By Emeka Aginam
With the  growing concern over digital  colonization of Nigerian market by the foreign vendors in a way of technology transfer,  the  National Office for Technology Acquisition and Promotion, (NOTAP) has  drawn the  line on technology transfer, saying that it   is compulsory for foreign investors to strictly adhere to guidelines for the registration of Technology transfer agreements so as to  achieve easy entry into th

Dr Bindir

e Nigerian market.

The consumption of foreign technology, according to CyberLIFE findings has  subjected   Nigeria  into  digital colony of many nations of the world, especially India whose software applications have been adopted  by Nigerian banks leaving indigenous software makers in the cold.

Apart from the concern over consumption of foreign technology ,  major  concerns  among  Nigerian IT experts, however  were that the  award of   contract to foreign vendors would lead to capital flight and as such, will not in  any way encourage local players who have been sidetracked in the execution of government IT jobs.

Just recently at the Nigerian-India IT CEO summit held in Lagos, the National Office for Technology Acquisition and Promotion, (NOTAP) and the Computer Professional Registration Council of Nigeria, (CPN) had drawn the line telling the Indian IT CEOs  at the summit that all foreign vendors applying  for technology transfer agreements having effect in Nigeria  should be governed by certain  rules and regulations.

The Director General of NOTAP, Dr Umar Bindir without much pretenses told the gathering that Technology transfer is allowed in Nigeria as along as  domestication of the  technology is done  through efficient adaptation

“You see these regulatory roles normally are defined by industry as hinderance to business in Nigeria, that we are too beaurocratic. So what I was doing was giving them as much information on the laws in Nigeria before they start so that they are prepared for all that. It sounded tough because I was just plain and straight.

“There are laws  laws and regulations sponsored by the Federal Government of Nigeria through National Office for Technology Acquisition and Promotion (NOTAP  for Technology Transfer agreements. It is compulsory for foreign investors to strictly adhere to these laws to achieve easy entry into the Nigerian market.

“These Laws are not new. They have been in existence since 1979. May be they have not been enforced. All we are doing now is to enforce them. If we continue to just consume technology from other countries, when are we going to breed our own to compete.

“So the message is that when you bring your technology to our country, as you use it and make lots of money, you must also give small by training, by sharing and so on, so that we too can be better. Normally they will never do it on their own, so some one has to enforce these technology transfer strategies, and today it is NOTAP” Dr Bindir explained.