NASENI Awards N435.5m to Winners of InnovateNaija, Future Makers & Intra-Inter Agency Innovation Competitions
Tinubu Reaffirms FG’s Commitment to Support Innovation
By Pan Afric Reporters
The National Agency for Science and Engineering Infrastructure (NASENI) has awarded ₦435.5 million in grants and prizes to Nigerian innovators under its maiden Innovate Naija, Future Makers, Intra-Agency and Inter-Agency innovation competitions, as President Bola Ahmed Tinubu reaffirmed the Federal Government’s commitment to promoting home-grown technological solutions and accelerating industrialisation.
The announcement was contained in a press release issued by NASENI on October 7, 2026, and signed electronically by its Director of Information, Olusegun Ayeoyenikan. The awards were presented at a ceremony held at the State House Banquet Hall, Presidential Villa, Abuja.
Under the Innovate Naija competition, the national winner received ₦100 million, while the first and second runners-up were awarded ₦30 million and ₦20 million, respectively. The 37 state champions, including the Federal Capital Territory, received ₦2.5 million each.
The NASENI Intra-Agency and Inter-Agency competitions accounted for a combined ₦162.5 million in awards, with ₦140 million allocated to the three winners of the Inter-Agency competition and ₦22.5 million shared among the three winners of the Intra-Agency competition.
Similarly, the top six finalists in the Future Makers competition received a combined ₦23 million, with the overall winner securing a ₦5 million grant.
Presenting the awards on behalf of President Tinubu, the Minister of Innovation, Science and Technology, Dr Kingsley Tochukwu Udeh, said the competitions demonstrated the government’s commitment to supporting Nigerian innovators and developing indigenous technologies for national development.
Udeh urged the beneficiaries to deploy the funds responsibly to improve their products, validate their ideas and establish sustainable businesses capable of contributing to Nigeria’s industrial growth. He expressed confidence in their ability to develop solutions that would help shape the country’s future.
Earlier, NASENI’s Executive Vice Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, Khalil Suleiman Halilu, challenged the award recipients to focus on innovations that address practical challenges confronting Nigerians.
He advised them to protect their intellectual property, manage their finances effectively, build capable teams and establish strategic partnerships. He also encouraged the innovators to engage their target users, test their products, learn from setbacks and continually improve their solutions.
Also speaking, the Director of Programmes at AfriLabs, Nanko Madu, commended the Federal Government and NASENI for recognising innovation as a critical driver of national development.
Madu noted that young Nigerians were increasingly developing technologies suited to the country’s infrastructure, energy challenges, climate and local operating conditions, thereby reducing dependence on imported technologies and foreign expertise.
The joint awards ceremony marked the completion of the maiden edition of NASENI’s innovation competitions, designed to identify promising ideas for commercialisation, stimulate job creation and strengthen Nigeria’s technological and industrial capacity.
Dignitaries at the event included the Minister of Youth Development, Ayodele Olawande; Deputy Governor of Kaduna State, Dr Hadiza Sabuwa Balarabe; Director-General of the National Space Research and Development Agency, Prof. Matthew Adepoju; and members of NASENI’s management.
