NASENI Pushes Research Commercialisation as Catalyst for Nigeria’s Growth
The Executive Vice Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of the National Agency for Science and Engineering Infrastructure (NASENI), Mr. Khalil Suleiman Halilu, has reiterated that the commercialisation of research and innovation remains critical to unlocking Nigeria’s economic potential.
Speaking at the North-Central Sensitisation Programme on the NASENI Research Commercialisation Grant Programme (NRCGP) in Abuja, Halilu noted that viable research projects often face financial and administrative bottlenecks, stressing that the grant was created to bridge such gaps and accelerate economic transformation.
Represented by NASENI’s Director of Research, Prof. Abdulmalik Ibrahim Onuwe, the EVC explained that the NRCGP was designed to support market-ready research and development initiatives in line with the agency’s mission of promoting technology-driven growth.
He added that the process was fully digital, transparent, and free from lengthy physical protocols, ensuring that researchers from across the country can apply seamlessly.
Halilu urged universities, the National Institute for Pharmaceutical Research and Development (NIPRD), the National Space Research and Development Agency (NSRDA), and other participants at the sensitisation forum to maximise the platform to strengthen collaboration and drive innovation.
Presenting an overview of the programme, the Coordinator and Special Adviser to the EVC on Science and Engineering Commercialisation, Engr. Dr. Anas Balarabe Yazid, outlined its objectives, eligibility requirements, and assessment criteria.
He stressed that the initiative was aligned with NASENI’s mandate to deepen local content and anchored on the agency’s principle of Creation, Collaboration, and Commercialisation (3Cs).
“Every research project must be noble, clear, commercially viable, and aligned with NASENI’s transformation agenda and Nigeria’s broader development goals,” Yazid said.
In her closing remarks, Deputy Director of Planning and Policy Analysis, Ms. Joy Elugbe, commended the EVC and participants, encouraging researchers to leverage NASENI’s initiatives as a strategic pathway to national development.
