NASENI: Inside Tinubu’s Push To Turn Nigerian Innovations Into Industry

For decades, Nigeria's challenge has been turning ideas into products, factories, businesses and jobs. The National Agency for Science and Engineering Infrastructure (NASENI), under President Bola Ahmed Tinubu's administration, is working to change this by implementing the Renewed Hope Agenda. A tour of NASENI facilities in Abuja on August 4, 2026, showcased a range of innovations, including electric vehicles, drones, solar technologies, agricultural innovations, and rapid diagnostic kits.

Bayo Onanuga, Special Adviser to the President on Communication, Information and Strategy, described the technologies as "impressive" and attributed their capabilities to Nigerian youths given the right leadership and environment. NASENI's Executive Vice Chairman and CEO, Khalil Suleiman Halilu, explained that the agency is moving away from producing prototypes and focusing on technology transfer, adaptation, domestication, strategic partnerships, and commercialization.

Halilu cautioned against viewing local content as a requirement for manufacturing every component of every product, emphasizing instead the importance of identifying Nigeria's areas of comparative advantage, building technical capacity, and using partnerships to fill gaps. The Agency's activities now span over eight industrial sectors, with projects and partnerships in all 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory.

Among the most prominent is the NASENI-Troment factory in Idu, Abuja, which is working to reduce Nigeria's dependence on imported rapid-test kits by producing them locally, creating capacity for continued innovation in medical technology. Other initiatives include renewable energy projects, CNG conversion and refilling facilities, and a solar streetlight production partnership.

NASENI is also collaborating with foreign governments and technology companies to develop drone technologies for various applications, including surveillance, agriculture, and defence.