By Adewole Kehinde
“Leadership is unlocking people’s potential to become better” – Bill Bradley
The Federal Government established the National Agency for Science and Engineering Infrastructure in 1992. As the only organisation in Nigeria created specifically to carry out manufacturing development work.
NASENI was established to promote and develop the country’s science, technology, and engineering infrastructure.
It was also set up to address various challenges and needs in Nigeria’s scientific and technological development.
It has a network of 12 Development Institutes spread across Nigeria each with its focus area and mandate.
Before the coming on board of its current, Executive Vice Chairman, Khalil Suleiman Halilu, many past Chief Executives of NASENI have tried their best to carry out the mission and vision of the organisation from the late Professor Gordian Obumneme Ezekwe to Dr Timothy Obiaga and Late Professor Oyeleke Olusegun Adewoye and Professor Mohammed Sani Haruna and Dr Bashir Gwandu.
Khalil Suleiman Halilu has become NASENI’s game changer. The organisation has successfully developed more than 150 innovative products and prototypes, contributing significantly to the country’s growth in science, engineering and technology.
On September 4, 2023, Khalil Halilu was named NASENI’s new chief executive officer and executive vice chairman by President Bola Tinubu. According to the 2004 agency’s establishment act, Tinubu serves as the chair of NASENI’s governing board. From the first day of his tenure, Halilu implemented a management change targeted at commercialising NASENI’s resources and goods since he had a clear grasp of the agency’s most important problems. He wanted NASENI’s R&D products—machines, equipment, and technologies—to be widely accessible to end customers and contribute to economic growth.
Today, NASENI is a ray of hope for Nigeria’s technical development. The agency, led by Halilu, has adopted a daring vision and promoted a collaborative management philosophy founded on the ideas of “creation, collaboration, and commercialisation.” In line with its primary goal of promoting science and engineering infrastructure for national advancement, this strategy has improved collaborations with the corporate community both domestically and abroad.
NASENI’s Strategic Launchpad, which Halilu promptly implemented after taking office, streamlined the agency’s objectives into short-, medium-, and long-term plans. A new blue-coloured company logo that reflects NASENI’s operational ties to the business sector was also unveiled by him. His four-pillared strategy plan has been crucial in directing NASENI’s operations. These pillars include increasing Nigeria’s industrial capability, decreasing reliance on imports, reorienting NASENI, and utilising the comparative advantages of the country’s 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory.
Additionally, Halilu’s leadership has prioritised state-of-the-art research centres and technology clusters. Under his direction, NASENI has renewed alliances with regional and global partners, encouraging cooperation and information exchange. His efforts to encourage economic growth, entrepreneurship, and the creation of jobs have been highly acknowledged; many have pointed to NASENI’s contribution to the advancement of green energy projects and the fight against climate change.
Enhancing NASENI’s human capital development and employee welfare has been one of Halilu’s biggest successes. To increase job performance, he implemented capacity-building initiatives and improved staff welfare packages, guaranteeing that all NASENI employees—from junior staff to top management—had received training. Also included in the capacity building are its media partners. The organisation now has a new mentality thanks to these measures, which have promoted an innovative and high-achieving culture.
Who is Khalil Suleiman Halilu? According to his website, from selling ice blocks to neighbours to founding West Africa’s First Eco-friendly Technology hub, Khalil Suleiman Halilu is a living testament that anything can be achieved if you give your mind to it.
Today Khalil is linking his love for technology with his enthusiasm for finding viable solutions in his field of activity. His determination, dedication and hard work have not simply added quality to humankind but also transformed the narrative of automation on the African continent.
KSH–as he prefers to be called, is a modest, loving yet determined man, who will stop at nothing to accomplish success. With a heart of gold, Khalil strives to enhance the living conditions of societies all over Africa by initiating and implementing various technological upgrades and sustainable local-based solutions to issues arising.
Khalil is a dynamic, creative, intelligent, hard-working entrepreneur and a firm believer in the power of technology to impact and improve livelihood in developing countries. His vision, dedication, and principles set him apart from his peers, – Mustapha Usman CEO of Africa Infotech Consulting
Born on the 29th of October, 1990, in Kano, Nigeria, Khalil is the eldest of five children. Born into a family recognized for its input in the trade sector of Nigeria, Khalil preferred to dance to the rhythm of his own drum than ride on his family’s name and its accomplishments.
Kano is famous for breeding prominent and prosperous African entrepreneurs such as Dangote, Abdulsamad Rabiu, and the Dantatas. A list on which Khalil Suleiman Halilu is working to include his name very soon.
Intrigued by the amazing world of feasible development through automation, Khalil came up with schemes to embody his love for entrepreneurship at an incredibly early stage in life.
Once, Khalil identified the shortage of electricity in his neighbourhood and devised a plan to aid those in need by producing ice using his household’s generators. He then sold packs of ice to neighbours who had no access to power. Khalil was known to be a pleasant child with a look at pinpointing problems and finding sustainable solutions to them. Khalil did not devote his entire childhood to the idea of finding solutions to issues in his neighborhood.
Khalil attended the Rainbow Primary School in Kano in 1996 and soon after, began his Secondary School Education at St. Thomas Catholic School (2001-2003) which he completed at Prime College, in Kano (2006).
After graduating from high school, Khalil enrolled at the University of Hertfordshire and obtained his Bachelor of Science (B. Sc) degree in Business Administration, as well as his Master’s degree in International Business.
As part of his University course requirements in 2008, Khalil and his team successfully planned and operated a fully functioning business venture in a time frame of just three days with Khalil leading the unit. Instead of settling for the usual buying and re-selling business scheme, Khalil and his team took a different route from their competitors. They started their business, a gaming centre that attracted a substantial amount of customers in a short time.
