NOTAP to Equip FUNAI Chemical Engineering Laboratory
The National Office for Technological Acquisition and Promotion (NOTAP) is to equip the Chemical Engineering laboratory at the Federal University Ndufu-Alike IKwo (FUNAI), Ebonyi State.
This hint was dropped by the Director General of the Agency; Dr. Dan Azumi Mohammed Ibrahim yesterday when he presented a lecture entitled “Research beyond Publications” at the University.
DG, NOTAP, Dr. Dan Azumi Mohammed Ibrahim speaking at the FUNAI 5th Lecture
He noted that NOTAP in conjunction with a multi-national company, PZ before the end of the 1st quarter of 2018 will furnish the Chemical Engineering laboratory of the University with important scientific and technological equipment worth N30 million.
He also assured the University that the Honourable Minister of Science and Technology, Dr. Ogbonnaya Onu would be on hand to commission the laboratory when completed; adding that three of such laboratories have been equipped by the agency and its partners in different parts of the Country.
Delivering his lecture, the NOTAP’s helmsman advised academics to see research as a means of helping the Nigerian system to grow and develop not just as a mere academic exercise meant to attain promotion in a work place. He further stated that the quantum of academic publications do not translate to national development unless they are converted to technologies and products.
Hear him: “Do not rush to publish. Advanced nations are way ahead of Nigeria due to research and innovation, and intellectual property of their Citizens, not their natural resources. That is the way to go if Nigeria must be developed.”
A group picture involving the VC, Prof. Chinedum Nwajiuba, DG of NOTAP, Dr. Dan Azumi Mohammed Ibrahim, some members of FUNAI Management and Directors in NOTAP
He maintained that the world has moved from natural resource-based economy to knowledge-based economy, urging Universities and other tertiary institutions to drive this change by providing solutions to the numerous challenges facing Nigeria through their research works. Worrisomely, he also noted, that more than 90% of technologies powering Nigeria comes from abroad, adding that 6 out of 10 were software.
He also reiterated the fact that the funding system of the Nigerian educational system is weak as virtually all institutions rely solely on government funds for their activities unlike what is obtainable in the advanced world where universities depend on patents and endowment to raise funds and advised academics to begin to think-out-of-the box in order to improve the system.
In order to arrest the problem of research funding in Nigeria, Ibrahim stated that the federal government through the Ministry of Science and Technology is initiating the National Research and Innovation Fund, adding that an Intellectual Property and Technology Transfer Office is being established in Universities to train academics to see research as a means of providing solutions to burning national issues. On that note he promised to send two of his staff to train the academic staff of the University on the procedures for registering patent in Nigeria.
Earlier, the Vice-Chancellor of the University, Professor Chinedum Nwajiuba thanked NOTAP and the Minister of Science and Technology, Dr. Onu in particular for choosing FUNAI as one of the institutions where scientific laboratories are being equipped by the federal government and its partners.
FUNAI VC, Prof. Chinedum Nwajiuba speaking at the event
He also charged the academic staff of the University to take research seriously, noting that the only way to improve Nigeria was through production-driven research. He maintained that the University would ensure that the findings and recommendations of all research works carried out in the institution were made available to strategic stakeholders that could benefit from it.