ABUJA, Nigeria (AP) — The National Office for Technology Acquisition and Promotion (NOTAP) says it has achieved 70% compliance among multinational companies operating in Nigeria regarding the registration of technology transfer agreements, a move aimed at curbing unauthorized and concealed tech imports.
Director-General Obiageli Amadiobi disclosed the figure during a press briefing in Abuja on Friday, ahead of the NOTAP Technology and Innovation Summit 2025. She said the agency’s audits had uncovered backend systems and non-physical technologies that some companies were deliberately concealing to bypass regulatory oversight.
“We have started seeing results. At least 70 percent of the companies are now complying,” Amadiobi said. “But there are still a few hiding their technologies, and not all technologies are physical. Some are backend systems that we have uncovered through our auditors.”
Technology transfer agreements are legal contracts that allow Nigerian entities to use foreign firms’ proprietary knowledge, including patents, software, and production methods. NOTAP’s mandate includes ensuring that such agreements are registered and certified before funds are remitted abroad for technology services.
Amadiobi said the agency’s partnership with the Central Bank of Nigeria has been instrumental in enforcing compliance. “Banks have now been mandated to ensure that no company remits money for technology-related transactions without obtaining a notarised certificate from NOTAP. This collaboration has significantly improved compliance,” she added.
The NOTAP Technology and Innovation Summit will take place November 6–7 in Lagos, under the theme “Harnessing R&D and Innovation Potentials of Nigeria’s STI Ecosystem.” The event will convene government officials, academics, investors, and startups to explore strategies for strengthening Nigeria’s science, technology, and innovation landscape.
“The summit will serve as a strategic platform to strengthen dialogue and action around innovation policy, technology transfer, intellectual property, and commercialisation,” Amadiobi said. Highlights include keynote speeches, panel discussions on AI readiness, and the unveiling of Project NOVA—Nigeria’s Outsourcing Value Acceleration initiative.
Amadiobi criticized foreign firms for exploiting Nigeria’s raw materials while relying on imported technologies and research support. She cited the palm oil industry, where companies import seedlings from Cameroon and Côte d’Ivoire despite sourcing raw materials locally. “It is very pathetic,” she said. “These firms use our land and our raw materials but have no research labs here.”
NOTAP plans to summon the management of affected firms in the coming weeks to enforce the establishment of local laboratories, a move Amadiobi said could save Nigeria significant foreign exchange. She also reaffirmed the agency’s commitment to the Local Vendor Policy, which has achieved 90% success in the ICT sector.
“Through the LVP, Nigerian developers are now exporting locally built applications, including banking software,” she said. “We want to replicate that success in other sectors.” She added that only original, impactful innovations will be showcased at the summit, noting, “If someone presents us with bottled water branded differently, that’s not innovation—it’s imitation.”
