The National Agency for Science and Engineering Infrastructure (NASENI) has entered a strategic partnership with the Abuja Technology Village (ATV) to develop 300 hectares of land into a hub for factories, tech companies and innovation-driven manufacturing plants, in a bid to revitalise Nigeria’s technological capacity and stimulate economic growth.
Speaking during a press briefing held Tuesday at the Abuja Technology Village office, the executive vice-chairman and CEO of NASENI, Khalil Suleiman Halilu reaffirmed the agency’s commitment to leveraging local and international partnerships to transform the NASENI-allocated site into a flagship centre for high-tech manufacturing and research commercialisation.
“NASENI will work to attract investments and generate jobs through this initiative. Our goal is to promote national brands and local production via the Abuja Technology Village. This is just the beginning. More factories will rise and innovation will flourish across these 300 hectares. I assure ATV that it will not be disappointed,” said Halilu.
He stressed that the era of research gathering dust on the shelves is over. “We will no longer keep our research as mere prototypes. Today, we are committing to turning our renewable energy and other innovations into real, market-ready products. This partnership with ATV is a critical step in that direction,” he added.
Highlighting recent progress, Halilu revealed that NASENI developed 35 market-viable products in the past year. He said the partnership with ATV offers the ideal platform to scale those innovations for mass production. “We share mutual goals; strategic location, investor incentives and a common vision for technological advancement in Nigeria,” he noted.
The acting managing director of the Abuja Technology Village Free Zone Company, Isa Yusuf Shafeek, welcomed the collaboration and described it as both timely and essential for building Nigeria’s industrial backbone.
“This partnership comes at a critical time when the country must urgently develop local production capacity. Abuja Technology Village is fully committed to working with NASENI on a range of technology-driven projects that will shape the future of Nigeria’s economy,” he said.
Special adviser on foreign partners and inter-governmental affairs to NASENI’s EVC, Dr. Dahiru Mohammed emphasised the importance of the initiative in accelerating human capital development. “This project has already attracted significant interest and we may soon need more than 300 hectares. Establishing these factories and attracting technology firms is a top priority of NASENI’s new leadership,” he said.
A statement issued by NASENI’s director of information, Olusegun Ayeoyenikan described the initiative as a milestone in Nigeria’s industrialisation drive. He noted that the Abuja Technology Village, established in 2009, is the country’s pioneer technology park and Special Economic Zone (SEZ). With cutting-edge infrastructure and a supportive ecosystem, ATV offers a fertile ground for research institutions, tech startups and manufacturing firms.
ATV focuses on high-impact sectors including information and communication technology, biotechnology, minerals technology and energy. The partnership aims to position Nigeria as a continental leader in innovation while boosting job creation and technological exports.
By aligning NASENI’s manufacturing vision with ATV’s innovation ecosystem, the collaboration signals a bold shift in Nigeria’s commitment to home-grown technology and economic self-reliance.
