LEADERSHIP Award Strengthens Resolve For Clean Energy, Green Tech Investments – NASENI

The National Agency for Science and Engineering Infrastructure (NASENI) has been named Environmental Impact Agency of the Year 2025 at the 18th LEADERSHIP Newspapers Annual Conference and Awards. Executive vice chairman/CEO Khalil Suleiman Halilu, who received the honour alongside top management, said the award  “strengthens our resolve to continue investing in clean energy, green technologies, and sustainable industrial solutions that protect our environment while driving national development.”

The recognition spotlighted NASENI’s strides in solar systems, clean cookstoves, and youth-led innovations, positioning it as a leader in Nigeria’s green energy transition.

NASENI’s recognition included great strides from solar-powered systems and clean cookstoves to innovation hubs supporting youth-led solutions. It was noted for bridging science and everyday life. The agency’s efforts were also recognised in the areas of commercialising homegrown Nigerian technologies and expanding green energy access, helping communities reduce dependence on fossil fuels while creating jobs and industrial capacity.

NASENI amongst Federal Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) was hailed as the best “having stood out in 2025 at the forefront of Nigeria’s drive toward technological self-reliance and environmental sustainability. Through research, innovation, and industrial partnerships. The agency advanced renewable energy solutions and local manufacturing capacity in Nigeria in the year under review”

Wife of President Tinubu, Senator Oluremi Tinubu, who was honoured as Person of the Year, graced the occasion, while the deputy secretary-general of the United Nations, Dr Amina J. Mohammed, delivered the keynote address on the theme: “Political Stability and Sustainable Development in Africa in an Increasingly Unstable Global System: A Roadmap for Nigeria.”

Other notable dignitaries in attendance included the former First Lady of Nigeria, Dr Dame Patience Jonathan; the wife of the Chief of Staff to the President, Hajiya Salamatu Gbajabiamila; and the deputy speaker of the House of Representatives, Rt. Hon. Benjamin Kalu; and governors of Nasarawa, Kaduna, Delta, Zamfara, Imo, and Ekiti States, among others.

Speaking at the event, the executive vice chairman/CEO, Khalil Suleiman Halilu, expressed appreciation to LEADERSHIP Newspapers for the recognition.

“On behalf of NASENI, I sincerely appreciate LEADERSHIP Newspapers for this honour. This recognition strengthens our resolve to continue investing in clean energy, green technologies, and sustainable industrial solutions that protect our environment while driving national development. Our commitment remains clear: to build a cleaner, more resilient, and self-reliant Nigeria through innovation.”

Under the renewed hope administration of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, NASENI has intensified its investments in renewable energy as a strategic pathway to environmental protection and sustainable development.

Through its Zero Carbon Project (ZeCo), the Agency is driving the transition toward low-carbon technologies, reducing emissions, and promoting cleaner industrial practices across key sectors of the economy.

A major milestone in this effort is the development of the 40-hectare NASENI Solar Industrial Park in Gora, Nasarawa State, designed to boost local manufacturing of renewable energy components, expand access to clean energy, and accelerate Nigeria’s transition to a greener economy.

The Agency has also committed substantial funding toward renewable energy projects and locally produced clean-energy technologies.

These include solar-powered irrigation pumps supporting climate-smart agriculture, electric vehicles (EVs) and electric tricycles reducing carbon emissions in transportation, and clean cookstoves that minimise indoor air pollution and reduce dependence on traditional biomass fuels.

NASENI is also advancing home solar systems, energy-efficient smart meters, and solar-powered industrial and household solutions, all aimed at lowering carbon footprint, expanding energy access, and protecting the environment.

The event, part of the 18th Leadership Annual Conference and Awards, attracted distinguished national and international leaders. This honour further reinforces NASENI’s role as a catalyst for innovation, environmental responsibility, and sustainable industrialisation, as the Agency continues to deploy homegrown technologies that expand access to clean energy, create jobs, and strengthen Nigeria’s path toward a greener and more sustainable future.f