The Executive Vice Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of the National Agency for Science and Engineering Infrastructure (NASENI), Khalil Suleiman Halilu, has said that Nigeria is being positioned as a driving force for global sustainability and innovation.
Halilu made this known while delivering a keynote address titled “Nigeria at the Heart of Global Sustainability” at the 2025 World Association of Young Scientists (WAYS) conference held in Wenzhou City, Zhejiang Province, China, on October 26, 2025.
He emphasized that the collaboration between government and the private sector is becoming stronger, leading to practical outcomes that support national growth. “The bridge between government and private sector is becoming stronger, turning policy into practical outcomes. This is what progress looks like: policy meets innovation, innovation meets people, and people meet opportunity,” he said.
Halilu highlighted Nigeria’s rising leadership in clean technology, renewable energy, and green manufacturing, driven by the creativity and innovation of young Nigerians. He noted that the country’s youth are becoming a central force in the nation’s sustainability agenda and global competitiveness. “Young Nigerians, your ideas, your energy, and your innovation have a place at the global table. The world is watching what we build next. Let us move together,” he stated.
He reaffirmed NASENI’s commitment to technology domestication, stressing the importance of adapting global innovations to suit local realities. “It is not enough to import technology. We must adapt it. Domestication is how we make global innovation work for us in Nigeria,” he explained.
Halilu also announced an upcoming initiative known as ZeCo by NASENI, set to launch in 2026, focusing on clean mobility, renewable energy systems, and sustainable manufacturing. The initiative aims to make Nigeria a hub for green innovation and circular economy solutions.
“Nigeria’s journey to Net Zero is not just a national agenda. It is a global invitation to collaborate, to co-create, and to build a future that works for everyone,” he said. As the first African on the WAYS board, Halilu represents a new generation of Nigerian innovators leading Africa’s contribution to global sustainability.