NASENI’s 2 years of innovation: A blueprint for Nigeria’s technological future

In an era where nations are increasingly defined by their ability to innovate and commercialise technology, the National Agency for Science and Engineering Infrastructure (NASENI) has quietly but firmly positioned itself as a cornerstone of Nigeria’s industrial future. The Agency’s two-year milestone reflects a refreshing blend of vision, discipline, and tangible results that could, if sustained, redefine Nigeria’s place in the global innovation ecosystem. What stands out most from NASENI’s achievements over the last two years under the leadership of its young and vibrant executive vice chairman, Khalil Suleiman Halilu, is its transition from policy formulation to measurable outcomes. Unlike many public institutions bogged down by bureaucracy and inertia, NASENI has demonstrated that reforms, when coupled with accountability, can yield transformative results. The digitisation of the Agency’s operations by the EVC of NASENI has seen to the introduction of Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) systems and the creation of Project Management Office (PMO) and Project Implementation Office (IMO), thus marking a clear departure from the old culture of paper promises. This move towards data-driven accountability not only improves efficiency but also enhances public confidence in government-led innovation. From a developmental perspective, the 100 per cent budget reorientation tied to deliverables is a particularly bold policy. It enforces fiscal discipline, ensuring that public funds are directly linked to tangible outputs rather than vague overheads. This model should inspire other public institutions seeking to rebuild credibility and deliver public value. Equally impressive are the over 44 indigenous products that have been developed and commercialised under Halilu’s supervision. The scope of these innovations; ranging from solar irrigation pumps, cookstoves, and electric vehicles to laptops, tablets, and diagnostic kits, underscores a deep understanding of Nigeria’s practical developmental needs. These are not luxury technologies but solutions aimed at improving the quality of life, particularly in rural and low-income communities. One cannot overlook the strategic significance of NASENI’s Landmark Projects. The 40-hectare Solar Industrial Park in Nasarawa, the CNG Reverse Engineering Centres in Abuja, and the Defence Manufacturing Partnership with DICON and Ministry of Defence are not just infrastructural feats; they are statements of intent. They represent Nigeria’s desire to localise production, enhance energy sustainability, and strengthen national security through homegrown technological capacity. For a country long dependent on imports, this is a major step toward industrial sovereignty. In the context of northern Nigeria, and especially Borno State, these initiatives carry profound implications. The establishment of NASENI Research Commercialization Grant Programme, STEM Box, STEM laboratories, and Centres of Excellence (NCoE) amongst others by Halilu aligns perfectly with our educational and economic aspirations. As a lecturer at Borno State University, I see NASENI’s programmes such as SheFly for training women in drone technology and funding of DELT-Her Initiative to empower women in engineering as opportunities to bridge gender gaps in science and technology. They provide a national platform for the kind of innovation and inclusion that women and female students aspire to. The Agency’s 10,000-women cookstove empowerment programme under Halilu is another landmark intervention that combines technology with social impact. It demonstrates that innovation is not merely about gadgets and machines but about improving livelihoods and protecting the environment. The use of clean cookstoves can drastically reduce deforestation and indoor pollution; issues that have long affected communities across the North-East. Furthermore, NASENI’s 50+ Memoranda of Understanding (MoUs) with local and international partners including leading firms in energy, defence, and biotechnology, reflect a forward-looking strategy of collaboration. The inclusion of global partners like Haier, Chery, and Caverton reveals a model of “glocal” innovation, thinking globally but acting locally. This blend of foreign expertise and Nigerian ingenuity could catalyze the country’s emergence as an innovation hub in Africa. Perhaps the most promising aspect of NASENI’s transformation is its focus on youth empowerment. With over 30,000 direct and indirect jobs created and initiatives reaching all 36 states and the FCT, the Agency is building the kind of nationwide momentum that can turn science into a viable economic driver. By transforming research outputs to commercial product NASENI is creating an ecosystem where academia, industry, and government can co-exist productively, a model that universities, including ours, should actively engage with. In sum, NASENI’s progress under Halilu over the past two years is a breath of fresh air in Nigeria’s development narrative. It offers a rare example of a government institution that not only plans but performs; one that understands that sustainable development begins with innovation and ends with commercialization. For us in academia, it is both a challenge and an invitation: a challenge to reorient our teaching and research towards practical innovation, and an invitation to collaborate in building the Nigeria we all desire; one where technology serves not just the elite, but every household and community. If NASENI sustains this trajectory, Nigeria’s long-awaited industrial revolution may not be as distant as many fear. Indeed, the seeds of that future are already being sown; methodically, innovatively, and visibly.

Zainab Bayero Aliyu is a lecturer at Kashim Ibrahim University, Borno State.

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