents to enable them secure their inventions.
The workshop which was organized by NATOP drew participants from the academia and private sector from the northern states.
