By Micah Jonah
January 27, 2026
The National Agency for Science and Engineering Infrastructure and the African University of Science and Technology, Abuja, have signed a Memorandum of Understanding aimed at strengthening collaboration in innovation, technology development and the commercialisation of research outcomes.
The agreement, signed at the headquarters of NASENI, is designed to ensure research efforts go beyond academic publications and result in practical solutions that can be deployed in real world industries.
Speaking at the signing ceremony, the Executive Vice Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of NASENI, Khalil Halilu, described the partnership as a strategic move to deepen institutional collaboration with measurable impact on national development.
In a statement issued on Monday by the Director of Information, New Media and Protocol of NASENI, Olusegun Ayeoyenikan, Halilu reaffirmed the agency’s commitment to partnerships that translate research into usable technologies.
He said NASENI’s Innovation Hub is structured to identify promising ideas, nurture them, scale them into products that address national challenges, create economic value.
Halilu stressed the need for closer collaboration between universities and research institutions to bridge the long standing gap between academia and industry, noting that innovation must be market-driven and solution-oriented.
Responding, the President of the African University of Science and Technology, Peter Onwualu, recalled previous collaborations with both institutions, including postgraduate training programmes and joint initiatives that benefited NASENI staff and researchers.
Onwualu said the new agreement would help tackle the problem of limited research commercialization in the country, adding that the focus is shifting from research conducted solely for academic promotion to research that results in products and innovation.
He cited ongoing agro waste conversion projects under NASENI’s Delta Two programme as examples of research being transformed into real value for the economy.
Both institutions agreed to deepen cooperation in innovation, technology transfer and human capital development. The university also invited NASENI to its international conference on innovation scheduled for April, where the agency is expected to be recognized for its contributions to advancing research commercialization in Nigeria.
