2025: NASENI’s Year of Impactful Projects and Initiatives

The year 2025 dawned on the National Agency for Science and Engineering Infrastructure (NASENI) with renewed confidence, heightened expectations and a clear resolve to deepen Nigeria’s technological and industrial base.

Riding on the momentum of 2024, during which the Agency successfully unveiled over 40 commercially viable products, NASENI entered the New Year with a stronger institutional identity, a sharpened focus on commercialization and an ambitious pipeline of projects designed to translate research outcomes into tangible national development gains.

The achievements of the previous year did not merely serve as milestones; they became launchpads for a more expansive agenda in 2025, anchored on innovation, industrialization, job creation and economic diversification.

From the outset, NASENI’s leadership made it clear that 2025 would be defined not by announcements alone, but by visible, impactful and geographically balanced interventions. Across the country, groundbreaking ceremonies, facility upgrades, programme launches and strategic partnerships reflected an agency in full stride, aligning science, engineering and technology with national priorities.

Central to this drive was the understanding that sustainable development in Nigeria requires locally driven solutions, supported by indigenous capacity and strengthened by global best practices.

One of the most symbolic projects embarked upon in 2025 was the groundbreaking of the Sustainable and Emerging Technologies Institute (SETI) at Bayero University, Kano. Sitting on an expansive 30 hectares of land, the institute represents a bold investment in the future of Nigerian innovation.

Designed as a state-of-the-art research and development hub, SETI is devoted to artificial intelligence and other cutting-edge technologies that are shaping the global economy. Beyond its physical infrastructure, the institute is envisioned as a melting pot for researchers, innovators and industry players, supported by a reliable power supply that ensures uninterrupted research activities. Upon completion and commissioning, SETI is expected to position Northern Nigeria as a key contributor to the country’s emerging technology ecosystem while strengthening university-industry collaboration.

Similarly, the agriculture, a sector critical to Nigeria’s food security and employment, also received significant attention from NASENI in 2025. The launch of the Irrigate Nigeria Project in Gamawa Local Government Area of Bauchi State marked a decisive step towards modernizing farming practices through renewable energy solutions.

Powered by NASENI’s solar irrigation pumps, the project covers 10,000 hectares of farmland and is designed to enable farmers cultivate up to three cycles annually.

By reducing dependence on rainfall and fossil fuel-powered irrigation systems, the initiative not only boosts productivity but also promotes environmental sustainability. The project underscores NASENI’s commitment to deploying homegrown technology to address longstanding structural challenges in the agricultural sector.

In line with its mandate to develop engineering infrastructure nationwide, the Agency commenced the construction of several new development institutes across the federation. These include the Industrial Equipment and Machinery Development Institute in Maiduguri, Borno State; the Engineering Materials and Equipment Development Institute in Katsina, Katsina State; and Agricultural and Machinery Equipment Development Institutes in Birnin-Kebbi, Kebbi State; Aboh-Mbaise, Imo State; and Obudu, Cross River State. Complementing these are NASENI Skill Acquisition Centres located in different parts of the country.

Together, these facilities are designed to decentralize industrial development, build local technical capacity and stimulate regional economies by creating hubs of specialized knowledge and skills.

Healthcare technology emerged as another priority area with the construction of the NASENI-TROMENT Biotechnology facility in the Idu Industrial Area of Abuja. The facility is dedicated to the production of high-quality rapid diagnostic test kits, a critical component of public health preparedness and response. By localizing the production of these essential medical tools, NASENI is helping Nigeria reduce its dependence on imports, strengthen health security and promote the use of made-in-Nigeria products.

The project also reflects the Agency’s broader industrial push, which emphasizes value addition, technology transfer and strategic partnerships with the private sector.

Energy access and sustainability remained central to NASENI’s 2025 agenda. The upgrade of NASENI Solar Energy Limited from a 22-kilowatt solar panel manufacturing plant to a 50-kilowatt factory signaled a significant scaling up of domestic renewable energy manufacturing capacity.

This upgrade enhances the Agency’s ability to meet growing demand for solar solutions while supporting national goals on energy transition and climate change mitigation.

Beyond manufacturing, NASENI also advanced the construction of a Renewable Energy Park in Gora, Nasarawa State, widely touted as the largest of its kind in Africa. The park is envisioned as an integrated hub for renewable energy research, development, testing and deployment, reinforcing Nigeria’s leadership aspirations in Africa’s clean energy landscape.

In the northeastern city of Maiduguri, NASENI launched the Tractor Recovery Project, an initiative aimed at restoring idle and abandoned agricultural machinery to operational condition. By recovering and redeploying tractors and related equipment, the project seeks to improve mechanized farming, reduce production costs and enhance food output, particularly in post-conflict areas where agricultural infrastructure has been severely disrupted. The initiative also aligns with broader national efforts on asset restoration and efficient utilization of public investments.

Youth innovation and entrepreneurship featured prominently in NASENI’s 2025 programmes. The launch of the N250 million InnovateNaija Challenge provided a competitive platform for young Nigerian innovators to showcase and scale their ideas.

By offering financial support and technical mentorship, the challenge aims to bridge the gap between ideas and market-ready products, fostering a new generation of technology-driven entrepreneurs.

Similarly, the NASENI Research Commercialization Grant Programme (NRCGP) was introduced to support researchers in translating academic findings into commercially viable solutions, reinforcing the Agency’s commercialization-focused strategy.

Further expanding its innovation ecosystem, NASENI unveiled the FutureMakers programme, an initiative designed to nurture creativity, problem-solving skills and technological literacy among young Nigerians from the ages 7-15 years.

Through innovation hubs, training sessions and collaborative projects, FutureMakers seeks to inspire early engagement with science and engineering, laying the foundation for long-term national capacity development.

In the research funding space, the Agency launched the second phase of the Delta-2 Programmes with a renewed call for proposals. The Delta-2 programme is organized by NASENI and implemented by the Presidential Implementation Committee on Technology Transfer (PICTT) with counterpart funding coming from Czech Republic Technology Agency (CRTA).

This was complemented by the second phase of the Developing Engineering Leaders Through HER (DELT–Her) programme, which focuses on empowering women researchers and innovators. These programmes reflect NASENI’s inclusive approach to capacity building, ensuring that talent development cuts across gender and regional lines.

Beyond these flagship projects, NASENI sustained a range of other initiatives throughout 2025, including stakeholder engagements, policy advocacy, technology exhibitions and strategic collaborations with local and international partners.

Collectively, these efforts underscore an agency that is not only executing projects but also shaping narratives around indigenous technology, self-reliance and sustainable development.

As the year ends, 2025 stands out as a defining period for NASENI, marked by tangible investments, nationwide reach and a clear focus on impact. By building on past successes and pushing the boundaries of innovation and commercialization, the Agency continues to play a pivotal role in positioning science and engineering as drivers of Nigeria’s socio-economic transformation.

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