ABEOKUTA– A Nigerian inventor, Olusegun Adeleye has accused the European Patent Office (EPO) of stealing his invention, a solution to reduce carbon dioxide emissions from coal and natural gas.
Adeleye who briefed newsmen in Abeokuta, the Ogun state said the invention could have generated €1.5 billion for Nigeria and created millions of jobs.
Having spent about 29 years researching and developing the technology, Adeleye alleges that the EPO hijacked his application and prevented him from obtaining patent protection.
He claims that the EPO’s actions were intentional and aimed at depriving him and Nigeria of the benefits of his invention.
The inventor’s technology removes carbon dioxide and pollutants from natural gas and coal, making it a crucial solution for climate change.
He added that he has written to the European Union and the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) to seek assistance in resolving the matter, saying that EPO’s actions are a clear case of intellectual property theft and bullying.
He however called on the Federal Government to investigate his claims, while seeking redress for the country, who according to him stands to benefit more from the invention
“I called on the government of President Bola Tinubu to investigate this matter. This is an invention worthy of lowering our unemployment rate, insecurity and earn foreign exchange for the country.
“This case highlights the challenges we faced as African inventors in protecting our intellectual property rights and accessing global markets.
“It also underscores the importance of supporting African innovation and intellectual property rights to drive economic development and address global challenges like climate change”, he said
