Federal government has presented 19 patent certificates to Nigerian researchers for their outstanding innovation and inventions, stressing that it will continue to strengthen the Intellectual Property of Nigerian inventors to protect their research and results for their benefits.
The minister of science technology and innovation (STI) Dr. Adeleke Mamora said this in his remarks in Abuja yesterday, while presenting the certificates to deserving Nigerians in an event organised by the National Office for Technology Acquisition and Promotion (NOTAP) in collaboration with the Patent and Design Registry, Commercial Law Department of the Federal Ministry of Industry, Trade and Investment.
The minister said the presentation was in order to “encourage the inventors, spur innovation activities and to further demonstrate the willingness of the federal government in assisting researchers and inventors to protect their research and results for their academic benefits and the nation at large.”
He congratulated the recipients even as he expressed optimism that the nation can only derive maximum benefits from their efforts if their patents translate into products and services for economic growth.
The director-general of NOTAP, Dr. DanAzumi Mohammed Ibrahim, in his remark at the presentation, challenged Nigerian researchers to take advantage of the opportunity offered by the Office to patent their inventions free of charge and enjoy the economic benefits accruing from licensing of their inventions.
He said that so far, the office has facilitated 393 patent certificates since 2006 even as he expressed confidence about the emergence of the products from the successful exploitation of these patents in the shortest possible time.
He lamented that the office in the course of discharging one of its responsibilities of encouraging the development of indigenous technology discovered the weak Intellectual Property culture in Nigeria’s knowledge system.
