The National Office for Technology Acquisition and Promotion (NOTAP) has postponed the 2021 commemoration of African Day for Technology and Intellectual Property due to the ravaging COVID-19 pandemic coupled with the advent of Delta Variant.
It said the postponement was as a result of the advice of the Presidential Committee on COVID-19 protocols and because secondary schools children are the major exhibitors at the event made the office decided to shelve the exhibition and prepare adequately for the 2022 commemoration.
“NOTAP had to shift the 2021 commemoration of African Day for Technology and Intellectual Property owing to the ravaging Covid-19 Pandemic coupled with the advent of Delta Variant.
“Because secondary schools children are the major exhibitors at the event and following the Presidential Committee on Covid-19 protocols, the office decided to shelve the exhibition and prepare adequately for the 2022 commemoration,” it said.
The 13th of September of every year is commemorated in all African States as African Day for Technology and Intellectual Property (IP).
According to a statement signed by Raymond Onyenezi Ogbu on behalf of the Head Public Relations Unit in Abuja said the commemoration is in compliance with the resolution made by the then Organization of African Unity (OAU) now African Union (AU) Council of Ministers and Assembly of Heads of States and Government at Addis Ababa-Ethiopia in July 1999 to celebrate the day across the continent.
The Director-General of the National Office for Technology Acquisition and Promotion (NOTAP), Dr DanAzumi Mohammed Ibrahim said that in realization of the importance of Intellectual Property (IP) Protection to national development, the Nigerian government joined other African countries in celebrating the day.
Dr Ibrahim said that the event was to arouse the latent creativity and inventive spirit of young inventors and innovators as IP is one of the ways through which rapid development of a nation can be achieved.
He added that it was also to further sensitize and facilitate the domestication of technology and development of intellectual property rights (IPRs) system in African and reawaken the creative ability of the people in the continent to eradicate poverty and drive sustainable development.
He stated that no nation on earth can grow without adequate development and deployment of Science, Technology and Innovation.
NOTAP as an agency saddled with the responsibility of promoting the inventive and innovative spirit of Nigerians has over the years, on behalf of the Federal Ministry of Science, Technology and Innovation (FMSTI), commemorated this day to demonstrate to our children and youths the importance of IPR to nation-building.
He reiterated that technology and intellectual property system have long been recognized to be among the foremost important factors in nation-building and wealth creation.
“Ideas and knowledge are increasingly becoming veritable instruments in international trade relations as codified in the trade-related aspect of intellectual property (TRIP) under the world trade Organization (WTO), agreements to which Nigeria is a signatory”.
He further said that NOTAP had in the past celebrated the day through technology exhibitions by secondary and vocational schools within and around FCT, young inventors and innovators as well as the Association of Nigerian Inventors (ANI).
He said that young Nigerians have demonstrated high intellect and commitment to the development of the National Innovation System (NIS)through their products.
He stated that in a knowledge-based economy and global business environment, absorption of new technologies had become a veritable component for companies to survive through maintaining their competitive positions in the marketplace.
“Nations are no longer valued in terms of their population, geographical landmass or mineral resources but on the organic mass of knowledge in its citizenry”.
Dr Ibrahim said,” Unless Nigeria develops the technical manpower to attract and domesticate foreign technology for our daily operations, it may be difficult for the country to meet up with the challenges of unemployment, poverty, wealth creation and youth restiveness.
He said that NOTAP was working seriously in collaboration with other stakeholders to ensure rapid technological development of the nation and will continue to do that because the development of the nation rests on all Nigerians.
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