NASENI Awards N435.5 Million to Winners of Innovation Competitions

The National Agency for Science and Engineering Infrastructure (NASENI) has distributed N435.5 million in grants to innovators across Nigeria as part of its inaugural innovation competitions. These awards were given out at a ceremony held at the State House Banquet Hall in Abuja. The Innovate Naija competition was the national winner, receiving N100 million, while second and third place received N30 million and N20 million, respectively.

Additionally, the 37 state champions, including Abuja, were awarded N2.5 million each. The intra-agency and inter-agency competitions' top six winners together received N162 million, with the inter-agency competition winners taking N140 million and the intra-agency competition winners getting N22.5 million. The future makers competition's top six finalists collectively received N23 million, with the overall winner claiming a N5 million grant prize.

President Bola Tinubu, represented by the Minister of Innovation, Science, and Technology, Dr. Kingsley Udeh, highlighted the federal government's dedication to fostering innovation and inventing locally-driven technological solutions to boost Nigeria's industrial growth. Udeh urged the competition winners to utilize the grants wisely to enhance their solutions and contribute to national progress.

Khalil Halilu, Executive Vice Chairman and CEO of NASENI, encouraged the recipients to persistently develop innovations that address everyday Nigerian challenges while safeguarding their intellectual property, managing their finances, building robust teams, and seeking collaborative partnerships. AfriLabs' Director of Programs, Nanko Madu, praised the government and NASENI for acknowledging innovation's crucial role in national advancement and commended the award recipients for creating solutions to pressing issues, urging them to stay innovative, resilient, and entrepreneurial.