After three days of managing the gaming centre, Khalil and his team used the profits generated to plan and host an African-themed party. Khalil performed as the DJ, and tickets sold out in a couple of hours.
In the end, the team raised a significant amount of money from their business ventures. They generated the most in their class group and even broke the historical record of the university. To this day, Khalil and his team’s record remains unchanged.
Khalil is what one can call a ” true-born entrepreneur.” This only became clear in the later stages of his life when he developed a passion for providing affordable yet sustainable technological solutions to businesses operating in the agricultural sector. His continuous efforts and willingness to help others, have added value to humanity and positively changed the narrative of technological innovation in Africa.
After graduating from the University, Khalil worked as an admin clerk at Archimode & Associates. His path took a unique turn when he joined the family business and took over the position of Marketing Manager at Gongoni Company Limited. Gongoni is a vertically integrated aerosol manufacturing company and forms part of the sister company, Scirrocco International Limited, which specializes in the manufacturing of tea and cold beverages.
Khalil also served as Chief Operating Officer at Scirrocco and held this position for a little over three consecutive years.
At the young age of only 23, Khalil already held several positions in various companies as well as established an outstanding reputation for himself in the business sector.
Some positions Khalil has held over the time frame of three years include:
Managing Director (MD) at Khash Strategic Services Ltd. In 2014.
KSH Construction & Design LTD in 2014 Creative Director/Business developer- Africa Infotech Consultancy–2015 Operations Manager at ZCET Global Meter Services Ltd. in 2017
After unsuccessfully enrolling on a JAVA and DBA course, Khalil adapted and switched lanes to reach his goals and dreams rather than give up. He committed to carrying out in-depth research and stumbled upon the wonderful world of System Architecture along the line.
This type of architecture solely concentrates on design, construction, maintaining, and upgrading software and technological systems.
In 2018, KSH steered its focus onto this new field in the business world. He shepherded away from the sector his family’s businesses operate in and created something for himself in a completely distinct niche.
He subsequently focused on ways to provide sustainable solutions to technologically advanced environments. It was only after he altered course that Khalil came to the staggering realization that opportunities abound everywhere and It really depends on your point of view.
In the same year, OyaOya Strategic Services Ltd and ShapShap Logistics Ltd. came into being. OyaOya is a technological application designed to connect commodity traders in an ecosystem that is both fast and efficient.
ShapShap is an on-demand platform popular in Africa for catering to personal and business logistical needs. A technological application, ShapShap connects clients with drivers supported with flexible route options and insurance cover on goods being transported.
The app’s primary aim is to encourage SME growth and help bridge the gap between businesses and unbanked people in Africa.
In 2018, Khalil also launched Zabe, an election monitoring application that monitors election counts in Nigeria and provides detailed feedback on the election process to observers.
During Nigeria’s 2019 general elections, Zabe recorded the voting process of over 2,000% of users within a single election week.
In 2019, Khalil founded the first-ever eco-friendly technological hub in West Africa, best known as The CANs. The hub grew very popular over a short period and has continued to attract fellow environmentalists and technology enthusiasts from all over the continent. A community that encourages individuals to share ideas, host events, and become one with nature, The CANS is not only a technological platform but serves as a center, where technology start-ups can connect, learn, grow and prosper.
High-profile events are regularly hosted at the hub, including the send-forth party for the outgoing German Ambassador in June 2019.
Because of his business acumen, strategic skill, and detailed planning, Khalil is an asset and valuable resource to have on the Africa Infotech Consultancy board, as well as the JIGS Environmental Services and Agro-Allied Ltd. Khalil currently serves as the Chairperson of MACE Nigeria Ltd., which introduced the first digital content marketplace in Africa.
He also played an integral role in the setup of New AD, a UK-based company that is developing and supporting the global anaerobic digestion industry and other important technology inventions and devices used in the renewable energy enterprise.
Apart from his tertiary education, Khalil has received various awards and certificates for his participation and contribution to the growth and sustainability of the advancement of technology in Africa. Khalil Suleiman Halilu (KSH) today.
Close friends and family members describe Khalil as a workaholic with a passion for people. He is an extremely busy individual and runs a tight schedule. Khalil rarely gets time to unwind, and this does not stop him from achieving his goals and maintaining relationships. KSH enjoys the outdoors and never misses playing his favourite sports, Polo and golf on weekends. He is an experienced player and enjoys physical activities that soothe, heal and revitalize mind and body. Coupled with KSH’s ardour for technology and sustainable development, he is also in love with horses. Khalil considers himself an equestrian enthusiast and owns polo horses. He regularly plays polo with some of his favourite horses Crypto, Nicole, Skylar, and MJ.
One can expect to find Khalil in the company of fellow business owners, where they share visions, hopes, and dreams As well as what is achievable in the near future. Khalil is a true inspiration to so many, not only in the business sector but in mainstream society as well. His determination, perseverance, and positive attitude are the driving force behind his success and achievements.
When allowed to explore and travel to new places, Khalil ensures his bags are packed and his passport ready. He enjoys the small things in life and chooses not to take anything for granted.
Khalil has a vast network of friends and business associates, all of who come from different backgrounds and cultures. Even with time-zone differences and communication barriers, they all agree on one thing with Khalil Suleiman Halilu and that is his reliability, dependability, and loyalty to his friends and colleagues.
For NASENI, Halilu has brought about significant changes since becoming office. As a result of the agency’s leadership in advancing Nigeria’s technology, the country’s economy is already seeing the effects. With an emphasis on creativity, teamwork, and strategic leadership, NASENI is well-positioned to significantly boost Nigeria’s economic growth.
Adewole Kehinde is the publisher of Swift Reporters. 08166240846. kennyadewole@gmail.com @kennyadewole
