NOTAP to digitalise operations for efficient service, economic development

The National Office for Technology Acquisition and Promotion (NOTAP) has stressed the need to digitalize its operations for efficient service delivery and economic development of the nation.

Dr. DanAzumi Mohammed Ibrahim, director general of NOTAP, gave this assurance when Ms. Yewande Sadiku, new executive secretary of the Nigerian Investment Promotion Commission (NIPC), paid him a courtesy visit, stressing that one of the challenges the organization is facing is understaffing particularly in the delivery of its core mandate, which is the registration of technology transfer agreements.

The DG highlighted that with increased requests for registration, it has become very important to digitalize the operations of the office for efficient service delivery in line with world best practices.

According to him, the office would have finalized the deployment of the needed technologies to aid the registration process of technology transfer agreements by the end of the first quarter of this year.

He noted that NOTAP, which is one of the 17 parastatals of the Federal Ministry of Science and Technology, has the mandate to implement the acquisition of foreign technology into the country through the registration of technology transfer agreements and the development of local technologies amongst others.

He lamented that more than 90 percent of the technologies that powers our economy are all imported and canvassed for closer partnership amongst public institutions to foster the growth of Nigeria’s economy.

Dr. Ibrahim also assured the executive secretary that NOTAP management will consider the request by Commission to repost a staff to the One Stop Investment Centre (OSIC) of the commission with a view to creating the ease of doing business for would-be investors in Nigeria.

In her response, Ms. Sadiku, said that one of the reasons that informed the visit was that the commission as an advocacy agency needs good relationship with its partners, stressing that the commission is a meeting point between the private and public sectors since its mandate is to encourage, coordinate and promote investment in Nigeria.

She disclosed that the OSIC of the commission which has 27 agencies represented by a desk officer is meant to assist investors coming into the country; hence NOTAP which is an important partner should be represented at the OSIC of the commission by a senior focal officer.