…..As FG Insists on Commercialization of R&D Results to Boost the Economy

The National Agency for Science and Engineering Infrastructure (NASENI) and the Presidential Implementation Committee on Technology Transfer (PICTT) have launched the second phase of the DELTA-2 Programme-the 2nd Call for Proposals, which will focus on Commercialization of all R&D outcomes in different fields of the economy.

The Delta-2 Project is a bilateral collaboration by the Federal Government of Nigeria through NASENI-PICTT and the Czech Republic through the Technology Agency of the Czech Republic (TA CR) targeting submissions from innovators, technology entrepreneurs and researchers in Nigeria across mining, agriculture, advanced manufacturing, science and engineering, etc. The 1st Call for Proposals under the Delta-2 programme was launched in the year 2022, following which grants were disbursed by NASENI to winners of the approved projects to scale up their enterprises.

In his welcome address, Chairman, Presidential Implementation Committee on Technology Transfer (PICTT), Dr. Dahiru Mohammed, said Delta-2 Project has become a major driver of innovation, economic growth and sustainable development in Nigeria, saying it is aimed at accelerating Nigeria’s technological growth through international collaboration.

“The DELTA-2 Programme is a catalyst for job creation, enhanced productivity and the growth of small and medium enterprises (SMEs). It will help reduce dependence on imports while boosting Nigeria’s global competitiveness,” he stated.

He highlighted the achievements of the previous call for proposals launched in May 2022, which attracted 285 submissions from Nigerian researchers and companies, out of which 25 projects were funded in 2023, which has resulted in innovative products and services across agriculture, advanced manufacturing, and other strategic sectors which have already created jobs, built capacity and advanced technology transfer.

In his keynote speech, the Executive Vice Chairman/CEO of NASENI, Mr. Khalil Suleiman Halilu, noted that DELTA-2 had the potential to be a catalyst for Nigeria’s innovation ecosystem adding that the decision is already yielding results. “Today, we can point to the stories of 12 beneficiaries from the First Call, Nigerians who are working on diverse projects across our country.

“From renewable energy solutions to advanced materials, from agricultural technologies to manufacturing innovations, these projects testify to the power of applied research to solve real problems, create jobs, and deliver products and services that meet the needs of our people”, he remarked.

Halilu noted that what makes DELTA 2 unique is its focus on outcomes. “It is not research for the sake of research, it is research with purpose and market in mind. It is research that leads to new knowledge, new skills and new products. It is research that bridges the gap between the laboratory and the marketplace, between ideas and impact.

“It is also a bridge between nations — between Czech enterprises and Nigerian innovators, between European expertise and African creativity. Together, we are building partnerships that accelerate progress, foster mutual respect and infinite possibilities for both our countries”, he emphasized.

The NASENI boss further stated that DELTA-2 projects being supported by NASENI will respond not only to the current needs of the society, but also anticipate the challenges of tomorrow — from climate change to digital transformation. Therefore, he called on researchers, innovators and entrepreneurs in Nigeria to make use of the opportunity once again.

In his remarks, Minister of Innovation, Science and Technology, Chief Uche Geoffrey Nnaji, said the “The theme is clear, it is to generate research outcomes that will lead to new products, new processes, apply results that directly enhance Nigeria’s competitiveness, create jobs and open new markets at home and abroad”.

He noted that the Delta-2 Projects priority areas range from agriculture and food technology, renewable energy, mining and industrial development, health and health technologies, advanced manufacturing, digital mobility, climate technology and defence innovations which aligns strongly with President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda.

“Let me emphasize, this is not research for shelves. This is research for impact. Every funded project must deliver tangible, scalable and commercially viable outcomes that respond to Nigeria’s real challenges and opportunities”. He called on Nigerian researchers, companies and innovators to seize this opportunity to build a greater Nigeria through innovation and technology transfer.

In her goodwill message, the Chairman/CEO, Nigerians in Diaspora Commission (NiDCOM), Dr. Abike Dabiri-Erewa said the initiative reflects the visionary leadership of President Tinubu’s administration in encouraging fresh ideas and innovations that can move the country forward. “This is another day of success and progress for Nigeria. It shows how much we have achieved in technology and innovation as a nation,” she remarked.

