How NASENI is Mobilising Civil Servants for Nigeria’s Industrial Future

In a bold move to reposition Nigeria on the path of technological advancement and industrial self-reliance, the National Agency for Science and Engineering Infrastructure (NASENI) has intensified efforts to harness innovative ideas from within the Federal Civil Service. Through its Inter-Agency Innovation Competition and Awards, the agency is deliberately casting a wider net across Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) to identify, nurture and commercialise home-grown solutions capable of addressing the country’s socio-economic challenges.

At the heart of this renewed push is a carefully designed advocacy and sensitisation roadshow that commenced in Abuja on Monday, January 12, 2026. The roadshow, organised by the NASENI Inter-Agency Innovation Competition Committee, is aimed at mobilising civil servants to actively participate in the competition, which comes with a total grant of ₦140 million for successful innovators.

The initiative is not just another government programme. Rather, it reflects a growing recognition that innovation does not reside only in research institutions or private tech hubs, but also within the everyday experiences of public servants who grapple daily with policy gaps, service delivery bottlenecks and systemic inefficiencies.

The roadshow kicked off from the Old Federal Secretariat in Area 1, Garki, and proceeded to the main Federal Secretariat in the Central Business District, Abuja, with several strategic stops at MDAs located within the vicinity. Members of the Inter-Agency Innovation Competition Committee, clad in NASENI-branded sportswear, visited offices, engaged staff directly and distributed flyers containing essential information about the competition.

Through these engagements, civil servants were enlightened on the objectives of the competition, the benefits of participation and the submission process via the NASENI innovation portal at [https://naseni.gov.ng/innovation/](https://naseni.gov.ng/innovation/).

Speaking shortly after the exercise, the Chairman of the NASENI Inter-Agency Innovation Competition Committee, Engr. Dr. Olayode Olasupo, described the roadshow as a deliberate strategy to demystify innovation and make it accessible to public servants across all cadres.

“NASENI is committed to promoting indigenous technology and innovation as a strategic means of reducing excessive importation and strengthening local content development,” he said.

According to him, the competition specifically targets staff of Federal Ministries, Departments and Agencies because of the vast but often untapped pool of ideas within the civil service.

“There is a lot of potential in the federal government staff, and NASENI will not like them to retire with their talent,” Engr. Olasupo added, noting that many civil servants possess innovative ideas born out of years of hands-on experience in governance and public administration.

The Inter-Agency Innovation Competition is anchored on NASENI’s statutory mandate to develop and maintain a dynamic infrastructure that drives Nigeria’s indigenous industrialisation, job creation and national progress. Over the years, the agency has increasingly positioned innovation as a critical pillar for achieving these objectives.

Engr. Olasupo, who also serves as Director of Manufacturing Services Department at NASENI, emphasised that home-grown innovations are pivotal to Nigeria’s industrial aspirations, particularly at a time when the country is seeking to reduce dependence on imports and strengthen domestic production capacity.

“We want to make sure talents in staff are not wasted, and we know that all Ministries, Departments, and Agencies have such staff in abundance,” he said.

The competition invites MDAs to propose innovative solutions across key sectors such as health, agriculture, education and infrastructure, leveraging science, engineering and technology to enhance service delivery and improve the quality of life for Nigerians.

By targeting these critical sectors, NASENI is aligning the competition with national development priorities, while also supporting the Federal Government’s industrialisation agenda under the Renewed Hope framework.

One of the most striking features of the Inter-Agency Innovation Competition is the scale of financial commitment attached to it. With a total grant of ₦140 million earmarked for winners, the programme goes beyond recognition to provide tangible support for the transformation of ideas into commercially viable products and services.

Engr. Olasupo disclosed that the application portal is already open and receiving submissions, adding that NASENI is prepared to provide technical and financial backing to qualified applicants.

“This competition is not just about ideas on paper. It is about developing solutions that can be scaled, commercialised and deployed to solve real problems,” he said.

The emphasis on commercialisation reflects NASENI’s broader strategy of ensuring that research and innovation translate into economic value, job creation and industrial growth.

