Local content: NOTAP to partner Nigerian Academy of Science

The National Office for Technology Acquisition and Promotion (NOTAP) is set to collaborate with the Nigerian Academy of Science (NAS) in order to increase local content and encourage economic sustainability in Nigeria.

The director general, NOTAP, Dr DanAzumi Ibrahim, while addressing a delegation from the academy led by its president, Professor Ekanem Brande, in Abuja recently, said that such strategic partnerships would boost socio-economic development.

Ibrahim said that the visit was in line with the matching orders given by President Muhammadu Buhari on the implementation of Executive Order 5, which he signed into law in February 2018.

“The order was to ensure that all procuring authorities shall give preference to Nigerian companies and firms in the award of contracts, in line with the Public Procurement Act 2007.

“The order prevents the Ministry of Interior from issuing expatriate visas to foreigners who intend to come to undertake jobs that Nigerians have the competencies and capacities to undertake,” he said.

Ibrahim added that Nigerian scientists and engineers are well-positioned to take advantage of the order for the economic sustainability of the country.

He said that NOTAP had initiated several programmes that will benefit members of the academy, such as interventions in patenting of Research and Development (R&D) results as well as inventions for Nigerian researchers.

Ibrahim said, “Members of NAS are to submit claims of their inventions to NOTAP for assistance in patenting them free.”

Earlier in her speech, Brande said the academy is the foremost independent science body in Nigeria, established in 1977 but incorporated in 1986 to develop and advance STI.

She stated that the academy work closely with the Nigerian government to bring scientific knowledge to bear on the policies as well as the strategic direction of the country.

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“The academy is also the third oldest academy on the African continent and a founding member of the Network of African Science Academies (NASAC).”

“The academy has a working relationship with academies across Africa and globally, as well as with other organizations, and it has successfully implemented projects with many of them.

“As with national academies in other countries, NAS is a not-for-profit organization,” she said.

Brande commended the DG for his presentation, adding that the various activities NOTAP was involved in were also in line with the mandates of NAS.