The National Agency for Science and Engineering Infrastructure (NASENI) is driving the transformation to put Nigeria on the world map of industrialized countries judging by the investments the agency has made in recent years and the impressively diverse products it now showcases that are ready for commercialization.
NASENI’s Executive Vice Chairman, Mr Khalil Suleiman Halilu, is at the centre of these great initiatives that have changed the fortunes of the organization and Nigeria at large. The aim is to improve the sophistication of the branded commercial products that have been unveiled and certified by the Standards Organization of Nigeria (SON).
The agency’s mandate, as disclosed to members of the press, is anchored on its mission to drive Nigeria’s rapid industrialization through the new three Cs of Collaboration, Creation, and Commercialization.
The House of Representatives Committee on NASENI led by Hon. Otunba Abimbola Ajilesoro recently paid an oversight visit to the agency’s Headquarters to inspect its products and projects towards robust research in technological advancement in the Defense/Security S, Agricultural and Infrastructural sectors amongst others. It was a testament to the enormous efforts being made by NASENI to produce commercially viable products that will generate foreign exchange for Nigeria and boost its economy.
Amongst the recently unveiled NASENI products were Laptop and tablet, Android Smartphone, Lithium Battery, LED Solar Street Light, Solar Irrigation System, Electric Bicycle, and Electric Keke (passenger and Cargo types). The House committee was also pleased to see two newly branded NASENI electric vehicles (EV).
According to Halilu, NASENI has been at the forefront of driving Nigeria’s technological advancement and industrialization. He said, “Over the past few months, we have implemented several key initiatives aimed at transforming our operations from primarily research-based activities to commercialization of our products and services”
“This transformation is essential for us to contribute more effectively to the national economy and to achieve sustainable development goals.”
He added that 85 per cent of current NASENI projects are on counterpart funding, saying, “We don’t want to invest alone in what we do, and that is why we work with our 3C’s principle of Collaboration, Creation, and Commercialization, thereby engaging the services of the private sector to partner with them to ensure that we deliver on our mandate.”
In line with this development trajectory, about 35 products of NASENI under the watch of Halilu are market-ready even as the agency has mapped out strategies to establish showrooms in all the 36 states of the federation for marketing of its products with the ultimate aim of reaching all end users.
There exists now several achievements in Innovation and Research Development, Product Commercialization, Renewable Energy Projects, and Capacity Building resulting from resource utilization to deliver capital and consumer goods to the nation, including creating jobs for the teeming Nigerian youths.
It has, therefore, become incumbent on the lawmakers and all stakeholders to support NASENI in the areas of appropriation and providing the right legislative framework that will strengthen the establishment act of the agency to enable it deliver effectively while also demanding accountability to expand, deepen and create an enduring part for sustainable technological advancement. This will enable the nation to become an Industrial hub amongst the comity of nations.
NASENI has made human capital development a cornerstone of its policy objectives in most of its activities since the emergence of Halilu as EVC. Its investment in human capital development and staff motivation remain the best ways of repositioning the agency as a global powerhouse for Science, Technology, and Innovation (STI) system.
During a recent 5-day Training for Information, New Media and Protocol staff of the Agency, drawn from the Headquarters and Institutes the EVC restated the agency’s commitment to human capital development as one of its overarching goals, which is to have well-trained employees with knowledge and requisite technical, vocational and management skills required for its growth and technology advancement.
It is significant that the first four months of Halilu’s administration were marked by new partnerships and collaborations aimed at turning NASENI’s over 150 scientific and technological prototypes, products and intellectual property rights (IPR) into finished products.
The Agency has signed multibillion-dollar new Memorandums of Understanding (MOUs) and revived old ones with international technical partners, including the establishment of a coal-based fertilizer plant, a Lithium processing and Electric Vehicle (EV) manufacturing plant, Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) for Agricultural afforestation, smart solar irrigation, tractor repairs, and crop traceability for food security.
In the area of agriculture and food security, NASENI has strengthened investment by establishing the Agricultural Machinery and Equipment Development Institute (AMEDI) in parts of the country to leverage technology for food production and processing. This is in accordance with the federal government’s directive that each of the country’s six geopolitical zones should host one AMEDI.
One of these institutes was established in Kebbi State, northwest Nigeria. The Federal Government approved the state because of its vast arable land for rice production and other farm produce, which is among the seven states from that geopolitical zone.
NASENI has also empowered thousands of youths across the country in line with government’s directive to upscale the skills of youths nationwide to promote employment and self-reliance in eleven (11) states of the Federation. Nearly 2000 youths altogether have been trained nationwide in various vocations ranging from Electrical Installations and Maintenance, Modern Auto-mechanics and Diagnostics, Solar Installations and Maintenance, Modern Tailoring and Installations of Plaster of Paris, popularly known as POP.
To deepen technology drive, NASENI and the National Institute for Policy and Strategic Studies (NIPSS), Kuru, Plateau State, recently mapped out strategies to collaborate on enhancing Nigeria’s digital economy footprints, empowerment, and creation of jobs for millions of youths.
Halilu disclosed this while welcoming participants of the Senior Executive Course (SEC) 46 of NIPSS, who were at the Agency on a Strategic Institution Study tour in 2024. This development was predicated on the fact that NASENI was identified as one of the federal government’s agencies that has everything it takes to empower and create job opportunities for Nigerian youths and make the country self-reliant in manufacturing and the digital economy.
According to Halilu, strengthening the capacity of key stakeholders in Nigeria to access, adopt, and scale up technologies is an essential outcome of the cooperation and collaborations currently being undertaken by the agency. This must be supported by the relevant offline conditions, such as an enabling policy environment, access to finance, appropriate incentives, and innovation capacities.
For its effectiveness in industrial drive, NASENI attracted the attention of the United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO), which proposed collaboration to reduce energy poverty in the country via the domestication of renewable energy solutions and to fast-track industrial development.
UNIDO, amongst others, is seeking to facilitate collaboration between German companies and research institutions with the Agency to reduce energy waste and support the present government’s food production agenda. This fits into NASENI’s mandate of driving Nigeria’s industrial development through technology transfer and domestication and the production of capital goods, which are generally ceded to small and medium enterprises (SMEs) and entrepreneurs.
UNIDO is seeking to support President Bola Ahmed Tinubu government’s food production agenda through food processing and food packaging, reduction of energy waste with biogas production and renewable energy solutions such as solar PV and solar batteries, amongst others. In order to move the conversations forward and more actions, NASENI and UNIDO set up a working group to drive the initiatives and bring all prospective partners on board.
NASENI now is poised to take Nigeria to greater industrial heights, and with adequate support, it will deliver on its mandate.