She praised NASENI’s leadership under Halilu for advancing Nigeria’s science, innovation, and technology agenda, while appealing for a similar project to be extended to Nigerians in the diaspora.

Also speaking, Special Assistant to the President on Trade, Investment and Industry, Mr. John Ugochukwu Uwajumogu commended NASENI and PICTT for aligning their efforts with President Tinubu’s $1 trillion economy agenda, emphasizing that technology transfer is central to achieving industrialization. “We must strengthen our industrial capacity to attract both global and domestic investments and to compete strongly on the global stage,” he added.

The Federal Government has officially endorsed the maiden edition of the National Science, Technology and Innovation Communication Conference (STICOMMS’25), scheduled to hold from October 21–23, 2025, at the African University of Science and Technology (AUST), Abuja.

The endorsement was conveyed by the Honourable Minister of Innovation, Science and Technology, Chief Uche Nnaji, who described the event as a unique and pioneering initiative. He assured the organizers of the Ministry’s full support and collaboration towards achieving the goals of the conference, stressing that the timing aligns with government efforts to promote research and innovation outputs from its agencies.

To further demonstrate the Ministry’s commitment, Chief Nnaji announced the deployment of two senior staff to join the STICOMMS’25 Local Organizing Committee (LOC), ensuring the Ministry’s active involvement in planning and execution.

Earlier, the President of AUST, Prof. Azikiwe Peter Onwualu, FAS, who led the LOC delegation on a courtesy visit to the Minister, explained that the purpose of the visit was to seek strategic support for the conference. He highlighted possible areas of collaboration, including ministerial endorsement, keynote participation, staff sponsorship, showcasing innovations, mobilizing research agencies, and profiling the Ministry’s achievements in the official programme.

Prof. Onwualu noted that STICOMMS’25, being the first national platform dedicated to science, technology, and innovation communication, will foster stronger linkages between research, innovation, and national development.

The partnership, both parties agreed, marks a significant step toward advancing the communication and application of science and technology in Nigeria’s socio-economic transformation.

Media Rights Agenda (MRA) on Thursday condemned the alarming rise in attacks, intimidation, and harassment of journalists across Nigeria, including the recent arrest and detention of Mr. Hassan Mai-Waya Kangiwa in Kebbi State on the orders of Governor Nasir Idris, following the circulation of a video that exposed the deplorable state of facilities at the Kangiwa General Hospital in the State.

Warning that the trend, if unchecked, poses a grave threat to media freedom, freedom of expression, and citizens’ right of access to information, MRA called on regional and international human rights mechanisms to take urgent measures to redress the situation by closely monitoring Nigeria’s compliance with its human rights obligations and holding the government accountable for breaches of those obligations.

Hassan had posted a video online showing an elderly patient lying helplessly on a bare metal bed frame without a mattress, sparking outrage across the country and renewed calls for accountability in the health sector. Rather than addressing the clear neglect and decay in the hospital system revealed in the footage, Governor Idris chose to punish the journalist by criminalising his work and violating his rights as a journalist.

According to eyewitnesses, security operatives stormed Hassan’s residence in Kangiwa town late in the night of Sunday, September 7, 2025, arresting him in front of his family. His phones and work equipment were seized during the raid, raising further concerns about the violation of his privacy and professional rights.

Hassan was initially held at a local police station before being transferred to Birnin Kebbi, the State capital, reportedly on the Governor’s orders. Since then, police authorities have refused to disclose the charges against him or grant access to his lawyers, effectively keeping him cut off from his family, friends, and legal representation.

Noting that the incident is not isolated but part of a disturbing pattern of attacks against journalists in Nigeria who are carrying out their professional duties, Mr. John Gbadamosi, MRA’s Programme Officer, said in a statement issued in Lagos that “These repeated incidents highlight the deteriorating environment for media freedom in Nigeria. The culture of impunity, enabled by government, has emboldened perpetrators, both state and non-state actors, who now attack journalists without fear of consequences.”

