By Sunday Ani
The Minister of Innovation, Science and Technology, Chief Geoffrey Nnaji, has emphasized the critical role of creativity and innovation in accelerating development worldwide.
He made this statement during the celebration of this year’s World Intellectual Property (WIP) Day on Thursday.
In a statement by the Assistant Chief Information Officer of the National Office for Technology Acquisition and Promotion (NOTAP), Mr Raymond Ogbu, the Minister highlighted the importance of the day, designated by the United Nations to celebrate ingenuity, creativity, and innovation. He emphasized its significance for global economic sustainability, as inventions and innovations are products of crucial research.
“It is pertinent to celebrate our inventors, innovators, and artists, as well as creators, who have contributed significantly to our country’s socio-economic development,” he stated.
The Minister further stressed the pivotal role of Intellectual Property Rights (IPR) in Nigeria’s evolving economy. He explained that IPR fosters innovation, drives economic growth, and enriches the country’s cultural development.
“What makes advanced countries tick is their breakthroughs in inventive and innovative activities. So, for developing countries like Nigeria to be recognized as a major player within the IPR ecosystem, we must build a culture of innovation,” he emphasized.
“To ensure a rapid development of the Indigenous Intellectual Property System (IPS), and spur the innovative spirit of Nigerian researchers, the National Office for Technology Acquisition and Promotion (NOTAP), an agency under the supervision of my ministry, established the Intellectual Property and Technology Transfer Offices (IPTTOs) in some knowledge establishments in the country,” he added.
“The ministry is committed to strengthening the IPS, to make it easier for innovators to protect their works, and through NOTAP, Nigerian inventors and innovators have been assisted in patenting their inventions free,” he stated.
Chief Nnaji, however, cautioned that while IPRs incentivize innovation, overly restrictive policies could stifle creativity and impede progress. “It is imperative to foster an environment that promotes both innovation and accessibility to information,” he added.
Similarly, the acting Director-General of NOTAP, Dr Idoreyin Imiyoho, emphasized the crucial role of intellectual property awareness in knowledge transfer and harnessing Nigeria’s potential within knowledge institutions.
In a paper presentation titled, “Intellectual Property Commercialization, Knowledge Transfer and Food Security,” at the 2024 WIP Day, organized by the World Intellectual Property Organisation (WIPO), Nigeria at the UN House, Abuja, Dr Imiyoho described IP as the property of the human intellect.
She further stated that IP could be any innovation, commercial, artistic, symbol, logo, or design used for commercial purposes. “It could also be the creation of the mind, literary and artistic works belonging to a creator, and could only be transferred or sold with the permission of the innovator,” she clarified.
“NOTAP was established to regulate the inflow of foreign technology into the country, as well as encourage the development of indigenous technologies,” she explained. “NOTAP as a regulatory agency is aware of the weak IP culture in the country; so, in order to build a strong intellectual property culture for sustainable economic development, it midwifed the establishment of IPTTOs in some selected knowledge institutions across the country.”
“The establishment of IPTTOs has triggered healthy competitions among the knowledge institutions to the point that critical and market-driven research leading to patents has been undertaken,” she said.
She described the WIPO as a global body for intellectual property policy, services, information, and cooperation, as well as a special agency of the United Nations, assisting its 193 member states in developing a balanced intellectual property legal framework to meet societal evolving needs.
She noted that in 2000, the WIPO member states designated April 26 every year to mark World Intellectual Property Day, with the aim of increasing general understanding and awareness of intellectual property and its importance to national development.
The acting DG assured the WIPO of NOTAP’s unwavering support and commitment to ensuring that the culture of intellectual property was inculcated, not only in Nigerian knowledge institutions, but also in the artisans, who have over the years, demonstrated ability in fast-tracking science, technology, and innovation development in Nigeria.
