When Khalil Suleiman Halilu took over as the Executive Vice Chairman and CEO of the National Agency for Science and Engineering Infrastructure (NASENI) in September 2023, he promised a big shift in Nigeria’s technological trajectory. He said Nigeria should stop being a country that mainly consumes products made elsewhere, and instead become one that creates and sells technology of its own.
Khalil Suleiman Halilu Executive Vice Chairman/CEO (source: NASENI).
Two years into his leadership, that vision is showing real results. NASENI is no longer just a quiet research agency, it has become a visible force in industrial and technological development, with a growing lineup of products now on the market.
Instead of keeping inventions locked in labs, NASENI has shifted its focus to turning research into products that people and businesses can buy and use. This change came from Halilu’s strategy of boosting transparency, encouraging innovation, working closely with private companies, and speeding up technology transfer.
Today, NASENI has some commercial products that Nigerians are already using in everyday life. These include:
-
Solar energy solutions: such as solar irrigation pumps for farmers and solar home power systems to help households that struggle with unreliable electricity.
NASENI Solar products (Source: NASENI)
-
Electric mobility devices: like e-tricycles (electric e-keke), electric bikes and electric motorcycles, giving an eco-friendly and cheaper alternative to petrol-powered transport.
NASENI Electric mobility device (Source: NASENI)
-
Household appliances: including refrigerators, air conditioners, microwave ovens, blenders, and water dispensers made locally to reduce reliance on imports.
NASENI Household appliances (Source: NASENI)
-
Medical tools: NASENI partnered with Troment to build a factory producing rapid diagnostic test kits, lowering costs and improving health response capacity.
NASENI medical tools (Source: Leadership newspapers)
-
ICT devices: products like laptops, tablets, smartphones and educational tech tools are now being assembled and assembled in Nigeria, supporting students, professionals and schools.
A sample of NASENI ICT devices (Source: NASENI)
-
Industrial and business hardware: equipment such as inverters, UPS units, voltage stabilizers and electronic parts that help businesses operate more reliably.
A sample of NASENI industrial and business hardware (Source: NASENI)
Halilu says Nigeria must stop simply buying foreign products when it can make them at home. He stresses that locally made systems should reflect Nigeria’s own climate, economy, and supply chains, making them both affordable and long-lasting.
His focus on practical results, not just policy talk, is reshaping NASENI. The agency now contributes to jobs creation, keeping money in the Nigerian economy, and building capacity for future innovation. Analysts say NASENI’s progress shows the agency is becoming a solid driver of national industrial growth rather than just a research institution.
If this progress continues, the label “Made by NASENI. Made in Nigeria” may soon be common on products found in shops and homes across the country, fulfilling Halilu’s mission of turning local invention into real-world solutions that improve lives and fuel economic growth.