Senior officials in President Bola Ahmed Tinubu's administration have commended the National Agency for Science and Engineering Infrastructure (NASENI) for its growing role in promoting indigenous technology and manufacturing, describing the agency as a critical pillar of the Federal Government's industrialisation agenda.
The commendation came during the Presidential Renewed Hope Media Tour to NASENI's headquarters, where members of the delegation inspected the agency's facilities and ongoing technology projects.
Speaking on behalf of the team, the Special Adviser to the President on Communication, Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, described the visit as "impressive, impressive, impressive," saying NASENI's achievements demonstrate what Nigerian youths can accomplish when provided with the right leadership and opportunities.
Onanuga praised the Executive Vice Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of NASENI, Khalil Suleiman Halilu, for transforming the agency into a major driver of President Tinubu's Renewed Hope Agenda through innovation and technology development.
In his remarks, Halilu said Nigeria's quest for industrialisation should focus on technology development, innovation and strategic partnerships rather than insisting that products must be entirely locally manufactured.
According to him, NASENI is concentrating on commercially viable innovations capable of creating jobs, reducing production time and supporting the Federal Government's Nigeria First Policy.
He said the agency has intensified efforts in technology transfer, commercialisation of innovations and mentorship for young innovators through programmes such as the Innovate Naija Challenge, which provides a ₦500 million prize fund to help scale promising Nigerian innovations into commercially successful enterprises.
Also speaking during the visit, the Minister of Information and National Orientation, Mohammed Idris, lauded NASENI's achievements and urged the media to devote greater attention to reporting the successes of the Federal Government across different sectors.
The Special Adviser to the President on Policy and Coordination, Hadiza Bala Usman, emphasised the importance of strategic communication in promoting government programmes and called for increased patronage of locally developed technologies and products.
Similarly, the Special Adviser to the President on Media and Public Communication, Sunday Dare, advocated the introduction of a policy that would encourage Ministries, Departments and Agencies to give priority to NASENI products and other goods manufactured in Nigeria.
Other members of the delegation, including Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media and Publicity, Tunde Rahman, and Special Assistant to the President on Digital Media, Otega Ogra, also commended NASENI's achievements, particularly its partnerships and locally developed technologies aimed at boosting Nigeria's industrial capacity.
During the tour, the presidential delegation inspected several of the agency's projects, including drone technology, helicopter assembly, reverse engineering, precision manufacturing, renewable energy solutions, agricultural technology and recycling systems.
The visitors were also taken through NASENI's 3Cs framework—Creation, Collaboration and Commercialisation—which the agency said is driving indigenous manufacturing, accelerating technology transfer and supporting sustainable industrial growth.
At the end of the visit, stakeholders called for sustained national campaigns to promote Nigerian-made products, deepen local manufacturing, reduce dependence on imports and further advance President Tinubu's industrialisation agenda.
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