NOTAP, NUJ partner to commercialise research, boost Nigeria’s revenue
The National Office for Technology Acquisition and Promotion (NOTAP) and the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ), FCT Council, have agreed to collaborate on promoting research commercialisation, indigenous innovation and technology awareness as part of efforts to enhance Nigeria’s revenue generation and industrial development.
As part of the collaboration, NOTAP will host a National Technology and Innovation Summit in Lagos on October 7 and 8, 2026, where researchers will be linked with investors, manufacturers and financial institutions to transform research findings into commercially viable products.
The Director-General of NOTAP, Dr Obiageli Amadiobi, disclosed this on Monday while receiving the leadership of the NUJ FCT Council during a courtesy visit to the agency’s headquarters in Abuja.
She said the summit would bring together innovators, researchers, manufacturers, financial institutions, investors and the Bank of Industry to facilitate the commercialisation of research outputs.
According to Amadiobi, the event will provide researchers with opportunities to secure funding through strategic matchmaking with investors and industry players, enabling innovations developed in Nigerian institutions to reach the market and contribute to economic growth.
She said the initiative aligns with NOTAP’s mandate to promote technology acquisition, encourage indigenous innovation and convert research findings into commercially viable products and services capable of creating jobs, improving competitiveness and increasing national revenue.
Journalists key to innovation awareness
Amadiobi described journalists as critical partners in deepening public understanding of science, technology and innovation, noting that improved reporting would support Nigeria’s technological advancement.
She explained that one of NOTAP’s core responsibilities is to adapt foreign technologies to Nigeria’s development needs by building local capacity to understand, deploy and improve imported technologies.
According to her, Nigeria had for many years served as a dumping ground for foreign technologies because of weak indigenous capacity. However, she said the agency’s Local Vendor Policy has reversed that trend, particularly in the Information and Communications Technology (ICT) sector.
She noted that the policy requires Original Equipment Manufacturers (OEMs) to invest in training Nigerians, a development that has led to the emergence of indigenous software developers and ICT professionals making significant contributions both within and outside the country.
Amadiobi said NOTAP plans to replicate those achievements across manufacturing, engineering and other strategic sectors through technology transfer, skills development and greater local participation.
She also disclosed that the agency is establishing a technology and innovation hub where emerging technologies, including Artificial Intelligence (AI), will be demonstrated to make learning more practical and accessible.
The Director-General added that NOTAP is partnering with Huawei, MTN and Airtel to strengthen staff capacity and enhance Nigeria’s capability to evaluate imported technologies.
NOVA programme targets youth skills
On youth development, 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 preparing young Nigerians for employment opportunities in the global economy.
Amadiobi further revealed that several state governments, including Niger State, have expressed interest in partnering with NOTAP to establish similar innovation centres.
NUJ seeks stronger collaboration
Earlier, the Chairman of the NUJ FCT Council, Comrade Grace Ike, described NOTAP as a strategic institution driving Nigeria’s technological development through technology acquisition, technology 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.
Ike said she had studied the agency’s activities before the visit and was impressed by its contribution to 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.
According to her, the visit was aimed at building a partnership between the NUJ FCT Council and NOTAP in the areas of public enlightenment, innovation advocacy, capacity building and national development.
She noted that the media can play a significant role in increasing public understanding of technology policies while promoting indigenous innovations and creating greater awareness of NOTAP’s programmes.
Ike also proposed regular training for journalists covering science, technology and innovation to improve reporting on intellectual property, technology transfer, research commercialisation and innovation policies.
She 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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