Sunday Ehigiator

The Executive Vice Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of the National Agency for Science and Engineering Infrastructure (NASENI), Khalil Suleiman Halilu, has said that Nigeria is being positioned as a driving force in global sustainability and innovation.

Halilu stated this while delivering a keynote address titled ‘Nigeria at the Heart of Global Sustainability’ at the 2025 World Association of Young Scientists (WAYS) Conference held on October 26 in Wenzhou City, Zhejiang Province, China.

He said the growing collaboration between government and the private sector was transforming policy ideas into tangible outcomes.

“The bridge between government and private sector is becoming stronger, turning policy into practical outcomes,” he said.

“This is what progress looks like, policy meets innovation, innovation meets people, and people meet opportunity.”

Halilu highlighted Nigeria’s leadership in clean technology, renewable energy, and green manufacturing, driven by the creativity and energy of its young population.

“Young Nigerians, your ideas, your energy, and your innovation have a place at the global table. The world is watching what we build next. Let us move together,” he urged.

He reaffirmed NASENI’s commitment to the domestication of global technology, ensuring imported innovations are adapted to Nigeria’s realities and needs.

“It is not enough to import technology. We must adapt it. Domestication is how we make global innovation work for us in Nigeria,” he added.

Halilu also announced a forthcoming NASENI initiative, ZeCo by NASENI, set to launch in 2026.

The programme will focus on clean mobility, renewable energy systems, and sustainable manufacturing, reinforcing Nigeria’s ambition to become a hub for green innovation and circular economy solutions.

“Nigeria’s journey to Net Zero is not just a national agenda. It is a global invitation to collaborate, to co-create, and to build a future that works for everyone,” he said.

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