NASENI targets early STEM talent with launch of future makers innovation hub

…to produce Nigeria’s next generation of inventors, tech leaders

The National Agency for Science and Engineering Infrastructure (NASENI) has launched the Future Makers Programme, an initiative designed to identify, groom and empower young Nigerian innovators between the ages of 5 and 16.

The launch, held on Thursday in Abuja, marks a major national push to build Nigeria’s future talent pipeline in science, technology and engineering.

Khalil Suleiman Halilu, Executive Vice Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of NASENI, speaking at the event, said the initiative reflects the agency’s long-term strategy to secure Nigeria’s innovation ecosystem over the next 30 to 50 years.

He noted that global innovation leaders such as the United States, India and the United Kingdom have long invested in nurturing young talent, a model Nigeria must now actively embrace.

Read also: NASENI, LAUTECH collaborate to deepen nanotechnology-driven research in Nigeria

“If you want a future for innovators, then action begins today. Across the world, nations that lead in innovation invest early. With Future Makers, Nigeria is taking its rightful place by ensuring our children are not left behind in the global innovation race,” Halilu said.

According to him, the programme will run through NASENI institutes across the six geopolitical zones and will offer training in design thinking, creativity, engineering basics, technology usage, mentorship, access to prototyping equipment, hackathons, pitch days and pathways into NASENI’s incubation and acceleration programmes.

“We are creating a cycle where a child’s curiosity today becomes Nigeria’s gratitude tomorrow,” he added.

Ezenwa Francis Onyewuchi, Chairman of the Senate Committee on NASENI, lauded the programme as a bold and visionary national investment in Nigeria’s next generation of problem solvers.

“Future Makers is the beginning of what innovation should be, early discovery and deliberate empowerment. By mentoring children and young artisans, NASENI is planting seeds that will grow into the engineers, designers and inventors of tomorrow. Innovation begins the moment a child is empowered to imagine,” he said.

He assured the agency of the committee’s continued support, urging parents, teachers and industry partners to champion the mission of raising young innovators who will help reposition Nigeria as a creator not just a consumer of technology.

Racheal Oluwabusola, The Hub Manager and Head of the NASENI Innovation Hub, described Future Makers as the first programme of its kind in Nigeria targeted specifically at children and adolescents.

She said the three-month pilot cohort, scheduled to run from December 2025 to February 2026, will select 60 participants, 10 from each geopolitical zone. Applicants must be 16 years or younger and Nigerian citizens residing in the country.

Participants will undergo structured technical, business and leadership training, prototype development workshops, mentorship sessions, and a series of zonal hackathons. Winners from each zone will proceed to the NASENI Invention Fest where a national champion will emerge.

The winner will receive prizes worth up to ₦5 million, an international study tour with the NASENI Executive Vice Chairman, and scholarships. The six zonal champions will also secure direct admission into NASENI’s incubation programme to transform their ideas into viable businesses.

Oluwabusola emphasised that the programme aims to produce the next generation of genius innovators equipped to deliver groundbreaking and commercially viable solutions.

She added that the call for applications is currently open and will close on January 11, 2026. A panel of experts will evaluate submissions based on clarity of problem-solution fit, creativity, potential societal impact and feasibility.

“This programme will encourage young Nigerians to venture into STEM fields, create jobs, and build real solutions to national challenges. From curiosity to creation, Future Makers will shape the innovators who will define Nigeria’s future,” Oluwabusola said.

Join BusinessDay whatsapp Channel, to stay up to date