NASENI & Abuja Tech Village Forge 300-Hectare ‘Silicon Forge’ to Power Nigeria’s Industrial Future
By Pan Afric Reporters – Abuja | Tuesday, 1 July 2025
The National Agency for Science and Engineering Infrastructure (NASENI) has sealed a landmark pact with Abuja Technology Village (ATV) to convert 300 hectares of greenfield land on the capital’s outskirts into a manufacturing-heavy special economic zone teeming with factories, technology companies and innovation-driven plants.
Unveiling the partnership at ATV’s headquarters on Tuesday, NASENI’s Executive Vice-Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, Mr Khalil Suleiman Halilu, said the agency will marshal both local and foreign investors to “flip the switch” from research prototypes to full-scale production lines.
“We will no longer leave our research gathering dust on the shelf,” Halilu declared. “Renewable-energy systems, precision-engineering equipment—everything we’ve designed will roll off real factory floors. This is just the beginning; more factories will rise, and innovation will flourish within these 300 hectares.”
Halilu according to a press release e-signed by the agency’s Director Information, Mr Olusegun Ayeoyenikan revealed that NASENI produced 35 market-ready products in 2024 alone, insisting the new industrial park will give those inventions the runway they need. “Our goal is simple: grow national brands, create jobs and slash our import bill,” he said.
ATV’s Acting Managing Director, Mr Isa Yusuf Shafeek, hailed the deal as “timely and vital” for Nigeria’s push to build domestic production capacity. “ATV is ready and committed to hosting a new wave of technology-driven projects,” he told reporters.
Interest is already outstripping the initial land allocation, according to Dr Dahiru Mohammed, NASENI’s Special Adviser on Foreign Partners & Inter-Governmental Affairs. “We may soon need more than 300 hectares,” he noted, calling the collaboration “a bold step toward reducing dependence on imports and unleashing home-grown innovation.”
Founded in 2009, Abuja Technology Village is Nigeria’s flagship science park and special economic zone, designed to nurture businesses in ICT, biotechnology, minerals, and energy. The NASENI partnership links ATV’s incentive-laden infrastructure with the agency’s decade-long R & D pipeline—offering a rare one-stop springboard from laboratory breakthrough to export-ready product.
Industry watchers say the move could jump-start high-value manufacturing in West Africa, positioning Nigeria as a continental hub for green tech and advanced engineering.
“This agreement plants the seeds of an industrial revolution,” Halilu asserted. “Watch this space.”
