The National Office for Technology Acquisition and Promotion (NOTAP) has said it will patent two inventions made by the Hackivia sage team of Marist College, Yangoji, Kwali Area Council, Abuja.
NOTAP’s head of publicity, Raymond Ogbu, disclosed this in a statement on Monday, August 23, 2021.
The Management of Marist College Yangoji, Kwali Area Council, Abuja has sought the assistance of NOTAP in patenting two inventions made by the hackivia sage team of the school, following a courtesy call to the agency by the Principal of the school, Rev. Ifeanyi Mbaegbu and the team, to request assistance on patenting the inventions.
Mbaegbu said that Marist College, a co-educational private secondary school located in Kwali, Abuja, invented a Water Quality Monitor (AquaBot) and Air Quality Monitor (SenseBox) for which they were seeking patenting..
“The AquaBot is a smart water quality monitoring device that helps to describe the water quality parameters such as pH, turbidity, salinity and temperature of the water.
“The device helps fish farmers and other stakeholders, who deal directly with water to know more about water quality.
“The second invention known as SenseBox is a device that detects the level of harmful particles and chemicals in the air and quickly relay the information to users.
“This information can be relayed via computer and smart phones in a format that is easy to understand,” Mbaegbu said.
He added that sensebox measures the environment several times within a minute and delivers its value to a connected analytics solution which appears on a dashboard by utilizing data analytics.
Mbaegbu noted that the two devices enabled the school to recently emerge winners in the 2021 Students for the Advancement of Global Entrepreneurship (SAGE) competition, held at the Olusegun Obasanjo Presidential Library, Abeokuta.
He stated that the inventions were capable of inspiring positive change in the Nigerian environmental ecosystem and will positively impact on the country, by creating healthier lives, and thus a healthier economy.
Earlier, in his address of welcome, the Director General of NOTAP, Dr. DanAzumi Ibrahim, congratulated the team on its wins and inventions.
The D-G, who expressed optimism in the ability of the team to excel in the global contest, added that his hope on a bright future for the country had been rekindled.
He stated that the NOTAP was primarily established to regulate the inflow of foreign technology into the country and at the same time, encourage the development of indigenous technologies for socio-economic growth.
Ibrahim noted that economic growth and stability of every country was dependent on her strength in Science, Technology and Innovation, saying that the Office would support the school projects through the payments of patenting fees.
“Please file the application for the patenting of the inventions, the Office will assist in paying for the patenting fees and will call on you to pick the certificates immediately after the process,’’ he said.
Ibrahim said that due to Nigeria’s weak intellectual property culture, NOTAP initiated the establishment of Intellectual Property and Technology Transfer Offices (IPTTOs) across Nigerian knowledge Institutions in 2006.
“In year 2006, in collaboration with the World Intellectual Property Organisation (WIPO), we sought to create awareness on the importance of Intellectual Property (IP) protection.
“So far, 58 IPTTO’s have been established across the country with a significant increase in IP awareness across Nigerian knowledge institutions, culminating in increased number of patents emanating from these institutions,’’ he said.
