By Jerry Akpam, Abuja
The Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), Senator George Akume, CON, has commended the National Agency for Science and Engineering Infrastructure (NASENI) for its contributions to innovation and technological development, assuring the agency of the Federal Government’s continued support.
Akume gave the commendation on Tuesday, September 8, 2026, in Abuja when he received NASENI’s Executive Vice Chairman/Chief Executive Officer, Khalil Suleiman Halilu, members of his management team and winners of the agency’s Innovation Assessment and Award Competition.
According to a statement issued in Abuja and signed by the Head of Information and Public Relations Department, Chris Ugwuegbulam, the SGF described the innovation competition organised by NASENI for federal civil and public servants as well as Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) as a significant step towards encouraging home-grown solutions to national challenges.
He said the quality of innovations emerging from the exercise demonstrated that Nigeria has a large pool of talented citizens capable of producing solutions with the potential to compete internationally.
Akume noted that some of the innovations showcased at the event could have important applications in areas including national security, food security and healthcare, stressing that the Federal Government would continue to create an environment where research, creativity and technological development can thrive.
The SGF also praised NASENI for maintaining what he described as a transparent and non-partisan process in selecting participants and winners of the competition. He said the credibility of the initiative would encourage more Nigerians, particularly young people, to present and develop their ideas.
“Nigeria has talents. I don’t doubt about that. Wherever you go in the world, Nigerians are recognized as people with lot of talents and people with a great future,” Akume said.
He congratulated Halilu and the entire NASENI management for the progress recorded by the agency, expressing optimism that Nigeria could attain greater technological milestones in the years ahead.
According to him, the country could eventually develop sophisticated aerospace technologies, including rockets capable of taking humans beyond the earth.
“Tomorrow, who knows, Nigeria can manufacture rockets that can send people to the moon. And this can be the courtesy of NASENI,” the SGF said.
Akume reiterated the Federal Government’s commitment to supporting innovative ideas and ensuring that institutions such as NASENI have the necessary environment to translate research and technological concepts into practical solutions.
Earlier, NASENI’s Executive Vice Chairman/CEO, Khalil Suleiman Halilu, explained that the agency’s innovation award programme comprised both inter-agency and intra-agency competitions aimed at identifying and recognising outstanding contributions by civil and public servants.
Halilu said NASENI’s approach goes beyond developing technological products, noting that the agency is also focused on equipping innovators with the business and entrepreneurial skills required to take their ideas from the laboratory to the marketplace.
He stressed that technical expertise alone was not sufficient to guarantee the success of an innovation, adding that skills in accounting, marketing and business development were equally important for effective commercialisation.
The NASENI boss disclosed that the agency had, in about two years, facilitated the establishment of 20 factories across the country and developed more than 40 products as part of its efforts to transform research and innovation into commercially viable ventures.
He added that NASENI was also investing in early-stage innovation through programmes designed to identify and nurture young talents. He specifically mentioned the Future Makers Programme, which targets children between five and 15 years and seeks to stimulate their interest in science, technology, engineering and innovation.
The event also featured presentations by representatives of the six winners of the Innovation Competition.
A representative of the National Space Research and Development Agency (NASRDA) demonstrated a security jacket developed by the winning team, which is equipped with technology designed to facilitate real-time communication with security agencies’ command-and-control centres.
The innovation, according to the presentation, could strengthen coordination and improve the speed of response during security operations.
A winning team from NASENI also showcased a commercial electronic platform designed to serve as a digital marketplace for MDAs, enabling them to promote and market their goods and services.
The demonstrations underscored the growing emphasis on practical innovation and the development of locally produced technologies capable of addressing Nigeria’s economic, security and social needs.
