NOTAP Overview
Overview
The National Office for Technology Acquisition and Promotion (NOTAP) was established in 1979 by Decree No. 70, now referred to as the NOTAP Act Cap N62 LFN 2004. NOTAP is a parastatal under the Federal Ministry of Science and Technology, vested with the mandate to facilitate the acquisition, promotion, and development of technology in Nigeria.
Key functions of NOTAP include:
- Encouraging an efficient process for identifying and selecting foreign technologies suitable for Nigeria’s development needs.
- Developing the negotiation skills of Nigerian entities to ensure favorable contractual terms in technology transfer agreements.
- Facilitating the adaptation of imported technologies to the local environment.
- Registering and continuously monitoring all foreign technology transfer agreements and contracts in Nigeria.
- Promoting the commercialization of viable research and development (R&D) results and inventions from public and private research institutions.
- Fostering the growth of locally generated technologies and indigenous innovation capabilities.
- Promoting intellectual property rights and encouraging creative and inventive skills among Nigerian scientists, researchers, and inventors.
- Establishing industry-academia linkages and networks to facilitate joint research, knowledge sharing, and technology transfer.
- Conducting studies, workshops, and training programs to advance technological development and awareness in Nigeria.
- Providing consultancy services, technology advisory support, and state-of-the-art information to Nigerian entrepreneurs and stakeholders.
Brief History of NOTAP
The foundation for NOTAP was laid in the late 1970s when the Nigerian government recognized the need to promote technology acquisition and development in the country. In 1979, former President Alhaji Shehu Shagari inaugurated the Presidential Committee on Technology Acquisition and Promotion, mandating the Ministry of Science and Technology to drive the policy and set targets.
In its efforts to implement the policy, the ministry established the National Office of Industrial Property (NOIP) within its structure and issued directives on technology transfer to industry stakeholders.
However, without a legal framework, these directives lacked enforcement, prompting the Ministry of Science and Technology, research institutions, and other stakeholders to collaborate with the National Assembly to develop the NOTAP Act.
During the administration of President Ibrahim Badamasi Babangida, the National Assembly passed the NOTAP Bill. President Babangida assented the Bill into law in 1992, giving birth to the National Office for Technology Acquisition and Promotion (NOTAP) and changing its name from NOIP.
Dr. Ahmed Nazif, a former staff of the NOIP, served as the pioneer Director-General of NOTAP from 1992 to 2000. He was succeeded by Dr. Umar Buba Bindir, who served from 2000 to 2008. In 2008, Engr. Ameenah Gurib-Fakim was appointed as the 3rd substantive Director-General of NOTAP.