From Hope to Opportunity: How NASENI Is Building Nigeria’s Next Generation of Skilled Innovators

Vice President Kashim Shettima says Nigerian youths remain the nation’s engine room. As the National Agency for Science and Engineering Infrastructure (NASENI) commences its nationwide community empowerment initiative in Kano, the Agency is demonstrating that investing in practical skills, technology and innovation may be one of the surest pathways to industrialisation, job creation and sustainable […]

Vice President Kashim Shettima says Nigerian youths remain the nation’s engine room. As the National Agency for Science and Engineering Infrastructure (NASENI) commences its nationwide community empowerment initiative in Kano, the Agency is demonstrating that investing in practical skills, technology and innovation may be one of the surest pathways to industrialisation, job creation and sustainable economic growth.

Across the country, thousands of young people graduate from universities, polytechnics and colleges every year. While many possess academic qualifications, employers often point to a shortage of practical competencies required by today’s technology-driven economy. Others who never had the opportunity of tertiary education equally struggle to find sustainable means of livelihood because they lack access to vocational training that can translate into income-generating ventures.

It is this challenge that NASENI seeks to confront through its Community Empowerment Initiative in Science, Technology, Skills Acquisition and Renewable Energy, a programme designed to equip youths and women with practical, market-relevant skills capable of creating employment, supporting entrepreneurship and strengthening Nigeria’s industrial base.

The inaugural chapter of this intervention unfolded in Kano State, where government officials, traditional leaders, community representatives and hundreds of young beneficiaries gathered for the official flag-off of the programme. Beyond the ceremony itself, however, the event represented something much larger—a growing national recognition that industrialisation cannot succeed without investing first in people.

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Representing Vice President Senator Kashim Shettima at the occasion, the Personal Assistant to the President on Subnational Infrastructure, Office of the Vice President, Mr. Musaddiq Mustapha Adamu, captured the essence of the administration’s thinking in a statement that resonated throughout the event.

“The youth are not the leaders of tomorrow in some distant, ceremonial sense,” he said. “They are the engine room right now, today, keeping this country moving whether we acknowledge it or not.” Those words reflected more than political rhetoric. They acknowledge a reality visible across Nigeria every day. From mechanics’ workshops and construction sites to digital technology hubs, farms, markets and small businesses, young Nigerians continue to power economic activities despite limited opportunities and numerous structural constraints.

“I know exactly what this city looks like for a young person trying to find their footing,” he said. “I know what it means to watch your mates hustle on the streets—not because they are lazy, but because no one gave them a door.” According to him, NASENI’s intervention represents one of those doors. “Today, NASENI is opening one of those doors. I want every young person here to walk through it with everything they have.”

His message underscored a significant shift in government thinking. Rather than viewing empowerment merely as financial assistance or temporary relief, the emphasis is increasingly on creating opportunities that enable young people to build sustainable careers through knowledge and practical competence. “The government is not doing you a favour,” he reminded participants. “It is making an investment in you because it believes the return is worth it.”

The Vice President also commended the Executive Vice Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of NASENI, Mr. Khalil Suleiman Halilu, for repositioning the Agency through programmes that directly touch the lives of ordinary Nigerians. According to him, NASENI has evolved into an institution increasingly recognised for delivering practical interventions with measurable impact on communities.

That transformation has become particularly evident under Halilu’s leadership, where emphasis has shifted beyond research and infrastructure to include deliberate investments in people. For Halilu, nations do not become industrial powers simply by constructing factories or installing machines. Sustainable industrialisation requires people with the technical knowledge to operate, maintain, improve and commercialise technology.

Addressing participants at the ceremony, the EVC/CEO of NASENI argued that Nigeria’s greatest natural resource is not buried beneath the earth. “We believe Nigeria’s greatest resource is not what lies beneath the ground,” he said. “It is the talent and potential of our people.” That conviction, he explained, continues to shape the Agency’s programmes nationwide.

“That is why we do more than build technology. We build the people who will create it, use it, improve it and commercialise it because real industrialisation begins with skilled people.” His remarks reflected a broader development philosophy increasingly embraced across emerging economies. While infrastructure remains essential, factories and technology parks achieve little without skilled technicians, innovators, engineers and entrepreneurs capable of transforming investments into productive enterprises. That philosophy also explains NASENI’s growing presence in Kano.

“Kano has always been a centre of commerce, manufacturing, innovation and enterprise,” he observed. NASENI is expanding its footprints through several strategic projects designed to support industrial growth. These include the Sustainable Emerging Technologies Institute (SETI), the Agricultural Incubation Centre, the Coal-Based and Liquid Fertilizer Project, the Transformer Manufacturing Plant, the High Voltage Test Laboratory, renewable energy initiatives and various community empowerment programmes.

However, Halilu stressed that these facilities alone cannot transform the economy. “They need skilled hands,” he said. “Our goal is simple. When these facilities expand, we want the technicians, solar installers, fabricators, innovators and entrepreneurs to come from Kano communities.”

Participants will receive practical instruction in renewable energy installation, welding and fabrication, mobile phone hardware repairs, food processing and packaging, among other vocational disciplines that respond to present-day economic realities. These are sectors where demand continues to expand as Nigeria seeks to diversify its economy beyond dependence on oil revenues.

Renewable energy, for instance, has become increasingly important as households, businesses and institutions search for alternative electricity solutions. Skilled solar installers and technicians now enjoy growing employment prospects across the country. Likewise, welding, fabrication and engineering services remain indispensable to manufacturing, construction and infrastructure development, while mobile phone repair has evolved into a thriving enterprise driven by Nigeria’s rapidly expanding digital economy.

NASENI’s intervention also extends to younger generations through the distribution of laptops and Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) innovation kits to selected schools. The objective is to stimulate curiosity among students while encouraging them to become creators of technology rather than passive consumers. For Halilu, nurturing innovation must begin early.

Also speaking at the event on behalf of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Senator George Akume, the Director, General Services Office, Mallam Ibrahim Abdulkadir, reaffirmed the Federal Government’s commitment to youth empowerment through technology-driven innovation and practical skills development.

He described the programme as an important component of President Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda, designed to promote human capital development, stimulate entrepreneurship and support inclusive economic growth. By equipping young Nigerians with relevant skills, government hopes to build a workforce capable of increasing productivity across manufacturing, agriculture, education, healthcare and other strategic sectors of the economy.

He commended NASENI for initiating the programme and urged beneficiaries to maximise the opportunity before them. Skills acquired today, he noted, possess the potential to improve livelihoods, reduce unemployment and ultimately raise living standards. Perhaps the greatest significance of the programme lies not only in the certificates participants will receive at the end of training but in the possibilities those skills create. A young beneficiary who learns renewable energy installation may establish a business providing solar solutions to homes and offices.

As Nigeria continues its journey towards economic diversification and industrial growth, programmes such as the NASENI Empowerment Initiative in Science, Technology, Skills Acquisition and Renewable Energy is proof that the conversation is gradually shifting from dependence to productivity, from unemployment to enterprise and from potential to performance.