He called on the State Government to immediately and unconditionally release Hassan and advised Governor Idris to desist from persecuting journalists and instead focus on addressing the decay in public infrastructure, which his government has a responsibility to fix.”

Mr. Gbadamosi identified other recent cases of attacks against journalists in Nigeria to include, among others:

· The beating of Olatunji Adebayo, a correspondent with The Punch newspaper, in June 2025 and seizing of his equipment by security operatives while he was covering a protest in Ibadan, Oyo State.

· The July 2025 harassment of Blessing Okonkwo, a freelance broadcast journalist in Anambra State, who was also assaulted by police officers who accused her of “unauthorized reporting” while she was filming a demolition exercise.

· The detention of Ibrahim Garba, a Daily Trust photojournalist in Kano, who was detained for hours in August 2025 and physically assaulted by political party loyalists while he was covering a campaign rally.

· The harassment, intimidation, and verbal assault on Ms Ladi Bala, Transport Correspondent of the Nigerian Television Authority (NTA) and former President of the Nigerian Association of Women Journalists (NAWOJ), by Mr. Kayode Opeifa, Managing Director of the Nigerian Railway Corporation (NRC), on August 27, 2025, while she was covering the derailment of a train along the Abuja-Kaduna rail corridor. He is reported to have disrupted Ms Bala’s live reporting and ordered security operatives to bundle her from the scene, while threatening to report her to security agencies, the Presidency, and NTA management to ensure that she is dismissed.

· The detention of Sodeeq Atanda, a senior reporter with the Foundation for Investigative Journalism (FIJ), who was arrested by the Ekiti State Police Command on September 9, 2025, in Ado-Ekiti, Ekiti State, after he honoured an invitation by the Police over his reporting exposing alleged sexual harassment reportedly perpetrated by Abayomi Fasina, the Vice Chancellor of the Federal University Oye-Ekiti (FUOYE).

· The unwarranted summoning of Fisayo Soyombo, founder of the FIJ, by the Ekiti State Police Command, directing him to appear before the Police in Ado-Ekiti on September 15, 2025, for alleged conspiracy, criminal defamation, cyberbullying, and blackmail.

MRA enjoined the Federal Government to order immediate, independent and transparent investigations into all reported attacks on journalists and prosecute the perpetrators, adding that there is a subsisting order by a Federal High Court in Abuja made on February 16, 2024, directing the Federal Government, among other things, to investigate, prosecute and punish perpetrators of all attacks against journalists.

It called on the Federal Government to tow the path of the rule of law and end the pervasive culture of impunity for crimes against journalists by complying with the court’s orders and ensuring that perpetrators of violence and other forms of attacks against journalists are brought to justice.

The organization also urged the African Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights (ACHPR), particularly its Special Rapporteur on Freedom of Expression and Access to Information in Africa as well as the UN Human Rights Council and the UN Special Rapporteur on Freedom of Expression, to engage the Nigerian Government and raise, as a matter of urgent concern, the country’s growing attacks on journalists and demand accountability for such attacks, and safeguards for media professionals.

Mr. Gbadamosi said: “Nigeria has committed itself to upholding human rights standards at both regional and global levels. It must now be held to account for its failure to live up to these commitments and protect journalists and the media. The international community cannot afford to remain silent in the face of these attacks.”

The National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA) has invited stakeholders across government, industry, academia, and civil society to a public review session of two key regulatory frameworks, the Draft Digital Public Infrastructure (DPI) Live Events and the Draft Technical Standard for the Nigerian Data Exchange (NGDX).

According to a press release signed by the Director, Corporate Communications and Media Relations Department, NITDA, Mrs. Hadiza Umar, the session is scheduled to hold on Thursday, 18th September 2025, at the Digital Economy Complex, NCC Building, Mbora, Abuja, beginning at 9:00 a.m.

According to the Agency, the initiative is part of its Rule-Making Process (RMP) designed to ensure the co-creation of regulatory instruments that are inclusive, trusted, and sustainable, while aligning Nigeria’s digital transformation efforts with international best practices.

