The Director-General of the National Office for Technology Acquisition and Promotion (NOTAP), Dr. Barr. Obiageli Edith Amadiobi, has called for enhanced cooperation with the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) to bolster intellectual property (IP) development in Nigeria.
During a courtesy visit to WIPO Country Director Dr. Oluwatobiloba Moody, Dr. Amadiobi highlighted the need for capacity building and increased IP awareness to stimulate demand-driven research and safeguard the intellectual assets of Nigerian researchers and innovators.
While acknowledging the existing MOU between NOTAP and WIPO, Dr. Amadiobi emphasized the urgency of revitalizing the partnership. She proposed retraining coordinators of NOTAP’s Intellectual Property Technology Transfer Offices (IPTTOs) to optimize their IP management capabilities.
WIPO’s Country Director expressed enthusiasm for strengthening the collaboration, citing the complementary nature of NOTAP’s IPTTOs and WIPO’s Technology Innovation and Support Centers (TISC). Dr. Moody outlined various WIPO programs, including IP Labs, IP SALAYE, and IP for Green Innovators, as potential areas for joint initiatives.
Both parties agreed on the importance of co-designed projects and capacity-building programs to enhance IP knowledge and practices in Nigeria. WIPO committed to developing tailored training courses for NOTAP officials and IPTTO coordinators, leveraging its academy’s expertise in technology transfer.
NOTAP, which has established 65 IPTTOs nationwide, seeks specialized training in IP and patent drafting to support the growing number of patent applications from universities and research institutions. The visit has reinvigorated the commitment of both organizations to fostering innovation and inventiveness in Nigeria.