Joseph Bakare
The National Agency for Science and Engineering Infrastructure (NASENI) will, on Wednesday, 5th August 2026, host the Final Pitching Exercise of the NASENI Innovation Assessment & Awards Programme (NIAAP), bringing together some of Nigeria’s most promising innovators to compete for top honours in the Agency’s Intra-Agency and Inter-Agency Innovation Competitions.
The Final Pitching Exercise marks the culmination of NASENI’s boldest innovation competition yet. From 180 applications submitted across NASENI Development Institutes and 81 applications received from Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) nationwide, a rigorous assessment process has produced the Top 10 Finalists in both competition categories, who will now present their innovations in live pitches before a distinguished panel of experts.
The event, scheduled to commence at 10:00 a.m. at the Technology Orientation Centre (TOC), NASENI Headquarters, Idu-Industrial Layout, Abuja, represents the final stage of the innovation assessment process and provides a platform for the finalists to present and defend their innovative ideas.
The independent panel of experts will assess each solution based on originality, technical merit, practical application, scalability, and potential socio-economic impact. At the conclusion of the exercise, the panel will select the three best innovations in each category, with the winners to be formally recognized and celebrated during NASENI FEST, the Agency’s flagship innovation celebration.
The Executive Vice Chairman/Chief Executive Officer of NASENI, Mr. Khalil Suleiman Halilu, will officially declare the competition open. His participation reflects NASENI’s steadfast commitment to fostering a thriving innovation ecosystem that supports indigenous technology development, encourages research excellence, and accelerates Nigeria’s industrial transformation.
Held under the theme, “Driving Innovation. Accelerating Industrialization. Transforming Nigeria,” the programme aligns with NASENI’s strategic mandate of leveraging science, technology, and engineering to develop local solutions to national challenges while strengthening Nigeria’s industrial competitiveness. It also reinforces the Agency’s commitment to discovering, nurturing, and rewarding innovative ideas capable of driving sustainable industrial growth and economic prosperity.
Beyond recognizing outstanding innovations, the competition serves as a platform for discovering transformative ideas, promoting collaboration among innovators, NASENI institutes, and public institutions, and inspiring a new generation of Nigerian inventors and problem-solvers whose innovations can contribute meaningfully to national development.
The Agency invites policymakers, industry stakeholders, researchers, innovators, and development partners, members of the diplomatic community, the media, and the general public to witness this landmark celebration of Nigerian ingenuity, technological excellence, and homegrown innovation.