A Nigerian inventor, Olusegun Adeleye claims the European Patent Office (EPO) stole his invention.

Adeleye said the invention was a solution to reduce carbon dioxide emissions from coal and natural gas.

He said in a chat with newsmen in Abeokuta, Ogun State could have generated €1.5 billion for Nigeria and created millions of jobs.

According to him, he had been researching and developing the technology for about 29 years as the EPO allegedly hijacked his application and prevented him from obtaining patent protection.

He claimed that the EPO’s actions were intentional and aimed at depriving him and Nigeria of the benefits of his invention.

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, reports Vanguard.

He, however, urged the Federal Government to investigate his claims, while seeking redress for the country, which according to him stands to benefit more from the invention

His words: “I call on the government of President Bola Tinubu to investigate this matter because this is an invention worthy of lowering our unemployment rate, and insecurity and earning foreign exchange for the country.

“This case highlights our challenges as African inventors in protecting 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.”