The
Director-General of the National Office for Technology Acquisition and
Promotion (NOTAP), Dr. Umar Bindir has revealed that annually his agency saves
Nigeria a minimum of N300 billion from technology transfer and other related
services, reports DigitalSENSE Business News.
Dr. Bindir
made this revelation Tuesday, at a two-day Stakeholder Forum on Technology Transfer
in the Telecom Sector organized by NOTAP in collaboration with the Airtel
Nigeria, MTN Communication Nigeria and Etisalat Nigeria at the Eko Hotels,
Victoria Island, Lagos.
This is
coming as Airtel, MTN and Etisalat have commended NOTAP for the efforts so far
in promotion of Nigeria and Nigerians as well as encouraging technology
transfer principle to the benefit of the country.
He also told
DigitalSENSE Business News that NOTAP law enables the agency to regulate
technology transfer, among others, noting that technology is moving it from
where it is, to where it's needed.
Bindir said that foreign technology transfer should clear their technologies, sources, fees with NOTAP, but warned that what NOTAP does not do is dealing with unclear remittances, profits remittances, to name a few.
He maintained that NOTAP is empowered by law to encourage more efficient process for the identification and selection of foreign technology; development of the negotiating skills of Nigerians with a view to ensuring the acquirement of the best contractual terms.
In addition, Dr. Bindir told DigitalSENSE Business News that NOTAP is to
register all contracts or agreements having effect in Nigeria on the date of
the agreement as well as use of trademarks, right to use patented inventions,
supply of technical expertise in the form of the preparation of plans,
diagrams, operating manuals or any other form of technical assistance of any
description whatsoever; the supply of basic or detailed engineering.
He warned
that for a long time, NOTAP has been lenient, but now would tighten its belt.
“I am
leaving you since but you will see how I am going to tighten it now,” he
cautioned.
He said that
NOTAP has power to ensure provision of a more efficient process for the adaption
of imported technology and monitoring on a continuous basis of the execution of
any contract or agreements registered.
Emphasising that the law empowers the director shall not register any contract
or agreement where he or she is satisfied that it falls within the relevant
specifications.
Pointing out
that where there is an onerous or gratuitous obligation on the transfer of the
technology to assign to the transferor or any person designated by the
transferor.
On registration compliance, Dr. Bindir told DigitalSENSE Business News that no
payment shall be made in Nigeria to the credit of any person, outside Nigeria
by or on the authority of the Federal Ministry of Finance, the CBN or any
license bank in Nigeria in respect of any payment due under a contract or
agreement mentioned.
He explained
that except where a certificate is issued by NOTAP director, cautioning banks
to be wary of undue transfer of technology without clearance.
“We do all
these namely based on the information supplied to NOTAP, working closely with other
regulators, openly and transparently, practically, in the national interest,
etc” he said.
ITREALMS ... delivering news for ICT4D
Pix: Dr. Umar Bindir, DG, NOTAP
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