Following the successful conclusion of the maiden NASENI Innovation Assessment and Awards (NIAA), the Executive Vice Chairman/Chief Executive Officer of the National Agency for Science and Engineering Infrastructure (NASENI), Mr Khalil Suleiman Halilu, has formally presented the top six winners from both the Inter-Agency and Intra-Agency categories to the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), Senator George Akume.
The NIAA, organised under the theme ‘Driving Innovation, Accelerating Industrialisation, Transforming Nigeria’, awarded a total of ?140 million in development grants to three winning inter-agency projects and ?22.5 million in cash prizes to another three top intra-agency winners from NASENI and its institutes to support, scale, and commercialise their technological solutions.
Speaking during the official presentation of the winners to the SGF, Mr. Halilu highlighted the strategic intent behind the initiative. He emphasized that the initiative remains firmly anchored on NASENI’s core pillars of Creation, Collaboration, and Commercialisation (3Cs), moving research out of laboratories into practical, market-ready solutions that address national security, energy, and economic needs.
Outlining the background and rigour of the selection process, the Director of Manufacturing Services at NASENI and Chairman of the Innovation Awards Committee, Engr. Dr. Olayode A. Olasupo, revealed that a total of 261 complete entries were screened (180 intra-agency and 81 inter-agency submissions) across thematic areas including engineering design, software development, renewable energy, healthcare, and agriculture. Twenty finalists (ten from each category) eventually progressed to physical pitching at NASENI Headquarters.
Giving details of the financial rewards, Engr Olasupo announced that a total development grant of ?140 million was approved by the EVC/CEO of NASENI for the top three winning teams in the Inter-Agency category to prototype and scale their products, while a total cash prize of ?22.5 million was awarded across the top three winning staff members in the Intra-Agency category.
The winners presented to the Secretary to the Government of the Federation include: Inter-Agency Category (?140 Million Total Development Grant): 1st Position: Mr. Idowu Ajigbon and his team from the National Space Research and Development Agency (NASRDA), Abuja, for their Tactical Deep Surveillance Wearable Jacket-a smart security jacket designed to enhance real-time situational awareness, personnel safety, and tactical communication for security agencies.
Second Position: Mr. Temitope Badmus and his team from the Nigerian Institute of Leather Science and Technology (NILEST), Zaria, for the Extraction and Development of Nilest-Tan for Leather Industries, which promotes local production of leather tanning chemicals and lowers production costs.
Third Position: Mr. Isaac Johnson Ajeh and his team from the National Institute for Pharmaceutical Research and Development (NIPRD), Abuja, for their project on Valorization of Plantain Peel Waste: Development and Standardization of High-Potency Vitamin C, converting agricultural waste into pharmaceutical raw materials.
For the NASENI Intra-Agency Category (?22.5 Million Total Cash Prize): 1st Position: Mr. Yusuf Usman (NASENI HQ – Individual) for NASENI MART, a digital e-Commerce platform for made-in-Nigeria products.
Second Position: Mr. Benjamin Nweke (NASENI ELDI-Awka) for the Construction of a Solar-Powered Standalone Cooking Station for Food Vendor Empowerment, and Third Position: Engr. Mikairu Aminu Abu (NASENI NSEL-Karshi – Individual) for the Design and Development of an Off-Grid Solar-Powered Cassava Dryer.
Receiving the delegation and the innovators, the SGF commended NASENI for its leadership and transparent evaluation process, and also praised the ingenuity displayed by the public servants, assuring NASENI of the Federal Government’s total support in ensuring these home-grown engineering innovations receive the necessary backing to drive Nigeria’s industrial transformation.