The National Agency for Science and Engineering Infrastructure (NASENI) has launched FutureMakers, a nationwide initiative aimed at nurturing creativity, problem-solving abilities, and early-stage innovation in children aged 5 to 16.
The programme was officially introduced on Thursday, December 11, 2025, at NASENI’s headquarters. Executive Vice Chairman/CEO, Khalil Suleiman Halilu, described the initiative as a long-term investment in Nigeria’s technological destiny.
Halilu stressed that Nigeria’s innovation strength depends on empowering young people early. FutureMakers, he said, is designed to equip children with the confidence, tools, and exposure needed to become solution-driven innovators.
“Today marks another step toward securing Nigeria’s innovation future,” he stated. “FutureMakers is built to discover and empower young innovators. Early exposure creates lifelong innovators, Nigeria must not be left behind.”
Powered by the NASENI Innovation Hub, the initiative forms part of a broader agenda to build technical confidence in children, strengthen the STEM pipeline, and support the future of the country’s innovation ecosystem. The agency hopes that participants will eventually transition into NASENI’s research, incubation, and accelerator programmes.
Halilu called on parents, teachers, and private-sector partners to support the movement, encouraging parents to nurture creativity, educators to embed innovation into daily learning, and organisations to sponsor challenges and fund promising ideas.
Special Adviser to the EVC on Commercialization and Efficiency, Engr. Dr. Anas Balarabe Yazid, highlighted that the programme goes beyond robotics and coding. “FutureMakers is about believing in our children before the world does, giving them the moment they realise they can build, solve problems, and shape the future,” he said.
Mrs. Rachael Oluwabusola Perez-Folayan, Head of the NASENI Innovation Hub, announced that 60 children will be selected from across Nigeria’s six geopolitical zones between December 2025 and February 2026. Prize packages include rewards worth up to ₦5 million, international study tours, and scholarship opportunities.
In a goodwill message, Senator Francis Ezenwa Onyewuchi, Chairman of the Senate Committee on NASENI, commended the programme and reaffirmed legislative support for initiatives that nurture young talent. “As we launch FutureMakers, let us reaffirm our commitment to a nation where every child’s potential can bloom,” he said.
Students from Aflon Digital Academy, Kuje, and Government Secondary School, Idu-Karmo, Abuja, attended the ceremony, symbolising the young innovators the programme seeks to shape.
With FutureMakers, NASENI lays the foundation for a new generation of homegrown inventors and creators, children empowered not only to imagine the future, but to build it.
