COOU Vice Chancellor Visits NOTAP DG to Strengthen Collaboration on Technology and Innovation

The Vice Chancellor of Chukwuemeka Odumegwu Ojukwu University (COOU), Prof. Kate Azuka Omenugha, fnipr, has paid a courtesy visit to the Director-General/CEO of the National Office for Technology Acquisition and Promotion (NOTAP), Dr. (Barr.) Lady Oby Amadiobi, at the agency’s headquarters in Abuja.

The visit aimed to deepen institutional collaboration and explore how COOU can leverage NOTAP’s mandate to advance research, technology transfer, and innovation.

Welcoming Prof. Omenugha, Dr. Amadiobi congratulated her on her confirmation as the 5th substantive Vice Chancellor of COOU and noted the symbolic connection as she herself is the 5th Director-General and the first female DG of NOTAP. She pledged support for the University in research commercialization, industry linkages, and intellectual property rights.

Dr. Amadiobi commended COOU’s strength in intellectual property management through its Technology Transfer Office and encouraged the University to patent more of its research outputs. She assured that NOTAP would sponsor patent registrations, enhance visibility for innovative research, and help translate them into commercially viable products.

She further highlighted the alignment between COOU’s academic strengths, particularly in pharmaceuticals, agriculture, and applied sciences, and NOTAP’s mission. Dr. Amadiobi expressed optimism that a deeper partnership would drive innovation-led growth and industrial collaboration.

In response, Prof. Omenugha expressed gratitude to Dr. Amadiobi and her team for their continued support. She acknowledged past interventions by the agency and affirmed COOU’s readiness to scale up such collaborations.

The Vice Chancellor emphasized COOU’s commitment to excellence, innovation, and global impact, noting her administration’s vision of producing graduates capable of competing both locally and internationally. She reaffirmed that the growth and global relevance of universities depend on deliberate collaborations, strong linkages, and effective public-private partnerships. Prof. Omenugha assured the NOTAP DG of COOU’s transparency and accountability in all engagements, which form the core of her leadership philosophy.

Guided by the University’s 3Vs—Values, Viability, and Visibility—Prof. Omenugha explained that these pillars serve as a roadmap to global relevance. “At COOU, we nurture sound values, ensure the viability of our academic and research programs, and pursue visibility both locally and globally. Our engagement with NOTAP is a clear step in this direction, and I am optimistic it will yield tangible results for the University, our staff, students, and society,” she stated.

Joining the Vice Chancellor on the visit were the Director of Linkages and Collaboration, Prof. Ngozi Joe-Ikechebelu, Prof. Sylvia Okonkwo, and Prof. Kingsley Nwozor, who reinforced COOU’s commitment to advancing innovation through collaboration.