News
Africans to Leverage on NOTAP, SPRU Collaboration
In order to bridge the gap between developed and developing countries like Nigeria, there is need for a strategic and sustained collaboration between the developed and developing countries so as not be left behind in the forthcoming Industrial revolution.
Dr. Ogbonnaya Onu, Honourable Minister of Science and Technology, while declaring open a two day Conference with the Theme “Rethinking Technology Transfer for Sustainable Development and Transformative change in Africa” organized by the National Office for Technology Acquisition and Promotion (NOTAP) in collaboration with the Science Policy Research Unit (SPRU) of the University of Sussex (UK) with support from United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD).
The event which drew participants from different African countries like Ghana, Uganda, Zambia and Kenya was aimed at examining the concept of Technology transfer and to what extent appropriate technologies have been transferred and domesticated into the African technology ecosystem.
Dr. Onu said Nigeria and the whole of the African continent with the array of human and material endowment have remained a dumping ground for the technology super-powers, he added that Africans should be strategic enough to acquire, assimilate and absorb technologies coming into the continent and make them indigenous technologies.
He urged the participants to see the Conference as a great avenue/enabler for the continent especially Nigeria to utilize the opportunity offered by the event to support and consolidate Mr. President’s next level agenda in Science Technology and Innovation (STI) in Nigeria.
Dr. Onu further challenged the audience not to relent on their effort towards not only making Africa technologically self sustaining, but for it to become an enviable global competitor in the technology ecosystem.
The Minister however reiterated the need for all African Countries to have a robust and operational technology transfer policies that will hitherto fast-track the assimilation and domestication of technologies being transferred in the continent. He added that it is only technology that can lift African countries from extreme poverty and also help create more jobs for the citizens.
According to him, Science Technology and Innovation (STI) are at the centre to affect other sectors like education sector which is the bedrock in which every developed country rely on.
He also stated that due to the importance attached to technology, African union gave directives to all the African countries to spend 1% of their Gross Domestic Products (GDP) in Research and Innovation but unfortunately no African country is able to meet this expectation, whereas developed countries commit 3% to 10% of their GDP to research and innovation.
Earlier in his welcome address, Dr. DanAzumi Mohammed Ibrahim, Director General of NOTAP, said the Office was establish among other things, to regulate the inflow of foreign technology into the Country through the Registration of Technology Transfer Agreement.
The Director General further stated that NOTAP register the agreement through three major perspectives; legal, economic and technical perspectives and in the event that any of this perspectives are not met, the agreement will not be registered.
He said NOTAP through the registration of technology transfer agreement realized that there was weak Intellectual Property culture in the Nigerian knowledge Institution and for a Country blessed with human intellects, the situation was unacceptable therefore NOTAP in collaboration with the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) in 2006 introduced the establishment of Intellectual Property and Technology Transfer Offices in some selected knowledge institutions.
He said the Office also realized that most of the multinational companies that bring Technology Transfer Agreement to NOTAP carry out laboratory analyses in their parent Countries, reasons being that there were no state-of-the-art laboratories in Nigerian Universities. He added that to change the narrative, NOTAP is collaborating with PZ Cussons plc have upgraded some laboratories in some selected knowledge institutions.
He also urged researchers to approach NOTAP for assistance in Patenting their research results free, adding that it was a strategic effort by the Office to encourage research in the country.
Dr. Ibrahim also said that the office is working hard to develop a database for Nigerian professionals for proper documentation of their areas of specialization which will form a new frontier for the nation’s technology development.
Two Nigerian lawyers have sued promoters of the Nigerian Law Society (NLS) over allegations of electoral fraud and unlawful use of personal data.
The legal actions follow the recent election conducted by the NLS, a breakaway association formed as an alternative to the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), to elect its national officers.
In one of the suits, marked FHC/ABJ/05/1506/2025 and filed before the Federal High Court in Abuja, a lawyer, Timothy Tersugh Ahua, is challenging the conduct of the election and the legitimacy of the electoral process.
Ahua named several NLS promoters, including prominent lawyers, as defendants.
They include Senior Advocates, Chief Mela Audu Nunghe, Dr. Ugoji Eze, Secretary of the NLS Electoral Committee, and Chief Bolaji, Chairman of the NLS.
Others named in the suit are Ferguson Chioma Blessing, Chief Emeka Ichoku, and Tejumola Adigun.
Citing provisions of the Federal High Court Civil Procedure Rules, Ahua is asking the court to declare that the NLS electoral process violated its constitution.
He is seeking a declaration that all unopposed candidates, including himself, be declared elected, as published by Dr. Tonye Clinton Jaja, the alternate Chairman of the NLS Electoral Committee.
Ahua claims he was duly nominated for the position of Secretary General but was unjustly excluded, accusing the defendants of hand-picking candidates in breach of the rules.
He further alleged that the exclusion caused him financial loss, reputational damage, and personal hardship, urging the court to correct what he described as a grave injustice.
In a separate suit before the Federal High Court in Abeokuta, another lawyer, Oluwadare Thomas, sued Chief Mela Nunghe, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria, Dr. Ugoji Eze, the Corporate Affairs Commission (CAC), the National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA), and the Nigerian Data Protection Commission (NDPC), over alleged violation of his data privacy rights.
