NASENI Built 20 Factories, Developed 40+ Products In Two Years

By Jennete Ugo Anya

The National Agency for Science and Engineering Infrastructure (NASENI) says it has facilitated the establishment of 20 factories and developed more than 40 products in about two years, signalling a shift in its innovation mandate from research and prototypes toward commercialisation.

The disclosure comes as the agency seeks stronger Federal Government backing for an innovation ecosystem that can move indigenous technologies from conception into the marketplace.

DEVELOPMENT:
Khalil Suleiman Halilu, Executive Vice Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of NASENI, disclosed the figures in Abuja during a meeting with the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Senator George Akume.

Mr. Halilu said that NASENI was moving beyond conventional research and product development to establish an ecosystem capable of taking Nigerian innovations through commercialisation.

He said that the agency’s strategy combines factory development and technological product creation with programmes designed to identify and nurture innovators from an early age.

The approach also extends beyond technical expertise. According to Mr. Halilu, NASENI is equipping innovators with accounting, marketing and business-development skills, recognising that engineering capability alone does not guarantee that an innovation will become a sustainable business.

The agency also operates the Future Makers Programme for children aged five to 15, alongside its Innovation Assessment and Award Competition for federal civil and public servants and government institutions.

Receiving the delegation, Senator Akume commended NASENI’s progress and assured the agency of continued Federal Government support for local research, technological development and innovation.

“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,” Senator Akume said.

He added: “Tomorrow, who knows, Nigeria can manufacture rockets that can send people to the moon. And this can be the courtesy of NASENI.”

NUMBERS:
NASENI says it has achieved the following in approximately two years:

• 20 factories facilitated across Nigeria.
• 40+ products developed.
• 5-15 years: target age range for the Future Makers Programme.
• Six: winners of the NASENI Innovation Competition were recognised.
• Innovations presented include a security jacket designed for real-time communication with security command centres and a digital marketplace for Ministries, Departments and Agencies.

The figures are significant because they measure activity beyond research papers and laboratory development, extending into physical production capacity and market-oriented products.

SIGNIFICANCE:
For Nigeria’s industrial and technology ecosystem, the important shift is from innovation as an R&D activity to innovation as an industrialisation pipeline.

Factories provide the physical capacity to manufacture, while product development creates the potential commercial output. But the sustainability of that model will depend on whether the factories become commercially viable, products achieve market adoption and innovators can secure the capital and business capabilities required to scale.

NASENI’s emphasis on accounting, marketing and business development is therefore material. It recognises that the commercialisation gap is often not caused by a lack of technical ideas, but by weak links between invention, financing, market access and execution.

The innovations showcased to the SGF also demonstrate the potential breadth of the model, spanning security, healthcare, food production and digital services.

NEXT MOVE:
The next question is whether the 20 factories and 40-plus products can progress from establishment and development to sustained commercial output.

Investors and industry stakeholders should watch production volumes, private-sector partnerships, market adoption, export potential and the extent to which NASENI’s innovations attract independent commercial capital.

The credibility of the innovation competitions will also matter. Senator Akume specifically praised the transparent and non-partisan selection process, arguing that credibility could encourage more Nigerians to bring forward commercially relevant ideas.

The longer-term test will be whether programmes such as Future Makers create a pipeline of innovators that can move from early-stage experimentation into scalable technology businesses.

OUR LENS:
The deeper signal is that Nigeria’s innovation challenge is increasingly about commercialisation, not invention.

The country has no shortage of technical talent or ideas. The harder problem is building the institutional and industrial bridge between an idea and a product that can survive in the market.

NASENI’s reported 20 factories and 40-plus products suggest an attempt to build that bridge. But the ultimate measure of success will not be the number of factories established or products developed. It will be whether those assets generate production, revenue, jobs, technology transfer and competitive Nigerian businesses.

Senator Akume’s statement, “Nigeria has talents,” captures the starting point. The strategic question is whether Nigeria can consistently convert that talent into industrial capacity and commercially viable technology.

That is where NASENI’s next phase should be judged.

Jennete Ugo Anya is a journalist and researcher with interests across Nigeria’s economy, public policy, business, development and strategic communications.