The National Office for Technology Acquisition and Promotion has said it would penalize and prosecute Nigerian companies that are importing technologies without submitting the same for evaluation and registration.
This was disclosed by the Director-General of NOTAP, Dr. Obiageli Amadiobi on Monday at a news conference in Abuja, according to Nairametrics.
According to Amadiobi, under Nigerian law, every company that uses foreign technologies must submit its technology transfer agreements to NOTAP for proper appraisal and registration.
NOTAP was set up to regulate the influx of foreign technologies by registering technology transfer agreements, hence encouraging the development of locally motivated innovations.
According to the DG, the agency is working assiduously to guarantee that Nigerian companies are granted the best contractual conditions when acquiring foreign technologies.
Amadiobi said “Available records show that a greater percentage of companies in Nigeria operate on imported technologies which run into millions of dollars without NOTAP registration necessitated by Law, thereby shortchanging the Nigerian economy.
“By law, it is mandatory that NOTAP should be involved during the technology negotiation stage to ensure that the Nigerian entrepreneur acquires appropriate technology in best contractual terms.”
The D-G reaffirmed NOTAP’s commitment to collaborating with enterprises that strictly adhere to its standards, while warning that violators would face severe penalties.
“The act of not involving NOTAP is shortchanging the system because they have lumped up software and hardware together, thereby not giving room for proper evaluation and registration. Some companies are hiding under non-registration of hardware to avert registration of their agreements,’’ Amadiobi said.
She further said that, in keeping with the current administration’s renewed hope mantra, no corporation would be allowed to continue avoiding the registration of technology transfer agreements with NOTAP.
According to her, this would enable the rendition of services commensurate with the money expensed.
Recall the immediate past DG of NOTAP, Dr. DanAzumi Mohammed Ibrahim recently stated that NOTAP, by its regulatory role of registering and monitoring technology transfer agreements, saved the nation around N79.6 billion that would otherwise have left the country as capital flight.
This came as he acknowledged that more than 90% of the technologies powering Nigeria’s economy are imported.
