The National Agency for Science and Engineering Infrastructure (NASENI) has the reputation of being the foremost Agency of the Federal Government currently laying a foundation for industrialization and it is on the right pedestal to execute Government’s scientific and technological transformation for economic development.
The Agency has provided previous administrations with the needed anchor to actualize their dreams and ditto the current administration of President Bola Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda, driven on the wheels of science, technology and innovation.
The contribution of NASENI to the Renewed Hope Agenda began more when Mr. Khalil Suleiman Halilu emerged as the Executive Vice Chairman and CEO of the Agency. The burgeoning vision of the NASENI boss was replete with content and resourcefulness consistent with the priorities of the Federal Government.
Since inception in 1992, NASENI, in terms of technological process, has demonstrated its strategic self-reliance in the production and fabrication of important capital goods and machinery useful in all critical sectors, promoting technological advancement, industrial development, and economic diversification that are presently at the heart of President Tinubu’s industrialization policy direction.
President Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda, a blueprint for national reformation, received the boost and brilliance exhibited by Halilu, who has traversed the length and breadth of the country, exploiting the capacity of NASENI to power rural communities by investing in solar technologies. NASENI Solar Energy Limited (NSEL), a wholly owned company of NASENI located at Karshi, FCT, Abuja, has been strengthened to produce solar photovoltaic (PV) modules or solar panels of various sizes such as 80W, 175W, 180W, 190W, 200W, 250W, 275W, 350W and 690W.
The factory which has been upgraded from 22 to 50 megawatts capacity, (with plans to expand to 100 megawatts before end of year) is equipped with requisite machinery, man-power and technical-know-how, produces high quality mono-crystalline solar panels which have comparatively out-performed many other imported ones.
Apart from this, the Agency has produced solar streetlamps, Home Solar Solutions (alternative energy for homes and small offices), Solar Irrigation Pump for watering small, medium and large-scale farm holders.
To deploy off-grid solar systems in states, NASENI in 2024 signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with the Rural Electrification Agency (REA) and apart from this arrangement it has also trained local technicians on installation and maintenance of alternative power solutions in communities.
Under the 34-year-old youthful and resourceful Halilu, NASENI has also made improvements in local manufacturing and skills development and equipping Nigerians with modern skills needed to push the country’s quest for self-reliance. NASENI’s Development Institutes have been equipped with fourth industrial revolution smart factory equipment and technologies to support the product of capital goods and products for small and medium enterprises (SMEs) across the country.
In this era of global competitiveness, the Renewed Hope Agenda is the Launchpad which Nigeria needed to boost its economy, strengthen institutions, and improve citizens’ quality of life. This is being actualized by the ‘New NASENI’ vision anchored by Halilu. The Agency has aligned policies to produce goals through inclusive and strategic investments in critical sectors.
Some of these investments include the ongoing construction of NASENI TROMENT factory (which is nearing completion) for the manufacturing of vaccines and drugs to address infectious diseases and the rest. Also, investments in construction of urea fertilizer and coal-based fertilizer plants by NASENI are advancing and would support mechanized farming to boost food security and exports.
Other investments include the completion of construction of NASENI Innovation Hub in Abuja and ongoing construction of NASENI Agri-Tech Park at AMEDI Lafia; deployment of NASENI Solar Irrigation Pump through the Irrigate Nigeria Project; NASENI Tractor Recovery and also thousands of abandoned mission critical vehicles are to be recovered. Many of the vehicles have been fixed and put back to work; NASENI Carbon Ecosystem, NASBOX and NASENI Hatchbox.
NASENI has illustrated its immense quest to intensify Innovation, infrastructure, and industrialization, which are the central variables and steadily pushing Nigeria to be reckoned with through investments in laptop and tablet computer and handset productions, indigenous manufacturing of eco-friendly Powerstove that address climate change challenges and establishment of Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) conversion centres.
NASENI has found its base and expertise in generating innovations and the Renewed Hope agenda puts it in the right direction. The Agency has made significant strides in its quest to develop capital goods and machine tools, boost reverse engineering of imported technologies, and support homegrown industrial capacity through its Development Institutes in line with the objectives of President Tinubu’s goals of building a technologically driven Nigeria’s economy.
Through its 12 Developments Institutes spread across the country and ongoing construction of new ones which are addressing specific mandates in key sectors of the economy, Halilu, a technocrat from the private sector has brought his immense knowledge and background in technology and entrepreneurship to reposition the Agency and improved its capacity for national industrial development.
Starting with human capital and digitization of the Agency for optimum output, the new NASENI has ensured that all staff are being retrained to key into the strategic framework of Creation, Collaboration, and Commercialization (3Cs), the principles guiding all NASENI programmes and partnerships, introduction of enterprise resource planning (ERP) software, e-proposal and e-procurement platform, Wide Area Network (WAN) and the deployment of laptops and desktops across offices have improved collaborations and productivity of staff.
The new technologies, tools and equipment driven set up, focusing on 3Cs are fast tracking the commercialization drive of the Agency, pushing in the direction of productivity having realized that the only way to bring about industrialization is to work with likeminded private sector partners, innovators, manufacturers, and government institutions to address pressing national problems.
Skills development through the ongoing construction of NASENI Skill Acquisition Centres (NSAC) across the country and the regular NASENI Skill Acquisition Programmes in many state capitals have upskilled new sets of thousands of artisans in electrical and electronics, welding, computer repairs, etc. and this initiative is endowing Nigerian youths with new skills to fight poverty and unemployment.
In 2023/24 till date about 2,500 young Nigerians were trained at various NASENI institutes and most of them were supported to start their own businesses with funds. To demystify the use of technologies hubs, NASENI’s Development Institutes are carrying out trainings in their locations such as mechatronics, 3D printing, artificial intelligence, welding, solid minerals crushing, etc.
NASENI has embarked on commercialization of research prototypes and through its Technology Business Development (TBD) and Implementation Management Office (IMO), it now works with inventors, lawyers, and businesses to patent, produce, and market new products.
Under Halilu, NASENI has launched about 35 commercially viable products including NASENI Smart Irrigation Machine, NASENI Electric Tricycle, Electric Motorbike, Tricycle cargo, Laptops, Smartphones, Street Solar Lamps, Lithium Battery, Microwave, Television, Water dispenser, Air condition, Smart Meter, etc.
Currently, foundry, fabrication services and other production machinery efforts to support Micro, Small, and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) to build capacity and reduce dependence on imported tools and spare parts are being carried out at NASENI institutes such as such as Prototype Equipment Development Institute (PEDI) Ilesha, Osun State; Engineering Materials Development Institute (EMDI), Akure, Ondo State; National Engineering Design Development Institute (NEDDI) Nnewi and Electronics Development Institute both in Anambra State; Hydraulic Equipment Development Institute (HEDI) in Kano; Power Equipment and Power Equipment and Electrical Machinery Development Institute (PEEMADI)-Okene.
NASENI’s continued investment in critical sectors has put the nation on the path to economic growth and development, and with the vision and purpose displayed by the current leadership in NASENI, Nigeria is on the right path to industrialization and to become major manufacturer and exporter of industrial equipment and tools under the Renewed Hope Agenda.
