NOTAP, NUJ FCT partner to drive commercialisation of research findings

The National Office for Technology Acquisition and Promotion (NOTAP) has reaffirmed its commitment to commercialising academic research findings through strategic partnerships, investor matchmaking and funding opportunities aimed at boosting Nigeria’s revenue and driving industrial development.

Director-General of NOTAP, Dr. Obiageli Amadiobi, disclosed this on Monday while receiving the leadership of the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ), FCT Council, during a courtesy visit to the agency’s headquarters in Abuja.

The visit was aimed at fostering collaboration to promote indigenous innovation, technology transfer and intellectual property awareness.

Amadiobi announced that NOTAP will host a National Technology and Innovation Summit at the Civic Centre, Lagos, on October 7 and 8, 2026.

According to her, the summit will bring together innovators, researchers, manufacturers, financial institutions, investors and the Bank of Industry to facilitate the commercialisation of research outputs.

She explained that the event would provide a platform for researchers to connect with investors and industry players through strategic matchmaking, enabling innovative ideas and technologies developed in Nigerian institutions to attract funding, reach the market and contribute to national economic growth.

The NOTAP boss said the initiative aligns with the agency’s mandate of promoting technology acquisition, encouraging indigenous innovation and ensuring research findings are transformed into commercially viable products and services capable of creating jobs, enhancing competitiveness and increasing national revenue.

She emphasised the crucial role of journalists in shaping public understanding of science, technology and innovation, noting that effective media coverage would accelerate Nigeria’s technological advancement.

Amadiobi explained that one of NOTAP’s core responsibilities is the domestication and adaptation of foreign technologies to meet Nigeria’s development needs, stressing that this requires building local expertise capable of understanding and improving imported technologies.

She lamented that Nigeria had for many years served as a dumping ground for foreign technologies due to inadequate local capacity but noted that the agency’s Local Vendor Policy has significantly changed the narrative, particularly in the Information and Communications Technology (ICT) sector.

According to her, the policy compels Original Equipment Manufacturers (OEMs) to invest in local capacity development by training Nigerians, leading to the emergence of indigenous software developers and ICT professionals making significant contributions both within and outside the country.

She added that NOTAP plans to replicate the success recorded in the ICT sector across manufacturing, engineering and other critical sectors through technology transfer, skills development and increased local participation.

The Director-General also revealed that the agency is developing a technology and innovation hub that will provide practical demonstrations of emerging technologies, including Artificial Intelligence (AI), to make learning more interactive and accessible.

She disclosed that NOTAP is partnering with leading technology companies such as Huawei, MTN and Airtel to strengthen staff capacity and enhance Nigeria’s ability to evaluate imported technologies effectively.

On youth empowerment, Amadiobi unveiled the National Outsourcing Value Acceleration (NOVA) Programme, designed to equip young Nigerians with industry-relevant skills through simulation-based training before exposing them to practical field experience in sectors such as maritime, engineering and manufacturing.

She said the programme would help bridge Nigeria’s skills gap while positioning young Nigerians for global employment opportunities.

The NOTAP chief further disclosed that several state governments, including Niger State, have expressed interest in partnering with the agency to establish similar innovation centres in their respective states.

Speaking during the visit, NUJ FCT Council Chairman, Comrade Grace Ike, described NOTAP as a strategic institution driving Nigeria’s technological advancement through technology acquisition, transfer, intellectual property protection and the promotion of indigenous innovation.

“I believe the future of Nigeria depends on strong partnerships between institutions that inform, innovate and inspire. NOTAP stands at the very heart of Nigeria’s technological progress. Your work is not only important but strategic,” she said.

She noted that after studying the agency’s activities before the visit, she was impressed by its achievements in transforming Nigeria’s technology ecosystem.

“You are helping to shape a Nigeria that does not merely consume ideas but creates them. As journalists, we recognise that technology and communication are inseparable. The media has a responsibility not only to report innovation but to explain it, amplify it and connect it with the people,” she added.

Ike said the visit was aimed at establishing a mutually beneficial partnership between the NUJ FCT Council and NOTAP in the areas of public enlightenment, innovation advocacy, capacity building and national development.

According to her, the media can play a vital role in publicising NOTAP’s programmes, increasing public understanding of technology policies and promoting indigenous innovations.

She also proposed regular capacity-building programmes for journalists covering science, technology and innovation to improve reporting on intellectual property, technology transfer, research commercialisation and innovation policies.

The NUJ FCT chairman further advocated joint public awareness campaigns on intellectual property rights, patents and technology transfer targeted at inventors, researchers, startups and technology developers.

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