The head and manager of the NASENI Innovation Hub, Mrs Busola Perez-Folayan, has revealed how the winners of the Federal Government’s N435.5 million in grants to Nigerian innovators, was selected and awarded.
The Naseni Innovation Hub operates under the broader leadership of the National Agency for Science and Engineering Infrastructure NASENI, which is led by the Executive Vice Chairman and CEO, Mr. Khalil Suleiman Halilu.
Sky Post reported earlier that the Federal Government reinforced its push to build a technology-driven economy by awarding N435.5 million in grants to Nigerian innovators and young inventors under three innovation competitions organised by NASENI.
The grants, presented on Wednesday at the State House Banquet Hall, Presidential Villa, Abuja, are aimed at helping innovators transform ideas into practical solutions, build sustainable enterprises and contribute to Nigeria’s industrial development.
The beneficiaries emerged from the maiden InnovateNaija, FutureMakers and Intra-Inter Agency Innovation competitions.
Under the InnovateNaija competition, the national winner received N100 million, while the first and second runners-up received N30 million and N20 million respectively.
The 37 state champions, including the Federal Capital Territory, received N2.5 million each.
Six winners of the NASENI Intra-Agency and Inter-Agency Innovation competitions received a combined N162 million.
The three Inter-Agency winners shared N140 million, while the three Intra-Agency winners received a combined N22.5 million.
The FutureMakers competition, designed to encourage innovation among Nigerians aged between five and 16, produced six national finalists who shared N23 million in prize money, with the overall winner receiving N5 million.
The competitions were designed to identify promising innovations with commercial potential and provide support for their transition from ideas and prototypes into viable businesses.
Speaking to journalists after the event, Perez-Folayan said InnovateNaija was designed to support and reward really hardware manufacturing, engineering, and science innovators across Nigeria.
“We called for application and we got everyone to across Nigeria. Over 1000 applications were submitted, and we were able to distill from those applications and had Nigerians vote for their top candidates, and we got the 36 state winners as well as the top 15 in Nigeria.
“And then finally today, we got our first three, and they were awarded today. We’re so elated at the the fact that we’re able to support innovation in Nigeria, and not just support, but also to promote. One of the things that we’re doing is beyond just supporting innovators who are already known. We are going into the grassroots to look for innovators.
“We also did it with the FutureMakers program. That was also celebrated today. That 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, and we had someone from an IDP camp who was able to bring innovation today and became the winner.
“So we have all of these, and I was just glad that we’re able to support innovation in Nigeria, even in the inter and intra agency competition within Naseni and other MDAs in Nigeria. We’re able to support and promote innovation, even amongst civil servants and public servants in Nigeria, so we’re excited about that.”
The ceremony was attended by 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; members of NASENI management and other stakeholders.
