Over 1,000 Applications, Public Voting Produced NASENI’s ₦435.5m Grant Winners

The National Agency for Science and Engineering Infrastructure (NASENI) received more than 1,000 applications for its maiden InnovateNaija competition before selecting winners of the Federal Government’s ₦435.5 million innovation grants, the Head of NASENI Innovation Hub, Busola Perez-Folayan, has disclosed.

Perez-Folayan said the selection process involved screening applications and public voting to identify state champions and the leading national contenders before the final winners were announced.

She explained that the competition was designed to identify Nigerians developing solutions in hardware manufacturing, engineering and science, while providing financial support to help transform their innovations into commercially viable products.

Speaking to journalists after the award ceremony at the State House Banquet Hall, Presidential Villa, Abuja, on Wednesday, Perez-Folayan said the initiative was also intended to extend support to innovators at the grassroots.

“We called for application and we got everyone from across Nigeria. Over 1,000 applications were submitted, and we were able to distil from those applications and had Nigerians vote for their top candidates,” she said.

According to her, the process produced 36 state winners and the top 15 national contenders before the final three winners emerged.

“We’re so elated at the fact that we’re able to support innovation in Nigeria, and not just support, but also to promote,” she added.

The InnovateNaija competition awarded ₦100 million to the overall winner, while the first and second runners-up received ₦30 million and ₦20 million, respectively.

The 37 state champions, including the Federal Capital Territory, received ₦2.5 million each.

The grants formed part of a broader ₦435.5 million package awarded under three competitions organised by NASENI to strengthen Nigeria’s innovation ecosystem and encourage the development of home-grown technologies.

The other competitions were FutureMakers and the NASENI Intra-Inter Agency Innovation programme.

IDP Camp Produces FutureMakers Winner

Perez-Folayan said the FutureMakers competition was designed to identify and nurture young innovators aged between five and 16 years.

She disclosed that participants received training in business thinking, design thinking, innovation and leadership to help them develop their ideas and understand how to turn them into practical solutions.

The competition produced six national finalists who shared ₦23 million in prize money, with the overall winner receiving ₦5 million.

According to Perez-Folayan, one of the participants came from an internally displaced persons’ camp and emerged as the competition’s winner, highlighting the importance of reaching talented young Nigerians beyond conventional innovation centres.

“We got innovators from five to 16 years of age, and we’re able to support them as well. We taught them in business thinking, design thinking, innovation, leadership,” she said.

She added that the programme reflected NASENI’s commitment to discovering promising talents and creating opportunities for young people to contribute to Nigeria’s technological advancement.

NASENI Extends Innovation Support to Public Servants

The NASENI Intra-Inter Agency Innovation competitions also recognised innovative ideas developed by civil servants within the agency and other ministries, departments and agencies.

Six winners received a combined ₦162 million under the two categories.

The three Inter-Agency winners shared ₦140 million, while the three Intra-Agency winners received a combined ₦22.5 million.

Perez-Folayan said the initiative was designed to encourage innovation within the public service and promote practical solutions to challenges facing government institutions.

She said NASENI was committed to supporting innovation across different sectors and identifying ideas with the potential to improve public services and contribute to national development.

The agency operates under the leadership of its Executive Vice-Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, Khalil Suleiman Halilu.

The grant awards are intended to help innovators move beyond ideas and prototypes towards commercial production, sustainable enterprises and wider industrial application.

The ceremony was attended by the Minister of Youth Development, Ayodele Olawande; the Deputy Governor of Kaduna State, Hadiza Sabuwa Balarabe; the Director-General of the National Space Research and Development Agency, Matthew Adepoju; members of NASENI’s management and other stakeholders.