NASENI Chief Urges Capability-Building for Nigeria's Economic Sovereignty Through Tech Transfer
NASENI Executive Vice Chairman Khalil Suleiman Halilu argues that Nigeria's economic sovereignty must focus on capability-building through technology transfer rather than protectionism alone, positioning it as a strategic necessity for development. He emphasizes that true technology transfer involves acquiring know-how, building local industries, and developing human capital—not merely importing machinery or signing agreements.
Halilu outlines NASENI's 3Cs framework (Collaboration, Creation, Commercialisation) to bridge research-industry gaps, citing partnerships like DELTA-2 with Czech Republic's Technology Agency and work with DICON and Abuja Technology Village to localize production of industrial components. He identifies strategic value chains with clear Nigerian potential: agro-processing, renewable energy technologies, pharmaceuticals, construction materials, and industrial spare parts, while acknowledging past industrialization efforts failed by transferring ownership without building sustainable capabilities.
The piece details persistent challenges: scaling innovations beyond prototypes, ecosystem fragmentation causing duplicated efforts, critical skills shortages exacerbated by talent migration, financing barriers for patient capital, and governance needs for transparency and accountability. Halilu proposes a pragmatic framework prioritizing strategic value chains, using public procurement as a development tool, creating scale-up financing mechanisms, ensuring partnerships include skills transfer, strengthening vocational education, improving quality infrastructure, and implementing performance metrics—warning that without these, Nigeria risks repeating cycles of ambitious policies with limited execution and continued import dependence.
With Nigeria's market size, entrepreneurial talent, and resource base identified as foundations for growth, what sustained commitment, policy consistency, and institutional discipline are now required to turn industrial potential into daily reality through capability-focused investments?