President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has commended the National Agency for Science and Engineering Infrastructure (NASENI) for its outstanding contributions to the Federal Government’s socio-economic agenda, describing the agency as a leading example of purposeful public service in the digital age.
During his nationwide broadcast to mark the second-year anniversary of his administration, President Tinubu praised NASENI, under the leadership of its Executive Vice Chairman and CEO, Mr. Khalil Suleiman Halilu, for initiating and delivering high-impact projects that are helping to steer the country along a critical path of inclusive socio-economic development.
According to the President, NASENI has played a transformative role in championing youth empowerment, skill acquisition, and job creation for thousands of unemployed Nigerians. He noted that these efforts align with the administration’s mission to empower the next generation, reduce inequality, and place young Nigerians at the center of national development.
In his words, “Nowhere is placing young Nigerians at the heart of national development more evident than at the National Agency for Science and Engineering Infrastructure (NASENI), where the current management is making giant strides. NASENI has embraced a digital-first approach, introduced real-time dashboards, and implemented end-to-end e-procurement through its Unified ERP System—setting a new governance benchmark for public institutions.”
President Tinubu highlighted several flagship NASENI initiatives such as Innovate Naija, Irrigate Nigeria, the Asset Restoration Programme, and the Renewable Energy and Innovation Park in Gora, which he described as bold and high-impact programmes driving inclusive industrialization across Nigeria.
He cited the agency’s achievements in assembling electric vehicles, reviving dormant national assets, launching Africa’s most advanced Rapid Diagnostic Kit Factory, and training female drone engineers through the NASCAV programme. These initiatives, according to the President, are not only creating employment opportunities but also restoring dignity to labour and opening new vistas for the future of Nigeria’s youth.
Recognizing agriculture and food security as a cornerstone of his Renewed Hope Agenda, the President noted NASENI’s critical role in supporting farmers through the Irrigate Nigeria project. The project involves deploying state-of-the-art solar-powered irrigation pump systems to boost local food production, enhance mechanized farming, and stabilize food prices nationwide.
Under Mr. Halilu’s stewardship, NASENI is also making significant strides in building urea and coal-based factories, lithium processing and manufacturing plants, and drone assembly facilities. The agency is further expanding its production lines for eco-friendly cookstoves, rehabilitating abandoned farm tractors, constructing new development institutes, and establishing NASENI Skill Acquisition Centres (NSACs) across the country.
President Tinubu’s remarks underscore NASENI’s pivotal role as an engine of innovation and inclusive progress, affirming the government’s vision of a Nigeria powered by the ingenuity and determination of its youth.