The Draft DPI Live event aims to enhance the deployment of national digital infrastructure, boost e-Government services, and encourage private sector collaboration. Similarly, the Draft NGDX framework seeks to establish a secure and unified data-sharing system for government and private institutions, thereby improving service delivery, cutting inefficiencies, and driving innovation across key sectors such as finance, healthcare, education, and agriculture.

NITDA noted that the NGDX has been designed with strong safeguards around data protection, authentication, and privacy, aligning with globally accepted standards and positioning Nigeria as a continental leader in digital public infrastructure.

Ahead of the review, NITDA’s Director General, Kashifu Inuwa Abdullahi, underscored the importance of stakeholder participation, stressing that the success and sustainability of the initiatives depend on broad input from diverse sectors. “Nigeria’s digital public infrastructure must be co-created with all stakeholders to ensure resilience, foster innovation, and build trust,” he said.

The initiatives are central to the Federal Government’s Renewed Hope agenda under President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, with international support from the European Union’s Global Gateway initiative and technical collaborations with leading digital nations, including Finland, Estonia, Germany, and France.

Stakeholders are encouraged to access the draft documents ahead of the session via https://shorturl.at/0zRg8

For further inquiries, stakeholders may contact NITDA through email; eGDED@nitda.gov.ng or call 08032015719 and 08023275039

As part of its commitment to improving lives and supporting communities, leading financial institution, Fidelity Bank Plc, has distributed food items in Ilaje and Ese-Odo Local Government Areas of Ondo State.

Speaking during the donation event which took place at Igbokoda, Headquarters of Ilaje Local Government Area, the Regional Bank Head, Southwest 1, Fidelity Bank Plc, Mr. Folaranmi Jemirin, noted that the Fidelity Food Bank initiative was launched as part of the bank’s commitment to reducing hunger and providing relief for disadvantaged communities across Nigeria.

“We are honored to be in Ondo State to continue this impactful initiative, and we hope that today’s donation brings much-needed relief and comfort to the beneficiaries”. Mr Jemirin said.

In her remarks, the Vice Chairman of Ilaje Local Government Area, Mrs. Olurantimi Esejuwon, praised Fidelity Bank for its generosity, particularly towards the aged and people living with disabilities.

“This gesture by Fidelity Bank is a lifeline for many in our communities who are struggling with basic needs. It shows that the bank truly cares about people’s welfare beyond banking services, and we are deeply grateful for their support,” Esejuwon said.

Similarly, the Chairman of Ondo State Oil Producing Areas Development Commission (OSOPADEC), Hon. Biyi Poroye, lauded Fidelity Bank for its generosity and encouraged the bank to establish a branch in Ilaje Local Government, citing the region’s vast economic potential.

One of the beneficiaries, Pastor Ikudehinbu Ademola, also expressed gratitude on behalf of the communities.

“We sincerely appreciate Fidelity Bank for remembering us at this time. Many families here will sleep with joy tonight because of this kind gesture. I also appeal to the bank to consider establishing a branch in Ilaje so we can enjoy closer access to their services,” Ademola said.

The Fidelity Food Bank distribution in Ondo State is the most recent of its ongoing outreaches to make a difference in the lives of Nigerians. Previously, through the food bank initiative, the bank provided essential supplies to over 2,000 residents in multiple locations across Anambra State, further reinforcing the bank’s mission of fostering sustainable impact in communities nationwide.

Ranked among the best banks in Nigeria, Fidelity Bank Plc is a full-fledged Commercial Deposit Money Bank serving over 9.1 million customers through digital banking channels, its 255 business offices in Nigeria and United Kingdom subsidiary, FidBank UK Limited.

The Bank is a recipient of multiple local and international Awards, including the 2024 Excellence in Digital Transformation & MSME Banking Award by BusinessDay Banks and Financial Institutions (BAFI) Awards; the 2024 Most Innovative Mobile Banking Application award for its Fidelity Mobile App by Global Business Outlook, and the 2024 Most Innovative Investment Banking Service Provider award by Global Brands Magazine. Additionally, the Bank was recognized as the Best Bank for SMEs in Nigeria by the Euromoney Awards for Excellence and as the Export Financing Bank of the Year by the BusinessDay Banks and Financial Institutions (BAFI) Awards.