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By Adaora Adibe
The Raw Materials Research and Development Council (RMRDC), has announced plans to revive its Technology Innovation Support Centre (TISC) in a strategic move aimed at providing inventors with access to high-quality technology information, and helping them to exploit their innovative potential and managing intellectual property (IP) fostering innovation in Nigeria.
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This development was revealed by the Director General, RMRDC Prof. Nnayelugo M. Ike-Muonso during a courtesy visit by the delegation from the Patents and Design Department of the Federal Ministry of Industry Trade and Investment (FMITI) led by the Registrar Barr. Igwe Jane on the 4th of April 2025 to foster collaboration on Intellectual Property rights, promotion of economic growth, and empowerment for the inventing community.
The TISCs Technology Innovation Support Centers (TISCs) help innovators around the world unlock their innovative potential, to create, protect and manage their intellectual property (IP) rights.
Prof. Nnanyelugo noted that the relaunch of the TISC is critical to supporting inventors, researchers, and entrepreneurs in accessing patent information, and managing intellectual assets. He urged the management committee to ensure that they work towards revamping the TISC.
Earlier, Barr. Igwe gave an explanation about the Patent and Designs Registry, she said it is the Intellectual Property Office domiciled under the Commercial Law Department, FMITI, saddled with the mandate to register, promote, and administer Patents and Industrial Designs within the Country.
She noted that the TISC is a portal that houses the information of patents that have been invented, provides protection to their work, and gives access to information to researchers for free.
“TISC gives you information of the various things that have been invented in their field or field they want to research so that they do not reinvent the wheel, they can make what is called the utility models, existing invention or existing patent; Addons can be registered as utility models”, she stated.
She informed that the WIPO Nigeria Office (WNO) was established to promote awareness, training and capacity building in the field of Intellectual Property (IP). Hosted in private and public universities, research centers, science and technology parks, chambers of commerce, and similar institutions. She said RMRDC is recognized on the WIPO website as number 2. According to her, WIPO deploys through the IP office to various institutions.
She emphasized that TISC is a WIPO initiative that gives every member state the opportunity to establish TICS in their Country with over 200 established in Nigeria currently.
Barr Jane explained that patents are graded in various categories: full patents, utility models, and business models. She said the utility models are lesser patents which are an add-on to already invented things.
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Speaking further, she said that the two parties can partner in an area of interest to promote Intellectual Property (IP). This will enable continuous training of the inventors and the researchers helping them know what to do with the information on the TISC portal.
She observed that the two parties can sign a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) and revive the already existing relationship with both organizations noting that in the past the Council has organized workshops on commercialization of patents, during which they registered a lot of patents.
The Director Legal and Board Service, Barr. Ngozi Keshi said she would work with the organization to revive the TISC. She noted that she will ensure there is an effective coordinator, who must be placed appropriately within the system. She observed that the Council has an Intellectual Property Policy Committee and has been recognized as the only agency in Nigeria that has an IP policy.
