The Director-General of the National Office for Technology Acquisition and Promotion (NOTAP), Dr. Barr. Obiageli Amadiobi, has urged software developers, fintech companies, and banks to prioritize and promote locally developed software solutions.
Addressing attendees at the Texcellence Conference organized by CWG, Dr. Amadiobi emphasized the importance of investing in indigenous technology to foster economic self-reliance and global competitiveness.
She highlighted the need for greater intellectual property rights (IPR) awareness among researchers and innovators, noting that NOTAP has established 67 Intellectual Property Technology Transfer Offices (IPTTOs) to address this gap.
The DG also advocated for stronger collaboration with the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) to enhance the capacity of IPTTO managers.
Dr. Amadiobi criticized the practice of researchers publishing their work solely for academic advancement and stressed the value of the triple helix model, which involves collaboration between academia, industry, and government. NOTAP, she said, actively supports researchers in evaluating their findings and securing patent rights.
The DG encouraged software developers and fintech companies to protect their innovations through patenting or copyright to maximize their benefits. She emphasized the importance of collaboration among stakeholders in the technology ecosystem and called for stronger policies to support public-private partnerships.
Adewale Adeyipo, Group Chief Executive Officer of CWG, highlighted the role of technology in driving economic growth and national development. He emphasized the need for Africa to embrace digital literacy and leverage technology to build its nations.
Fredrik Haren, a global creativity explorer, praised Nigeria’s creativity and confidence and urged the country to harness this potential for economic benefit. He emphasized the importance of creative thinking and curiosity in today’s world and advocated for investment in artificial intelligence (AI) as a productivity tool.
Other speakers at the conference included representatives from MTN Nigeria, Strata, NITDA, INGEN Ghana, the Bulgarian Association for Parking and Sustainable Urban Mobility, and Red Hat.
Participants unanimously agreed on the need for effective collaboration among stakeholders to foster sustainable development of the technology ecosystem in Africa.
NOTAP’s Local Vendor Policy, which aims to increase the use of Nigerian software, has played a significant role in strengthening the capacity of indigenous software developers like CWG. The 2024 Texcellence Conference, the third in the series, attracted stakeholders from various sectors of the economy in Nigeria and Africa.