The National Agency for Science and Engineering Infrastructure (NASENI), said it has secured a $200 million procurement agreement with the Rural Electrification Agency (REA) to produce equipment needed by the agency.
The Executive Vice Chairman of the Agency, Mr. Khalil Suleiman Halilu, disclosed this on Thursday, November 2, 2023, during his maiden television media interaction held at the Agency’s headquarters in Abuja.
The excerpt of the interview was released via a statement signed by the Agency’s Director of Information, Olusegun Ayeoyenikan.
Halilu, who was recently appointed by President Bola Tinubu said his vision for the Agency’s products and technologies is to make them available in every household in Nigeria in the next few years.
While noting that expectations from stakeholders of NASENI are very high as its activities must ensure transparency and focus to assist the Agency in delivering on its mandate, Halilu disclosed that some tangible products emanating from NASENI’s prototypes will be in the market through technology transfer arrangements, specifically, by 1st quarter of the year 2024.
According to him, part of his preoccupations since assuming office in September is to give adequate attention to enhance the human capital potential of the Agency through improved motivation for staff to enable them to adjust to the transformations to be introduced in the system.
Also, he said stakeholders’ engagements and efforts to rebrand the Agency around its products and technologies have remained top priorities.
While recalling a recent trip to China by the top management of the Agency, led by the EVC/CEO himself, Halilu said:
The EVC said NASENI’s China trip has the potential to yield about $6 billion in foreign direct investment (FDI) to Nigeria.
The areas that the agency received interest in were Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs), Electric Vehicles (EVs), Agricultural equipment, Electronics and Electrical equipment and many others.