General News
How Public Voting, Screening Produced NASENI’s ₦435.5m Innovation Grant Winners
By Iyojo Ameh
More than 1,000 applications, a screening exercise and public voting were used to select beneficiaries of the Federal Government’s ₦435.5 million innovation grants under the maiden InnovateNaija competition, the Head of the NASENI Innovation Hub, Busola Perez-Folayan, has disclosed.
Perez-Folayan said the selection process was designed to identify promising Nigerian innovators working in hardware manufacturing, engineering and science, while extending opportunities to talented individuals at the grassroots.
She spoke with journalists on Wednesday after the grant awards ceremony at the State House Banquet Hall, Presidential Villa, Abuja.
The grants were presented under three competitions organised by the National Agency for Science and Engineering Infrastructure (NASENI): InnovateNaija, FutureMakers and the Intra-Inter Agency Innovation competitions.
Explaining how the winners emerged, Perez-Folayan said the InnovateNaija competition attracted applications from across the country before candidates were screened and subjected to public voting.
“We called for application and we got everyone from across Nigeria. Over 1,000 applications were submitted, and we were able to distil from those applications and had Nigerians vote for their top candidates,” she said.
She explained that the process produced 36 state winners and 15 leading national contenders before the final three winners were selected.
“We’re so elated at the fact that we’re able to support innovation in Nigeria, and not just support, but also to promote,” Perez-Folayan added.
Under the competition, the overall winner received ₦100 million, while the first and second runners-up were awarded ₦30 million and ₦20 million, respectively. The 37 state champions, including the Federal Capital Territory, received ₦2.5 million each.
The funding is intended to help innovators develop their ideas into practical solutions, establish sustainable businesses and contribute to Nigeria’s industrial development.
Young Innovators, Public Servants Benefit
Perez-Folayan said NASENI also extended its innovation support to children and teenagers through the FutureMakers competition, which targets Nigerians aged between five and 16.
She said participants received training in business thinking, design thinking, innovation and leadership to strengthen their capacity to develop and commercialise their ideas.
The competition produced six national finalists who shared ₦23 million, with the overall winner receiving ₦5 million.
Highlighting the programme’s reach, Perez-Folayan disclosed that a participant from an internally displaced persons’ camp emerged as the winner.
“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,” she said.
She said the initiative demonstrated the importance of identifying and nurturing young talents regardless of their circumstances.
The NASENI Intra-Inter Agency Innovation competitions also recognised innovations developed by public servants within the agency and other ministries, departments and agencies.
Six winners received a combined ₦162 million, with the three Inter-Agency winners sharing ₦140 million and the three Intra-Agency winners receiving a combined ₦22.5 million.
Perez-Folayan said the competitions were designed to encourage innovation within the public service and support practical solutions developed by civil servants.
She added that NASENI was committed to promoting innovation beyond established technology centres by creating opportunities for individuals and institutions to contribute to national development.
The agency is led by its Executive Vice-Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, Khalil Suleiman Halilu.
The award ceremony was attended by the Minister of Youth Development, Ayodele Olawande; the Deputy Governor of Kaduna State, Hadiza Sabuwa Balarabe; the Director-General of the National Space Research and Development Agency, Matthew Adepoju; NASENI management officials and other stakeholders.
The Federal Government’s grant initiative is aimed at strengthening Nigeria’s innovation ecosystem by providing financial support to promising ideas and helping innovators move from prototypes to commercially viable products.
