How NASENI’s N435.5m Investment In Nigerian Innovations Is Strengthening Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda

President Bola Tinubu is optimistic that Nigerian innovators in varied technological fields will drive his Renewed Hope Agenda in transforming the industrial base of the country as he hopes to invest more in Science, Technology and Innovation (STI) initiatives. .

President Tinubu’s optimism is premised on the giant strides of The National Agency for Science and Engineering Infrastructure (NASENI), which recently motivated Nigerian innovators by awarding a whopping sum of N435.5 million in grants to them across Nigeria under its maiden innovation competitions.

The development grants were presented to winners of the Innovate Naija, Future Makers by NASENI, Intra-Agency and Intra-Inter Agency competitions at an award ceremony held at the State House Banquet Hall, Presidential Villa, Abuja last week. The event was a testimony of the ceaseless efforts of the Agency under the leadership of its Executive Vice Chairman (EVC), Khalil Suleiman Halilu.

Since assuming office, the NASENI boss has made significant achievements that have changed the fortunes of the country and strengthened its quest to put Nigeria in the industrial map of the world through massive investments in technology and innovations. The national winner of the Innovate Naija competition received N100 million, the first and second runners-up received N30 million and N20 million, respectively while the 37 state champions including Abuja got N2.5 million each.

Similarly, the top six winners of the NASENI Intra-Agency and Inter-Agency competitions received a combined N162 million. Of the amount, N140 million went to the three winners of the Inter-Agency competition among Ministries, Departments and Agencies of government (MDAs), while N22.5 million was shared among the three winners of the NASENI Intra-Agency competition.

The top six finalists in the FutureMakers by NASENI competition received a total of N23 million in prize money, with the overall winner receiving a N5 million grant prize.

Presenting the awards, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, represented by the Minister of Innovation, Science and Technology, Dr. Kingsley Tochukwu Udeh (SAN), reaffirmed the Federal Government’s commitment to promoting innovation and developing home-grown technological solutions. The President described the NASENI innovation competitions as a demonstration of the Federal Government’s support for Nigerian innovators and urged the beneficiaries to deploy the grants responsibly to improve their solutions and contribute to national development.

He said the government believed in the capacity of the innovators to contribute to Nigeria’s future, urging them to use the grants to refine their products, test their assumptions and build sustainable businesses.

Earlier in his welcome address, NASENI EVC/CEO, Halilu, thanked President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, GCFR, for his leadership and continued support for NASENI’s mandate, saying the Renewed Hope Agenda challenges us to strengthen Nigeria’s productive capacity, expand opportunity and build an economy capable of creating prosperity for our people.

“For us at NASENI, that mission is clear: Nigeria must move from consumption to creation. We must become a nation that does not simply import solutions, but creates them. That does not simply consume technology, but develops it. That does not simply export potential, but converts that potential into products, companies, industries and jobs.

He charged the award recipients to continue developing innovations that would address everyday challenges confronting Nigerians, urging the innovators to protect their intellectual property, understand their finances, build strong teams and seek partnerships that would complement their capabilities.

He also advised them to remain focused on the problems their innovations seek to solve, listen to their target users, test their products, learn from failures and continually improve their solutions. “Let us keep creating. Let us keep collaborating. Let us keep commercialising. Let us turn Nigerian ideas into Nigerian products.
Let us turn Nigerian products into Nigerian industries.
And let us turn Nigerian industries into shared prosperity,” Halilu added.

Also speaking, Director of Programmes, AfriLabs, Nanko Madu, commended the Federal Government and NASENI for recognising innovation as a critical driver of national development and applauded the award recipients for developing solutions to some of the country’s pressing challenges, urging them to remain creative, resilient and entrepreneurial.

She said young Nigerians were increasingly developing solutions tailored to the country’s infrastructure, power challenges, climate and local operating conditions, while reducing dependence on imported technologies and foreign expertise. The joint awards presentations marked the completion of the maiden edition of innovation competitions by NASENI to identify innovative ideas that can translate to commercial ventures, create jobs and spur Nigeria’s technological and industrial renewal.