Thomas is asking the court to determine whether the use and publication of his personal data by NLS election officials without his consent amounts to a breach of Section 37 of the 1999 Constitution and the Nigeria Data Protection Act, 2023.
He also wants the court to consider whether the use of the NLS name for the election, despite a CAC notice and a pending suit, constitutes contempt of court and abuse of legal process.
He is seeking several declaratory and injunctive reliefs, including a court order restraining the continued use of his personal data and an order compelling NITDA and NDPC to investigate and sanction the respondents.
Thomas is also demanding N50m in compensation for the alleged unlawful processing and exposure of his personal information.
The National Space Research and Development Agency (NASRDA) has congratulated Chief Owolabi Salis on his successful space flight. He becomes the first person of Nigerian birth to travel to space.
Chief Salis privately funded his space mission, demonstrating the deep interest of Nigerians to participate in scientific, exploratory, tourism and commercial space activities. His achievement highlights new opportunities for private sector engagement in space Program.
This milestone brings significant international attention to Nigeria’s space program, capabilities, while positioning the nation among countries where citizens actively participate in space activities.
In a statement signed by Dr. Felix Ale, director, Media and Corporate Communications, NASRDA, stated that chief Salis’s successful mission represents one pathway for Nigerian space participation. “His achievement complements NASRDA’s ongoing efforts to expand access to space exploration for Nigerian citizens.
“NASRDA received notification of Chief Salis’s mission through our partner organization, Space Research and Exploration Agency (SERA), prior to the flight. His success demonstrates the expanding opportunities now available to Nigerians in the space sector.
“However, it must be emphasized that the NASRDA-SERA collaborative mission, announced in June 2024, remains on course for an upcoming Blue Origin flight. This program represents a different pathway, providing opportunities for broader Nigerian participation through open competition.
“Our collaborative mission will enable Nigerian citizens to participate in astronaut selection and contribute to the development of research proposals. Eligibility extends to all Nigerian citizens aged 18 and above through transparent, merit-based selection criteria.
“Research priorities for the NASRDA-SERA mission will also be determined through public input from Nigerian citizens. This approach ensures the mission addresses national priorities identified by Nigerian citizens,” the statement added.
The application portal for the NASRDA-SERA program will open in the coming weeks. Detailed application procedures will be announced prior to the portal’s activation.
NASRDA celebrates Chief Salis’s contribution to raising awareness about space exploration opportunities for Nigerians. His private investment demonstrates the practical commitment of Nigerian citizens to advancing our national space participation.
Chief Salis’s achievement marks a defining moment for Nigeria’s space ambitions. Nigeria now has both private citizens and government programs actively pursuing space exploration, positioning the nation as an active participant in the global space economy.
For additional information regarding NASRDA programs or the SERA collaborative mission, contact the agency’s Media and Corporate Communication Department.
The Nigerian Insurers Association has urged the House Committee on Capital Market and Institutions to respect the constitutional separation of powers as it carries out a probe on over 20 insurance firms.
In a statement on Tuesday night, the Director General/Chief Executive Officer of NIA, Mrs Bola Odukale, said the decision of NIA and the affected firms to approach the court was to seek clarity on the constitutional limits of the House Committee’s probe.
It would be recalled that the House of Representatives on Monday is investigating no fewer than 25 insurance companies operating in the country for various financial infractions spanning financial reporting, claims settlement, premium remittance, and issuance of policies.
The Chairman, House Sub-Committee on Capital Market and Institutions, Kwamoti Laori, during a meeting with the management of the insurance companies at the National Assembly Complex in Abuja, said the meeting was convened following the receipt of a petition on infractions by the insurance companies.
In the statement, Odukale said, “The Association wishes to state unequivocally that all actions taken by the NIA and the affected member companies in response to the Committee’s invitations and pronouncements were based entirely on legal advice by its Solicitors. It was on the firm instruction of legal counsel that recourse was made to the courts.
“The objective of approaching the Court is to seek judicial guidance on the legality, propriety, and constitutional limits of the Committee’s intervention in order to safeguard institutional integrity, uphold regulatory independence, and ensure that legislative oversight remains within the bounds of law.
“The Court action seeks to determine whether the current posture of the Committee reflects an exercise of legislative judgment, which, by constitutional design, is the exclusive province of statutory regulators, such as the National Insurance Commission, Securities and Exchange Commission, Nigerian Exchange, Financial Reporting Council, Nigeria Data Protection Commission, and the National Information Technology Development Agency.
“This raises serious questions about legislative overreach and an erosion of the doctrine of separation of powers, a cornerstone of Nigeria’s constitutional democracy.”
Odukale maintained that the NIA was committed to lawful and constructive engagement with all arms of government, provided that such engagement respects the autonomy of statutory regulators and the boundaries established by the Constitution.
“The NIA will continue to provide its full support to all member companies while upholding the principles of legal compliance and sector-wide integrity,” Odukale concluded.
17 of the companies that went to court were represented by their lawyer, Mr Abimbola Kayode, at the meeting with the committee.
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