The Nigerian Air Force (NAF) and the National Agency for Science and Engineering Infrastructure (NASENI) have renewed their partnership to boost indigenous research and innovation in Nigeria’s defence and aerospace sectors.
The new Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) was signed during a visit by the Chief of the Air Staff, Air Marshal Hasan Abubakar, to NASENI’s Executive Vice Chairman and CEO, Khalil Halilu, at the agency’s headquarters in Abuja.
The agreement introduces a more structured and results-driven framework for collaboration in areas such as joint research, human capacity development, local aerospace production, and strategic defence technology.
Air Marshal Abubakar praised NASENI’s recent strides in engineering innovation, describing the agency as “a beacon of hope for technological advancement.” He highlighted NASENI’s contribution to the development of the Nigerian-made C-5 aircraft rocket and called for co-ownership of the project to deepen cooperation.
The renewed alliance also builds on initiatives like the establishment of the NASENI North-West Technology Innovation Hub at the Air Force Institute of Technology (AFIT), Kaduna.
NASENI CEO Khalil Halilu reaffirmed the agency’s commitment to supporting NAF’s operational growth, describing the collaboration as a key step in Nigeria’s shift “from importation to innovation, and from consumption to creation.”
He added that the partnership reflects a shared vision to drive national development through science, technology, and defence self-reliance in line with the government’s Renewed Hope Agenda.
