{
  "id": 6534820,
  "title": "SGF Commends NASENI as Six Public Servants Win N162.5m Innovation Grants, Prizes",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/10/sgf-commends-naseni-as-six-public-servants-win-n162-5m-innovation",
  "topic": "world",
  "section": "World",
  "published": "2026-09-10T03:37:57.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "This Day",
    "slug": "this-day",
    "url": "https://www.thisdaylive.com/2026/09/10/sgf-commends-naseni-as-six-public-servants-win-n162-5m-innovation-grants-prizes/"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "The Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Senator George Akume, has lauded the National Agency for Science and Engineering Infrastructure (NASENI) for awarding six public servants with N162.5 million in innovation grants. The winners were selected from two categories - Inter-Agency and Intra-Agency - as part of NASENI's maiden National Innovation Assessment and Awards (NIAA) competition. The competition, themed \"Driving Innovation, Accelerating Industrialization, Transforming Nigeria,\" aimed to recognize and support public servants who were contributing to Nigeria's technological and industrial development through their innovative ideas.\n\nMr. Khalil Suleiman Halilu, NASENI’s Executive Vice Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, presented the winners to the SGF during the awards ceremony. Halilu highlighted that the initiative was designed to acknowledge the efforts of public servants who were driving Nigeria's technological and industrial progress. The NASENI boss emphasized that the agency's growth was largely due to the dedication and creativity of government employees working across various institutions.\n\nThe 3Cs strategy of NASENI, which includes Creation, Collaboration, and Commercialisation, focuses on transforming research and technological ideas into practical, market-ready products that address Nigeria's security, energy, and economic challenges. The competition played a crucial role in strengthening the link between innovation, industrial production, and economic development.\n\nOut of the 678 applicants, 261 complete entries were received, covering various fields like engineering design, software development, renewable energy, healthcare, and agriculture. The selected finalists defended their projects in front of an independent panel of assessors from industry and academia. The top three Inter-Agency winners received N140 million in development grants, while the top three Intra-Agency winners were awarded N22.5 million in cash prizes.\n\nThe SGF, Senator Akume, commended NASENI for its leadership and transparent approach to the competition. He expressed confidence in the Federal Government's support for the home-grown engineering solutions, ensuring their contribution to Nigeria's industrial transformation.",
  "summary": "Sunday Ehigiator The Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), Senator George Akume, has received six winners of the maiden National Agency for Science and Engineering Infrastructure (NASENI) Innovation",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}