NASENI receives 169 entries for Research Commercialisation Grant
The National Agency for Science and Engineering Infrastructure (NASENI) has received 169 proposals from universities, polytechnics and research institutes across Nigeria’s six geopolitical zones for its Research Commercialisation Grant Programme (NRCGP), an initiative aimed at transforming research outputs into market-ready products.
The Team Lead of the NRCGP and Deputy Director of Monitoring and Evaluation, Ms. Joy Elugbe, disclosed this during the latest edition of the NASENI Window Podcast recorded at the agency’s headquarters in Abuja.
Elugbe said NASENI engaged 21 professors to evaluate the originality and technical quality of the submissions after the application window closed. A preliminary screening reduced the entries to 49 after duplicate and ineligible proposals were removed.
She said the agency’s Innovation Hub further assessed the shortlisted proposals for commercial viability, with 12 proposals—two from each geopolitical zone—advancing to the due diligence stage ahead of the selection of six grant beneficiaries.
“The objective is not simply to fund research but to invest in innovations that can successfully reach the market and deliver real impact,” Elugbe said.
She explained that the programme was designed to address the challenge of research breakthroughs remaining unused due to inadequate funding, adding that it targets innovations capable of creating jobs, generating economic value and supporting Nigeria’s industrial development.
Elugbe added that NASENI conducted nationwide sensitisation campaigns and radio awareness programmes to boost participation and improve the quality of submissions, noting that successful innovators would also receive technical guidance, market advisory services and commercialisation support through the agency’s Innovation Hub.
