The National Agency for Science and Engineering Infrastructure (NASENI) has awarded ₦162.5 million in development grants and cash prizes to six public servants aimed at tackling critical challenges in security, manufacturing, pharmaceuticals, digital commerce, renewable energy and agricultural processing.
The initiative, aimed at resolving critical challenges, awarded ₦140 million in development grants to three-winning inter-agency projects and ₦22.5 million in cash prizes to three leading intra-agency innovations.
The awards, presented to the winners by NASENI Executive Vice Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, Khalil Suleiman Halilu, were formally received by the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), Senator George Akume, in Abuja. Organised under the theme, “Driving Innovation, Accelerating Industrialization, Transforming Nigeria,” the maiden NASENI Innovation Assessment and Awards (NIAA) is emerging as part of a broader effort to transform Nigeria’s approach to industrial development—by identifying innovations within the public sector, funding their development and creating pathways for their commercialisation.
More significantly, the initiative seeks to address one of Nigeria’s longstanding industrialisation challenges: the gap between research, invention and commercially viable production.
First place in the inter-agency category went to Idowu Ajigbon and his team from the National Space Research and Development Agency (NASRDA), who received a ₦70 million development grant for their Tactical Deep Surveillance Wearable Jacket.
Second place, with a ₦40 million grant, went to 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. Third place went to Isaac Johnson Ajeh and his team from the National Institute for Pharmaceutical Research and Development (NIPRD), Abuja, who received a ₦30 million grant for their project, “Valorisation of Plantain Peel Waste: Development and Standardisation of High-Potency Vitamin C.”
The project seeks to convert agricultural waste into pharmaceutical raw materials.
The three leading intra-agency innovations were similarly focused on converting technology into products and services with practical economic applications. First place went to Yusuf Usman of NASENI Headquarters, who received ₦12.5 million for NASENI MART, a multilingual digital e-commerce platform designed to connect consumers directly with Made-in-Nigeria engineering products.
Benjamin Nweke of NASENI ELDI-Awka, came second with a cash prize of ₦7 million for the construction of a solar-powered standalone cooking station for food-vendor empowerment. The project seeks to provide food vendors with clean, affordable and reliable cooking energy.
Engr. Mikairu Aminu Abu of NASENI NSEL-Karshi, clinched the third position with ₦3 million prize for the design and development of an off-grid solar-powered cassava dryer. The technology is aimed at improving post-harvest preservation and strengthening rural farm incomes.