On Tuesday, 26th of August 2025, the Vice Chancellor of Chukwuemeka Odumegwu Ojukwu University (COOU), Prof. Kate Azuka Omenugha, fnipr, 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 was aimed at deepening institutional collaboration and exploring ways COOU can leverage NOTAP’s mandate to advance research, technology transfer, and innovation.
Welcoming the Vice Chancellor, Dr. Amadiobi congratulated her on her confirmation as the 5th substantive Vice Chancellor of COOU, noting the unique connection they share as she herself is the 5th Director-General and the first female DG of NOTAP. She pledged her commitment to supporting the University in harnessing opportunities in research commercialization, industry linkages, and intellectual property rights.
According to her, COOU is already demonstrating remarkable strength in intellectual property management through its Technology Transfer Office, and she encouraged the University to patent more of its research outputs. She assured that NOTAP would provide the necessary support in sponsoring patent registrations, offering visibility to innovative research, and helping translate them into viable, commercializable products.
Dr. Amadiobi also highlighted the strong alignment between COOU’s academic strengths—particularly in areas such as pharmaceuticals, agriculture, and applied sciences—and the mission of NOTAP. She expressed optimism that a deeper partnership would open up avenues for innovation-driven growth and industrial collaboration.
Responding, Prof. Omenugha expressed gratitude to the NOTAP DG and her team for their longstanding support and recognition of COOU. She acknowledged past interventions from the agency while expressing the University’s readiness to consolidate and scale up such partnerships.
The Vice Chancellor noted that COOU, named after the famous warlord and statesman Dim Chukwuemeka Odumegwu Ojukwu, is determined to live up to its name by building a reputation for excellence, innovation, and impact. She emphasized her administration’s vision of graduating “exportable students” graduates who can compete and excel not just locally but globally.
Prof. Omenugha also reaffirmed her belief that the growth and global relevance of universities depend on deliberate collaborations, solid linkages, and effective public-private partnerships. She assured the NOTAP DG of COOU’s transparency and accountability in all engagements, noting that such values form the backbone of her leadership philosophy.
Importantly, she stressed that her administration is guided by the University’s 3Vs: Values, Viability, and Visibility, which serve as a clear roadmap to global relevance. “At COOU, we are deliberate about nurturing sound values, ensuring the viability of our academic and research programs, and pursuing visibility both locally and globally. These three pillars define our mission to transform COOU into the Now University and the University of the Future. Our engagement with NOTAP is a clear step in this direction, and I am optimistic that this partnership will yield tangible fruits for the University, our staff, students, and society at large,” the Vice Chancellor 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 together reinforced the University’s commitment to driving innovation through collaboration.
