Engr Khalil Halilu, Executive Vice Chairman/CEO,
National Agency for Science and Engineering Infrastructure Institute (NASENI)
The 33 year old youngest CEO of any agency under Nigeria’s Federal Ministry of Science and Technology, Engr Khalil Halilu heads the management team at National Agency for Science and Engineering Infrastructure Institute (NASENI) as the Executive Vice Chairman and Chief Executive Officer. The agency is the only on-purpose built intervention agency of the Federal Government under the Presidency whose mandate include nurturing an appropriate and dynamic Science and Engineering infrastructure base for achieving home initiated and home sustained industrialization for Nigeria. The technology enthusiast, before his appointment had founded the Center for Civic, Welfare and Community Development, a non-governmental organisation focused on making tangible contributions to social sectors such as health, education, the environment and climate change. His appointment to become the youngest CEO heading any Federal government agency in 2023 saddled with driving the agency’s mandate of the development of relevant processes, capital goods and equipment necessary for job creation, national economic well-being and progress. Since his assumption of office in September 2023, his leadership has left pessimists with no doubt in the choice of this appointment one year ago.
The entry of Mr. Khalil S. Halilu has brought into the agency many strategic infrastructure development projects, including cutting-edge research facilities and technology hubs installed at NASENI headquarters and its development institutes. He had revived partnerships with local and international stakeholders, fostering collaboration and knowledge sharing, innovative initiatives to promote entrepreneurship, job creation, and economic growth. He had not left any stone unturned in contributing to the promotion of the green energy initiative of the Federal Government and mitigation of climate change. His recent partnership with Portland Gas Limited resulted in the establishment of NASENI-Portland CNG Conversion and Training Centre at Utako, Abuja which has raised the bar of sustainable alternative fuel solution to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and save fuel costs for vehicle owners.
Also, Halilu did not neglect the issue of staff welfare and human capital development. Notable achievements in this area were the introduction of enhanced staff welfare package and training programmes including capacity building initiatives described as unprecedented. As at today, there is no staff of NASENI (from low to highest ranks) who have not attended one form of training or the other within the range of local and international trainings to improve work performance; inspiring a new mindsets and attitudes to work even as he is deliberately engineering new NASENI generation scientists, engineers, and innovators including other support staff to dream big for the agency. This new trend of focusing on staff development has created a renewed sense of purpose and optimism by the entire workforce. Many staff had affirmed increased effectiveness and productivity under his leadership. Under his watch, NASENI’s collaborations have been substantial, and wide-ranging, covering coal-based fertilisers, lithium-ion battery manufacturing and processing, solar-powered irrigation systems, electric vehicles, computers and mobile phones, motorcycles and tricycles, off-grid solar home systems, solar-mounting racks, UAV assembly plant and training school, tractors, and assistive technology for physically-challenged persons.
A state-of-the-art CNG Engineering, Training and Conversion facility – developed in Abuja, in partnership with Portland Gas – was commissioned by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu in May 2024. In all, these various partnerships are valued in excess of 3 billion USD. A total of 35 market-ready products have already emerged in the last 12 months. Halilu had revived a stalled partnership with NASENI’s counterpart agency in the Czech Republic, to finance and support a range of innovation projects combining expertise and talent from the two countries.
NASENI is also actively supporting the ‘Developing Engineering Leaders Through Her’ (DELT-Her) initiative, which aimed at increasing the number of Nigerian women in engineering. Halilu had launched a comprehensive reform of internal processes at NASENI, to promote efficiency and value-for-money; established an Innovation Hub at the NASENI headquarters in Abuja, to seed new ideas and technologies; created ‘HatchBox’, a new initiative to promote STEM among young Nigerians; and recently inaugurated the Agency’s Anti-Corruption and Transparency Unit (ACTU). One of the areas that has seen a remarkable expansion in NASENI’s footprint, is security and defence, in line with President Tinubu’s eight-point governing agenda. NASENI is providing technical support to the Nigeria Police Force for the reactivation and revitalisation of moribund vehicles and other operational assets, as well as in the implementation of the newly-launched Nigeria Police Green Initiative (NPGI).
NASENI is also exploring partnerships with the Defence Industries Corporation of Nigeria (DICON), and the Defence Research and Development Bureau (DRDB), to build local defense innovation capabilities. Halilu believed that peace and security are necessary foundations for technological and industrial development. By supporting Nigeria’s security agencies to deliver on their constitutional mandates, NASENI is contributing to the creation of an enabling environment in which Nigeria’s innovation can be fully unleashed.
As Halilu marked his first year in office as NASENI’s helmsman, on the first of September 2024, the New NASENI is rapidly garnering momentum as it propels Nigeria’s bid to join the ranks of the world’s leading industrial and innovation hubs of the 21st century.