“We deeply thank the state governors who actively mobilised participation and supported innovators from their respective states. It is a good place to note that the Governors of Abia, Anambra, Enugu, Plateau and Kaduna matched the N2.5 million grants to N5 million for their state champions,” Madu added.

The innovation competitions aim to ignite creativity and generate vibrant energy within Nigeria’s innovation ecosystem, especially among the youths. The event was attended by dignitaries including Minister of Youth Development, Mr. Ayodele Olwande; Executive Governor of Kaduna State, represented by Her Excellency, Dr. Hadiza Sabuwa Balarabe, Deputy Governor of Kaduna State; and  Director-General, National Space Research and Development Agency (NASRDA), Prof. Matthew Adepoju.

Other dignitaries include representatives of the Governors of Nasarawa, Plateau and Anambra States; representative of Dr. Jumoke Oduwole, MFR, Honourable Minister of Industry, Trade and Investment; Heads and representatives of government agencies, and other senior government officials; Members of the Diplomatic Corps and our development partners; representatives of NACCIMA and the Nigerian Society of Engineers; representatives of the African University of Science and Technology, AUST, Inspire NASENI Innovation Hub and Miva Open University; and members of NASENI Management; and members of the NASENI management, among others.

Winners of the NASENI Innovation and Assessment and Awards Competition within the Inter-Agency category include, Dr.  Moshood Lanre Adetoro from the National Space Research and Development Agency(NASRDA) Abuja  and  his project title was “ Tactical  Deep Surveillance Wearable Jacket.” Another winner from this category was Dr. Habila Bitrus of the Nigerian Institute of Leather and Science Technology (NILEST), Zaria and his project title was “Extraction and Development of NILEST-Tan for Leather Industries”.

Also within the Inter-Agency category was Isaac –Johnson Ajeh of the National Institute for Pharmaceutical Research and Development , Abuja and his project title was “ Valorisation of Plantain Peel Waste: Development and Standardisation of High-Potency”. Turning to the Intra-Agency category, Yusuf Usman of NASENI Headquarters, Abuja produced a project titled “NASENI Mart: A Digital E-Commerce Platform for Made-in-Nigeria Products”.

This was followed by Engr. Oladapo Olatoye of ELDI, Awka, Anambra state, who constructed a “Solar –powered Standalone Cooking Station for Food Vendors Empowerment”. Engr Mikairu Aminu Abu completes this category from NSEL, Karshi, who made “Designed and Development of an Off-grid Solar-powered Cassava Dryer.”

On the category of FutureMakers, winners drawn across geo-political zones of Nigeria include: Joshua Agboola from South-West, who manufactured LabVerse AI; Emmanuel Paul from North-East who designed Lafiya Alert; Ruqayya Safwa Faruq from North-West, who designed EcoGlow Lab; Precious Akabude-Odozi  from the South–South, who produced Velora; Ogbonna Nwota Gold from South-East, who produced  Callisto and Mary Umahonlen from the North-Central who designed Digital-First hydroponic solution.

In the InnovateNaija category: Winner of ₦100,000,000-      Adaeze Ruth Akpagbula from Abia, developed PenKeep: Smart Poultry Climate Control System. PenKeep’s locally built sensors automatically heat, cool and ventilate the pen, saving birds and cutting costs.

First Runner-Up: ₦30,000,000-   Oluwatoyin Ogundeji from Ondo, developed Smart Pond     Africa’s AI-powered aquaculture co-pilot, helping fish farmers cut costs and raise healthier, traceable fish; while Second Runner-Up:₦20,000,000-Aminu Sale Jino from Katsina developed Electric Vehicle’s Charging Engine. It is a fast-charging stations that make electric cars and motorcycles practical for Nigerian roads.