Current trends show that the global community operates in the age of Information and Communication Technology (ICT) whereby distance no longer pose challenges to achieving possibilities. A cursory look at the environment reveals prior eased emergence of activities that are highly dynamic.

This emerging growth of technology is not evenly distributed across the globe as the presence of technology is evidently everywhere in the developed countries, same cannot be said of the developing Countries. While the developed Countries enjoy sophisticated technologically motivated transport systems that not only eases traffic within the cities, it also ensures limited cases if not zero auto crashes.

Banking services in such technologically advanced nations are smart to the point that their mobile phones have become their mini banking halls as they can perform various kinds of banking activities in the comfort of their homes.   The absence of technology or limited access to technology in developing countries is greatly reflecting on the quality of life of the citizens of such countries.

However, technology transfer has a great effect and enormous benefits to the economy and could be a dependable source of economic sustainability of developed nations through increased productivity, lowering cost, reducing poverty and enriching social activities.

Africa still remains the continent with the lowest level of technology deployment in all aspects of human productive ventures. Unfortunately, there is inadequate infrastructural development and equipment for production activities such as in automated Agro-processing to ensure availability of food.  This explains why African and other developing countries are considered dumping ground for obsolete and inferior technologies. In order to make up for the technology shortage in the continent, Africans have vigorously resorted to technology transfer for its assimilation, absorption and adaptation.

For a better understanding of the subject matter, it is imperative to explain what technology transfer is all about. Technology transfer is the process of moving technology from the places of its origination to wider distribution among more people and places. In order words, it means taking or distribution of technology from the place of production/invention to the places of need. Technology transfer occurs among universities, businesses, from large businesses to smaller ones, from governments to businesses across border, both formally and informally, and both openly and surreptitiously. Technology transfer could also be viewed from two stand points; vertical which is internal technology transfer and horizontal technology transfer which is the transfer of technology from one nation to another (external technology transfer). Often it occurs by concerted effort to share skills, knowledge, technologies, methods of manufacturing, samples of manufacturing, and facilities among governments or universities and other institutions to ensure that scientific and technological developments are accessible to a wider range of users, who can then further develop and exploit the technology into new products, processes, applications, materials, or services.  Nigeria as a developing nation is endowed with a lot of bright brains who can study a technology or process, assimilate, modify and adapt the technology to meet her local needs. Unfortunately, over the years, Nigeria, the most densely populated black African has depended largely on foreign Software developers to power her financial Institutions. This practice has hitherto, rendered an avalanche of technically inclined and capable minds redundant and irrelevant to the economy of their beloved nation. With millions of Naira spent by Nigerians to acquire, install, adapt and maintain foreign technologies at the expense and detriment of our foreign reserves and also deprive Nigerians job opportunities inherent in technology development. Most times, these deployed technologies are not fully understood by Nigerians so, human capabilities from foreign lands are imported for their repairs and maintenance through the deployment of after sales men. This is obviously not the case in Asia and Latin America, where technology is bought, assessed by indigenous experts, assimilated, adapted, modified, dismantled and re-engineered to produce an innovative version of that technology, fit for its local circumstance and for possible global export.  To change the Nigerian narrative of huge importation of technologies, effective collaboration between research Institutes within the sector in the country can play a key role in technology transfer between the institutions and industry. We must bear in mind that technology transfer is the movement of technology from the point of conception to the place of application (i.e. from the laboratory to the industry). An internally generated technology cannot be successfully transferred to the industry without the support of external funding because the inventor may not have the financial capacity to initiate its transfer. Therefore, there must be a private-public partnership to aid the transfer and commercialization of the discovered technology for mutual benefits.

To achieve effective technology transfer as a nation, there must be strategic plans to develop what may be called “human magnets”. This is a group of engineers and technologists that are skilled enough to understudy the imported technology and assimilate it for proper adaptation. More efforts and attention should be given to research funding because technologies are products of research and no meaningful research could be carried out without investing huge some of funds on it. We must invest in a well-trained and equipped technical workforce as that is the key to technology adaptation, operation and management. Secondly, given the high rate of migration of scientists, engineers and technologists from Nigeria to developed nations where their technical competences are fully harnessed and showcased with better take home, adequate incentive packages and mentorship programmes attractive to young and upcoming researchers alongside enabling environment would go a long way in helping to keep these researchers in the country.

Thirdly, there must be technology partnership between knowledge institutions and the industry as well as between Nigeria and the developed nations since technology transfer has to do with knowledge sharing and the adaptation of new technology to meet the local condition. This will enhance a viable, effective and robust technology transfer process, and also boost technology capabilities, involvement and strengthening competitiveness.  This should be with a view to forming a network to improve access to new ideas, methods and information sharing and material exchange. We should acknowledge the fact that technology partnership can only be effective when both partners meet the required technical competence; otherwise, it will be a lopsided partnership unless the technologically weak partner is willing and ready to part with the better part of the investment cost. Additionally, to remain relevant and afloat in the global economy require some level of up-to-date knowledge, innovation, management, and technology capabilities.

According to Dunning and Lundan 2008 “The ability to create, acquire, learn, use and effectively deploy technological capacity is one of the key ingredients of economic success in virtually all societies”. The exact realization of net benefit of technology transfer to developing countries is measured using TFP as a proxy and can be enhanced by strengthening their local economy and capabilities to attract foreign direct investment (FDI) inflow with the aid of strict and stringent government regulations. Haven observed the problems of technology transfer to less developed countries which can be attributed to lack of necessary knowledge and experience in entrepreneurial managements and skills, urgent and pragmatic approach should be taken by the developing countries to ameliorate the problem. One of the major ways to help improve the economic growth and standard of living of the developing and less developed economies is the effective transfer of genuine and well functional technological transfer.

Technology transfer can only be said to be successful when it leads to the transformation of the lives of the citizens through a noticeable transfer of critical knowledge from the developed countries to the developing countries. For technology transfer to actually take place, the human magnets of the recipient countries must engage themselves in the task of eliminating the problems facing the technological advancement. A genuine technology transfer in a country like Nigerian means a transfer of technical skills and knowledge that can enhance the effective use of the recipients natural and human resources in a maximum way.

In the early 70s, Nigeria the most populated nation in the Continent of Africa witnessed an oil boom which necessitated the country to seek foreign assistance in development of modern infrastructure which was to dovetail to the socio-economic development of the country. The requisite skills for technology bargaining was absence in the Nigerian entrepreneurs, leading to unfair technology pricing and importation of obsolete technologies into the country, hence the establishment of an agency to correct these anomalies.

The National Office for Technology Acquisition and Promotion (NOTAP) is an agency of the Federal Ministry of Science and Technology saddled with the responsibility of regulating the inflow of foreign technology through the registration of technology transfer agreement. Over the years, NOTAP has ensured that multinational companies operating in the country promote local content principles of the present administration through upgrading of chemical laboratories of some Nigerian knowledge institutions. This is to ensure that technology is transferred into the country for the economic advancement of the nation. It is instructive to note that the Nigerian knowledge Institutions who are the direct beneficiaries of this technology transfer have started making an impressive outputs as a result of that intervention by NOTAP.

Raymond Onyenezi Ogbu (mnipr)