Speaking at the awards ceremony held at the Agency’s headquarters , on Thursday, 6th November 2025, Mr. Khalil Suleiman Halilu, the executive vice chairman/chief executive of NASENI, stated that DELT-Her represents an opportunity platform through which women can turn bold engineering ideas into solutions that change the world.

The NASENI boss stated that out of the 9,925 project proposals, 14 women engineers emerged as awardees, receiving N229 million in grant funding to advance their innovative projects across critical sectors such as agriculture, clean energy, health, mobility, digital security and environmental sustainability.

He said NASENI believes that gender inclusion is not charity, it is strategy, as every woman empowered through DELT-Her represents new capacity for the nation’s technology and manufacturing ecosystem with a unique perspective that drives better designs, smarter products and more human-centred innovation.

According to him,

“The first edition of DELT-Her in 2024 ignited a movementby empowering six outstanding female engineers with N70.5 million in grant supportto develop pioneering innovations. This year, DELT-Her 2.0 attracted 9,925 project proposals, compared to just 120 applications in the previous year.”

Halilu added that “from mentoring 30 school girls in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) in 2024, the programme scaled in 2025 to reach over 150 girls across Kwara, Niger, Plateau, Nasarawa and the FCT, providing mentorship, bootcamps and fabrication kits that have inspired them to develop their own prototypes.”

In his opening address, Dr. Mohammed Dahiru, chairman of PICTT, commended the awardees, noting that their dedication, ingenuity and resilience exemplify the potential of women in Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM).

“As we honour these milestones, let us recommit to sustaining this momentum, ensuring that DELT-Her continues to bridge gaps and drive national development,” he remarked.

The Senate President, Senator Godswill Akpabio, represented by the Chairman, Senate Committee on NASENI, Senator Ezenwa Francis Onyewuchi, reaffirmed the commitment of the Senate to the ideals represented by NASENI including indigenous production, local content development and gender inclusion in science and technology.

“We believe that a nation that builds its technology builds its destiny and a nation that empowers its women secures its future,” he added.

In her remarks, the Minister of State for Finance, Dr. Doris Udoka, commended NASENI and PICTT for their foresight and dedication. She noted that their initiatives align meaningfully with the Federal Government’s broader commitment to promoting technological independence, industrial growth, gender inclusion and national competitiveness.

Goodwill messages came from the Postmaster-General and CEO, Nigerian Postal Service (NIPOST), Engr. (Ms) Tola Odeyemi; Executive Director, Business Devt, Nigerian Export-Import Bank, Stella Okotete; Special Assistant on ICT to the President, Fawaz Amodu; representatives of President, Nigerian Society of Engineers (NSE), Minister of State for FCT; DG of PenCom; Secretary Government of the Federation and DG of NIMC.

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.

Dr. Dahiru Mohammed, chairman, Presidential Implementation Committee on Technology Transfer (PICTT), described Delta-2 Project as 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, Mr. Khalil Suleiman Halilu, the executive vice chairman/CEO of NASENI, 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, Chief Uche Geoffrey Nnaji, minister of Innovation, Science and Technology, said:

“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, Dr. Abike Dabiri-Erewa, the chairman/CEO, Nigerians in Diaspora Commission (NiDCOM), 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, Mr. John Ugochukwu Uwajumogu, special assistant to the President on Trade, Investment and Industry, 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.