Nigeria Newspapers Online

The federal government has began the construction of the Sustainable and Emerging Technologies Institute (SETI), through the National Agency for Science and Engineering Infrastructure (NASENI). 

The initiative is said to be part of President Bola Tinubu’s agenda to drive industrialization and empower young Nigerians through innovation and technology.

Speaking during the ground-breaking ceremony held at the Bayero University Kano (BUK), Minister of Science and Technology, Uche Nnaji, highlighted the importance of SETI in fostering technological advancement and economic growth in Nigeria.

@media only screen and (min-width: 992px){#div-vi-1716478739{width:728px !important;height:90px !important}}

“This groundbreaking is a proclamation of love for and belief in the power and potential of young Nigerians. SETI is not just a small ambition; it will occupy 30 hectares on the BUK New Campus and house state-of-the-art innovation hubs dedicated to artificial intelligence and other emerging technologies, all supported by a reliable power supply,” the minister said.

He explained that NASENI will fully fund, build, and equip the new institute, which aims to produce innovators, technologists, and entrepreneurs capable of making an impact globally.

He added that in addition to SETI, a second NASENI project—a 10-hectare Agri-preneurship Training Hub—will also be established at BUK’s Old Campus.

“This hub will feature modern greenhouses, facilities for soil-less farming, and tissue culture laboratories to advance agricultural technology in Nigeria,” he said.

In his address, the Executive Vice Chairman of NASENI, Khalil S. Halilu, reaffirmed the agency’s commitment to driving industrialization through its core principles of Collaboration, Creation, and Commercialization (3Cs).

He emphasized that SETI and the Agri-preneurship Hub align with NASENI’s goal of equipping Nigeria’s youth with the necessary skills to catalyze national transformation.

“With the support of all stakeholders, we will fulfill our mandate of fast-tracking Nigeria’s emergence as an industrial powerhouse,” he said.