The growing momentum around the Inter-Agency Innovation Competition has already attracted commitments from key MDAs. One such agency is the National Space Research and Development Agency (NASRDA), which has pledged active participation by its staff.

This assurance was given during a courtesy visit by the NASENI Inter-Agency Innovation Competition Committee to NASRDA headquarters in Abuja on Friday, January 9, 2025.

Receiving the delegation, the Director-General of NASRDA, Dr. Mathew Olumide Adepoju, who was represented by the Director of Mission Planning and Data Management, Dr. Alaga Aboyomi, expressed appreciation for the visit and affirmed the agency’s readiness to participate.

He said NASRDA would encourage its staff to submit entries for the competition, describing the initiative as timely and aligned with the innovation-driven mandate of science-based agencies.

Director of Space Regulation and Spectrum Management at NASRDA, Engr. Dr. Aiyeola Sikiru Yommy, also expressed support for the initiative, noting that it presents an opportunity for MDAs to contribute meaningfully to national development through innovation.

The Inter-Agency Innovation Competition draws strong backing from the Executive Vice Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of NASENI, Mr. Khalil Suleiman Halilu, whose leadership has placed renewed emphasis on innovation, collaboration and commercialisation.

According to Engr. Olasupo, the EVC/CEO is convinced that Nigeria’s industrial future depends largely on the ability to harness local talent and ingenuity.

He explained that the competition aligns with NASENI’s 3Cs framework, which focuses on Collaboration, Creation and Commercialisation.

“The EVC/CEO seeks innovative solutions that would support the Agency’s 3Cs framework to ensure that the innovativeness and talents in staff are not wasted,” he said.

Beyond the inter-agency competition, NASENI has rolled out several complementary initiatives designed to support innovators at different stages of development. These include InnovateNaija, the NASENI Research Commercialisation Grant Programme, FutureMakers and the NASENI Innovation Hub, all of which provide platforms for turning ideas into tangible products and services.

A major significance of the Inter-Agency Innovation Competition lies in its potential to reshape attitudes towards innovation within the public service. Traditionally, civil servants are viewed primarily as implementers of policy rather than creators of solutions. NASENI’s approach challenges this narrative by positioning public servants as active contributors to technological development.

By engaging MDAs directly through roadshows, sensitisation campaigns and advocacy visits, NASENI is gradually building an innovation culture that encourages creativity, problem-solving and cross-agency collaboration.

During the Abuja roadshow, MDAs visited included the Federal Ministry of Industry, Trade and Investment; the Ministry of Interior; the National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA); the Federal Ministry of Health; and the Federal Ministry of Education, among others.

These engagements provided opportunities for staff to ask questions, clarify concerns and understand how their ideas—no matter how modest—could be refined and supported through the competition.

The focus on innovation for technological development is particularly relevant given Nigeria’s current socio-economic realities. From healthcare delivery gaps and agricultural inefficiencies to infrastructure deficits and educational challenges, the country faces complex problems that require context-specific solutions.

NASENI believes that many of these solutions already exist in the minds of Nigerians, especially those working within the system and familiar with its limitations.

By opening up the competition to staff of all MDAs, NASENI is deliberately spreading its dragnet to capture diverse perspectives and experiences that can inform practical, scalable innovations.

“Together, we can unlock our nation’s potential through innovation in science, engineering and technology,” Engr. Olasupo said, urging MDAs to seize the opportunity to showcase their staff’s creativity.

As the advocacy roadshow continues and awareness spreads across MDAs, NASENI is optimistic that the Inter-Agency Innovation Competition will attract robust participation and yield impactful outcomes.

The agency has called on civil servants to move beyond routine administrative functions and see themselves as innovators capable of shaping Nigeria’s industrial future.

With financial incentives, institutional support and a clear pathway to commercialisation, the competition represents a rare opportunity for public servants to turn ideas into innovations that can drive economic growth and improve lives.

In an era where innovation is increasingly recognised as the currency of development, NASENI’s initiative stands as a timely intervention—one that underscores the belief that Nigeria’s journey towards industrialisation must be powered by its own people, ideas and technologies.

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