NASENI’s Contribution To President Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda

As Nigeria embarks on a new trajectory under President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda, one agency that is quietly but effectively pushing the frontiers of national development is the National Agency for Science and Engineering Infrastructure (NASENI).

With a renewed vision, youthful leadership, and strategic alignment with federal priorities, NASENI has emerged as a key vehicle for technological advancement, industrial development, and economic diversification, pillars central to Tinubu’s policy direction.

From powering rural communities through solar technologies, to driving local manufacturing and skills development, NASENI is proving to be more than just a research agency; it is becoming a transformative force in Nigeria’s quest for sustainable growth.

SPONSOR AD

President Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda outlines a clear roadmap for national rebirth. At its core is the urgent need to retool Nigeria’s economy, strengthen institutions, and improve citizens’ quality of life through inclusive policies and strategic investments in critical sectors. Innovation, infrastructure, and industrialization are central to this mission.

NASENI, created in 1992 but long underutilized, has found new relevance in this agenda. Its mandate to develop capital goods and machine tools, reverse engineer imported technologies, and support homegrown industrial capacity fits squarely with the president’s goals of building a self-reliant Nigeria.

In September 2023, President Tinubu appointed Khalil Suleiman Halilu as the Executive Vice Chairman/CEO of NASENI, marking a bold departure from tradition. At 32, Halilu is the youngest person to ever lead the Agency and the first non-academic to take the helm. With a private-sector background in technology and entrepreneurship, his appointment signaled the president’s seriousness in repositioning the agency.

Within weeks of assuming office, Halilu launched what he called the 3C Strategic Framework: Creation, Collaboration, and Commercialization, the blueprint guiding all NASENI programmes and partnerships. “Our work is no longer about just conducting research. We are building systems that transform ideas into products, and products into jobs,” Halilu said at the agency’s 2024 Management Retreat in Abuja.

Under the new framework, NASENI has become visibly more active and intentional. It is no longer a research warehouse but a dynamic technology hub, connecting innovators, manufacturers, and government institutions to tackle national problems. In alignment with the Renewed Hope Agenda’s priority on food security and rural development, NASENI is championing agricultural mechanization.

The agency has designed and is producing low-cost farm tools and equipment for smallholder farmers. One such innovation is the NASENI Multi-Crop Thresher, which has significantly reduced post-harvest losses for farmers in the North-Central, North-East and North-West zones. The machines are fabricated locally using indigenous technology, creating jobs and reducing dependence on imported equipment.

In early 2024, the Agency rolled out the Smart Tractor Initiative, assembling over 1,000 units in partnership with local manufacturers. These tractors are now being distributed to cooperatives and extension services in states such as Niger, Kaduna, and Benue.
A core pillar of both NASENI’s work and the Renewed Hope Agenda is expanding access to electricity. With over 80 million Nigerians still lacking reliable power, the Agency has prioritized the deployment of solar energy technologies to underserved communities.
NASENI’s Solar Panel Assembly Plant in Karshi, Abuja, is producing homegrown panels, inverters, and batteries that are now powering schools, health clinics, and micro-businesses across rural Nigeria. In March 2024, NASENI signed a partnership with the Rural Electrification Agency (REA) to deploy off-grid solar systems in five states. This initiative, which also trains local technicians on installation and maintenance, is already benefitting over 150 communities.
With millions of Nigerian youths out of work, NASENI has taken up the challenge of skills training and job creation through Technology and Innovation Hubs. These hubs currently operational in states like Anambra, Kogi and Kano provide training in mechatronics, 3D printing, artificial intelligence, welding, etc. The Agency’s Engineering Design and Development Institute (NEDDI) in Nnewi is one of the most prominent, producing spare parts and machine tools for small industries.
In 2024 alone, over 2,500 young Nigerians were trained at various NASENI institutes, with many going on to start their own businesses or join local industries.
In a country that imports almost all its vehicles and spare parts, NASENI is working to shift the narrative. In December 2023, the agency unveiled a prototype Electric Vehicle (EV), locally designed and fabricated in partnership with Nigerian universities. The EV initiative is not just symbolic. NASENI is developing a full green mobility ecosystem—complete with local battery production, charging infrastructure, and EV assembly lines.
Talks are ongoing with investors from China and Germany to scale the project. This effort dovetails with Nigeria’s energy transition plans and contributes to the country’s climate commitments under the Paris Agreement.
International Partnerships and Investments
NASENI’s international profile has also grown significantly. Under Halilu’s leadership, the Agency has supported the Federal Government in attracting foreign direct investment through various bilateral partnerships. In July 2024, the Indonesian conglomerate Sinar Mas Group committed $200 million to set up ethanol plants in Nigeria using NASENI’s technology. Similarly, the German government, through GIZ, is supporting the upgrade of NASENI institutes with modern machine tools and training.
These partnerships are not just diplomatic; they are generating real economic benefits. Thousands of jobs are expected to be created in agriculture, renewable energy, and manufacturing as these investments materialize. A major transformation within NASENI is the emphasis on commercialization of research prototypes.
For decades, research agencies in Nigeria have suffered from “shelf syndrome,” where innovations gather dust without reaching the market. NASENI is reversing that trend through its Technology Business Development (TBD) and Implementation Management Office (IMO), which now works with inventors, lawyers, and businesses to patent, produce, and market new products.
Among the recent successes include: Under his leadership, NASENI has unveiled about 40 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.
Through its Foundry Centres and Fabrication Workshops, NASENI is supporting Micro, Small, and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) to build capacity and reduce dependence on imported tools and spare parts. In Kano, over 700 artisans have been trained on metal works, engine component production, and welding.
In Aba, the Agency has partnered with leather and textile producers to fabricate locally made sewing machines and cutting tables. These initiatives are boosting productivity, reducing production costs, and creating new value chains in local economies.
As Nigeria walks the tightrope of economic recovery and social transformation, institutions like NASENI, under a new generation of leadership, is answering that call. With deliberate policies, robust partnerships, and a laser focus on results, the Agency is not just contributing to the Renewed Hope Agenda, it is helping to define it.