Two Years of Khalil Halilu as EVC/CEO: How NASENI is Turning Government Policy Into Action

Two years after President Bola Ahmed Tinubu appointed tech entrepreneur, Khalil Suleiman Halilu as the Executive Vice Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of the National Agency for Science and Engineering Infrastructure (NASENI), the Agency has undergone what many refer to as the fastest-paced transforming institution of government under the present administration. In a period known […]

Two years after President Bola Ahmed Tinubu appointed tech entrepreneur, Khalil Suleiman Halilu as the Executive Vice Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of the National Agency for Science and Engineering Infrastructure (NASENI), the Agency has undergone what many refer to as the fastest-paced transforming institution of government under the present administration.
In a period known for its socio-economic uncertainties and the urgency to localise manufacturing, NASENI has repositioned itself as the driver of industrial growth through innovation, technology transfer and commercialization.
In the last two years, the management of NASENI under Halilu has delivered an unprecedented wave of product launches, new projects and institutional reforms, backed by a deliberate push to move the Agency away from research-for-shelves towards research-for-market. From market-ready solar tools and electric vehicles to women-focused STEM initiatives and multi-billion-dollar technology-transfer agreements, NASENI today has enough results to validate the two-year milestones.

When Halilu assumed duty on Monday, September 4, 2023, he walked into NASENI headquarters with a message that immediately signalled a departure from the Agency’s old operational culture. Speaking to the Management and staff, he pledged that the new NASENI would align fully with the economic priorities of the Tinubu administration.
He vowed that the Agency would deliver those priorities “through deployment of Science, Technology and Innovation (STI) in the economy,” insisting that Nigeria’s development efforts must be grounded in innovation rather than dependence on foreign products.

He said the Agency under his watch would ensure that innovation served ordinary Nigerians and that the resources in the STI sector add measurable value to the national economy. As he put it that day, “The focus is for innovation, science and technology resources to serve Nigerians and to add value to the national economy.”

The statement reflected his broader view that NASENI must play a central role in achieving food security, job creation, access to capital, economic expansion, improved security and poverty reduction; all priority areas listed under the Renewed Hope Agenda.

In the two years that followed, nearly every policy reform, every product unveiling and every field project announced by the Agency has been presented as evidence that Halilu’s early promise has guided NASENI’s activities.
By the time NASENI compiled its Two-Year Milestones report, the Agency had already launched 44 new products and embarked on 50 development projects across engineering, agriculture, renewable energy, transportation, security and digital technology. Many of these projects have either been completed or are in advanced stages, with several already attracting interests from private-sector players.
The Agency also secured more than $3.25 billion in investment commitments, most of them flowing from technology-transfer agreements signed through the Belt and Road Initiative Forum and other global partnerships. It established seven major technology-transfer relationships with partners in China, the Czech Republic, Indonesia and the United Arab Emirates, positioning itself as one of Nigeria’s fastest-growing recipients of foreign direct investment in science and engineering.

For years, NASENI was seen largely as a research institution whose innovations rarely crossed into commercial markets. Under Halilu, the Agency has insisted that its new mandate must be to create, transfer and commercialize technology. The EVC reinforced this during his first-year anniversary reflection when he declared: “One year after, it is a case of a promise made and kept. We have taken NASENI products from the shelves to the market.”
One of the most significant developments under Halilu has been the rapid acceleration of product development. By late 2024, NASENI confirmed that 36 of its products were market ready. These were not experimental prototypes but full commercial-ready technologies developed through co-creation with global original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) and local manufacturers.
These products range from Solar Irrigation Pumps and Electric Vehicles and Tricycles to Android Smartphones, Solar Home Systems, Lithium Batteries, CCTV Cameras, Mobile Science Kits, LED Solar Lamps, Smart Prepaid Meters, Powerstoves, TVs, Air-Conditioners, etc.
NASENI has also commenced establishing product showrooms across Nigeria to allow the public direct access to its innovations. The approach is part of a strategy to remove bottlenecks in procurement and allow both government institutions and private sector buyers to evaluate and purchase NASENI-made technologies directly.

