In line with its mandate towards promoting the adoption and development of technology solutions in different sectors of the Nigerian economy, the National Agency for Science and Engineering Infrastructure, NASENI, in collaboration with the Technology Agency of Czech Republic has signed a Memorandum of understanding worth $21.7 million with eleven firms in Nigeria as beneficiaries for the implementation of the DELTA-2 projects.
The Executive Vice Chairman of the National Agency for Science and Engineering Infrastructure, NASENI, Khalil Suleiman Halilu in his welcome address at the agency’s headquarters in Abuja said DELTA-2 program which was launched in 2021, has been designed with the aim of funding and enabling research, development and innovation projects in three focus areas: Agriculture, Mining, and General Manufacturing for SMEs.
“Of the $21.7m set aside to finance selected projects, Technology Agency Czech Republic is contributing $11.7m while NASENI is contributing $10m”, he said.
According to him, calls for submissions of applications went out, and a very robust screening process took place between 2022 and 2023, with the emergence of eleven successful projects that will be funded in this first phase of the program.
He hinted that full details of the beneficiary projects, and the funding arrangement will come from the Chairman of the Presidential Implementation Committee on Technology Transfer/Information Exchange between Nigeria and the Czech Republic (PICTT), Dr. Muhammadu Dahiru.
He emphasised that the Delta 2 Programme is yet another manifestation of NASENI’s commitment to fulfilling its mandate of transforming Nigeria’s technology and innovation landscape, through sustained focus on the 3Cs of Collaboration, Creation and Commercialization.
He noted that the agency’s goal is not just to produce prototypes and models, but to ensure that these are taken to market and that they are available commercially for consumers and end-users to benefit from.
Earlier, in his remarks, the Chairman, the Presidential Implementation Committee on Technology Transfer/ Information Exchange between Nigeria and Czech Republic, PICTT, Muhammed Dahiru said he the program was launched on 18th May, 2022 with 285 proposals received from various companies registered in Nigeria.
He stated that the evaluation of the proposals was carried out diligently by members of the Assessment Committee who were selected from the Nigeria Academy of Science, Nigeria Academy of Engineering as research experts and the Nigeria-Czech Republic Trade and Investment Council NCTIC.
