The National Agency for Science and Engineering Infrastructure (NASENI) has rewarded winners of its maiden innovation competitions with hundreds of millions of naira in grants and prizes, strengthening the Federal Government’s push to support home-grown technology and Nigerian innovators.

The awards were presented at a ceremony at the State House Banquet Hall, Presidential Villa, Abuja, on Wednesday, October 7, 2026, following the completion of the agency’s 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 and Federal Capital Territory champions were each allocated N2.5 million to further develop their innovations. NASENI had earlier announced this prize structure when it launched the competition.

The Intra-Inter Agency competition also produced six winners. Three inter-agency winners shared N140 million in development grants, while three intra-agency winners received a combined N22.5 million, bringing the category's total to N162.5 million. The figure has also been independently reported following the earlier presentation of the awards.

The FutureMakers programme, which focuses on young Nigerians aged between five and 16, produced six zonal champions who competed for the national title. The overall winner received N5 million, alongside other opportunities including mentorship, incubation support and an international study tour.

The competitions were designed to identify promising Nigerian ideas and help innovators move from the early stages of development toward practical products, commercial ventures and job creation.

The Federal Government has continued to position locally developed technology as an important part of its industrialisation strategy. Earlier in September, the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, George Akume, commended NASENI for supporting home-grown innovations and said the agency's work demonstrated that Nigerian talent could produce solutions capable of addressing national challenges.

NASENI Executive Vice Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, Khalil Suleiman Halilu, has also stressed the importance of moving innovations beyond ideas and prototypes into products that can be produced, commercialised and used by Nigerians.

He has encouraged innovators to protect their intellectual property, strengthen their teams, understand the financial side of their businesses and build strategic partnerships capable of helping their ideas grow.

The agency's approach is centred on turning Nigerian creativity into practical solutions for challenges in areas such as agriculture, energy, healthcare, manufacturing and digital services.

The FutureMakers initiative is particularly aimed at building an early pipeline of young Nigerian innovators. NASENI says the programme provides mentorship, technical training, incubation opportunities and national exposure to participants developing solutions to real-world problems.

The awards therefore represent more than cash prizes, as NASENI seeks to create a pathway through which promising ideas can receive technical and business support and eventually reach the market.

The Federal Government's backing of the competitions also signals its broader effort to reduce dependence on imported technology by encouraging Nigerians to develop solutions suited to the country's own needs and operating environment.

With the completion of the first editions of the competitions, NASENI is expected to continue building its innovation pipeline and supporting more Nigerian ideas capable of contributing to technological development, industrial growth and job creation.

Reporting by TalkNaijaMedia