Similarly, the Agency engages in different form of partnerships, such as its collaboration with the Bureau of Public Procurement (BPP) to enforce the Nigeria First Policy. In July 2025, BPP integrated NASENI’s entire product catalogue into the Nigeria Open Contracting Portal, making it possible for all Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) to procure NASENI-made products as part of the Federal Government’s preference for locally manufactured items.
Halilu described this policy breakthrough as the missing link in efforts to scale the Agency’s products, noting that without institutional procurement, commercialization would remain limited. He said with BPP’s support, more than 50 market-ready NASENI products would leave the shelves and gain steady patronage. According to him, “One thing that was clear when I took over was the determination to move from producing prototypes to commercialization.”
Another major emphasis of Halilu’s leadership has been the inclusion of women in the innovation ecosystem. The DELT-HER programme—Developing Engineering Leaders Through Her—was launched as a flagship training and mentorship initiative to help women acquire advanced engineering and innovation skills.
Beneficiaries under the scheme include students and researchers working on AI-enabled soil health monitoring tools, gas-powered security drones, organic-waste brake pads, solar-powered farm devices, electronic teaching boards and automated Bambara nut processing machines. Halilu has repeatedly emphasized that women represent an untapped innovation force in Nigeria’s march towards industrialization. In the last two Call for Proposals, DELT-Her has trained 21 women finalists across various engineering disciplines who received N299.5 million grants and over 150 females from 30 secondary schools across the north-central zone.
Complementing DELT-HER is the She-Fly Drone Initiative, an all-female programme focused on drone design, manufacturing and piloting. The initiative aims to position women at the forefront of Nigeria’s emerging drone and unmanned aerial vehicle (UAVs) sector, which has applications in agriculture, security, logistics and environmental monitoring.
The NASENI Research Commercialization Grant Programme (NRCGP) has also placed significant attention to innovators, aiming to bridge the gap between academia and industry through transforming innovative ideas into marketable products and services, fostering economic growth, job creation, and industrialization in Nigeria.
Another initiative, NASENI’s Innovate Naija programme has equally expanded under Halilu. The initiative is designed to bridge the gap between technology incubation and commercialization by providing start-ups, SMEs and grassroots inventors with mentorship, technical support and access to NASENI’s infrastructure-the innovation hub.
The Agency’s engagement with young entrepreneurs such as Borno-born electric vehicle innovator Mustapha Gajibo is part of its broader plan to use youth innovation as the engine of Nigeria’s future industrial growth.

One of the most visible field projects under Halilu is Irrigate Nigeria, launched in partnership with the Renewed Hope Infrastructure Development Fund. This programme aims to deploy solar-powered irrigation technologies to farmers across the country in order to enable year-round farming and reduce the country’s reliance on rain-fed agriculture.
During the launch of the project, Halilu explained that improved irrigation would enable farmers to increase the number of farming cycles per year, which in turn would lead to higher yields and greater incomes. He said the initiative aligned closely with President Tinubu’s food security agenda, which lists agriculture as a primary driver of economic recovery.
A recurring theme in nearly every statement issued by NASENI is Halilu’s insistence that technology transfer must be the Agency’s operational backbone. He has consistently argued that Nigeria cannot industrialise by merely importing technology but must develop the capacity to co-create, localize and manufacture advanced technologies.
He framed this philosophy clearly when he said: “We collaborate, we do technology transfer, we domesticate and commercialize together.” Over the past two years, NASENI has signed multi-billion-dollar technology-transfer agreements, including more than $2 billion worth of deals with Chinese partners, $21.7 million worth of innovation projects with the Czech Republic under the Delta-2 programme, and a coal-based fertilizer production license agreement with Indonesia’s Saputra group.
“The Agency has also attracted nearly $200 million in renewable energy research and development commitments.” Successful commercialization, according to Halilu, requires not just new products but new people and new systems.
To this end, NASENI introduced an extensive set of institutional reforms that included the establishment of a welfare committee led by junior staff, wide-ranging digital skills and communication training for employees, procurement and financial best-practice workshops, and a restructuring plan for the agency’s human resources department.
These reforms are anchored on what Halilu described as the 3Cs—Collaboration, Creation and Commercialization—which define the Agency’s internal and external relationships. The reforms have led to a culture shift within NASENI, with more emphasis on efficiency, accountability, innovation and staff-driven problem solving.
Two years after his appointment, stakeholders say Halilu’s biggest achievement may not be the number of products released or the size of the projects launched but the cultural overhaul he has introduced to the agency. NASENI, previously regarded as a slow-moving research institution, now runs like a fast-paced innovation hub with visible outputs across the country.
The Agency’s shift towards commercialization, partnerships and global-standard production has positioned it to play a significant role in Nigeria’s industrial and economic future. For Halilu, the goal remains clear.
As he put it: “We are going to have a better NASENI, focusing on the socio-economic development of our nation and the fulfilment of the Renewed Hope Agenda.” The statement reflects the Agency’s broader ambition to support industrialisation, expand local manufacturing, strengthen Nigeria’s innovation ecosystem and contribute meaningfully to the country’s economic transformation.