By Binta Shama
The FMITI (Trademarks Registry) has approached the Raw Materials Research and Development Council (RMRDC) for collaboration to develop Nigeria’s intellectual property (IP) landscape. The Trademarks Registry identified RMRDC, via its statutory mandate, as an important agency of government to partner with to successfully implement some projects aimed at cultivating the country’s IP landscape.
The proposed collaborative projects include:
Finalization of the Draft National IP Policy and Strategy focusing on the following key areas: food and pharmaceuticals, CT, some agro-based products, textiles and traditional medicine.
Technology and Innovation Support Project (TISC), Branding Seminars, Linking Innovation, Technology Transfer and Commercialization through the effective use of Trademark/Branding
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The meeting to discuss modalities for the collaboration held on Thursday, 22nd August, 2024 at RMRDC Headquarters, Maitama, Abuja.
In his welcome address, the Director-General of RMRDC, Prof. Nnanyelugo Ike-Muonso, informed that the Council was established to develop local raw materials as input to industries and that in pursuance of her mandate, Intellectual Property Rights (IPRs) are generated. IPRs emanate from the Council’s collaborations with researchers, fabricators and other stakeholders, as well as from the staff of RMRDC through their Master’s degrees or PhD programmes.
The Director-General, ably represented by the Director, Directorate of Legal and Board Services, and Chairperson, RMRDC Intellectual Property Policy Committee, Barr. N. N. Keshi apprised the team that one of the focuses of his administration is the commercialization of the Council’s R&D results and patents. He stated that the work of the Trademarks Registry is germane to the commercialization focus of the Council going forward and that the collaboration request of the Trademarks Registry was therefore timely.
He informed the FMITI (Trademarks Registry) team that the Council has an IP Policy, which was conceived to address the imperativeness to establish guidelines for the effective management of IP and commercialization of research results. The Policy sets out rules to harmonize the interests of stakeholders relating to ownership of IP, distribution of income, marketing, commercialization and licensing of patents and other IPRs. It is intended to promote and encourage creativity by researchers as well as RMRDC staff.
The DG stated that over the years, RMRDC has patented over 40 innovations and inventions, whose products and/or technologies are at various stages of commercialization. He pointed out that the Council is cognizant of the fact that patenting is a critical step towards commercialization. The Director -General however noted that IPR awareness was low amongst researchers and highlighted the need to promote IPR culture in the country,
He commended the Trademarks Registry for inviting RMRDC to partner with her to further develop the national IP landscape and noted that this presents her as an entity which does not work in a silo. Further commending the efforts of the Trademarks Registry in spearheading the drafting of the National IP Policy and Strategy he called for stakeholders to fast-track its approval by the Federal Executive Council as it would in the long run protect the national commonwealth and enable Nigerians to reap the benefits of their labour.
Speaking during the collaborative meeting, the Director/Registrar of the Trademarks Registry Department of FMITI, Shafiu Adamu Yauri, stated that the decision to partner with the Council was consequent upon the 2024 General Assembly of World Intellectual Property Organisation where issues on Intellectual Property, new developments, programmes and projects were discussed at the global stage.
According to him, the Assembly with the theme: ‘IP and the SDGs: Building our Common Future with Innovation and Creativity’, also discussed how countries could leverage creativity and innovation for development and the current effort by Nigeria to develop a National IP Policy and Strategy in collaboration with WIPO.
He noted that Nigerian researchers only concentrate on patents either to get promotion upgrading in schools, without commensurable efforts to go into commercialization for income generation
According to Yauri, the main purpose for acquiring IP rights is to grow and develop the economy, which cannot be achieved unless research and development results get to the market.
He pointed out that RMRDC was selected as one of the critical MDAs for collaboration having developed and patented a lot of process technologies and products in pursuance of her mandate.
The Registrar indicated that, as partners in progress, RMRDC will be allowed to make input to the Draft IP Policy and Strategy. He praised RMRDC for being the only Government organization that has developed an IP Policy which would amongst other things, encourage civil servants to be creative and innovative.
In response, the Director General expressed the Council’s willingness to effectively collaborate with the FMITI (Trademarks Registry) in capacity-building programmes on IPR and related issues: IP valuation, trademarks registration, commercialization pathways, and branding and promised to make input to the Draft National IP Policy and Strategy for subsequent approval by the Federal Executive Council.
