By Yusuf Zubairu
The National Agency for Science and Engineering Infrastructure NASENI has strengthened skills development, drone technology training and community empowerment in Kaduna State through new initiatives aimed at promoting local expertise and economic opportunities.
The initiatives include the groundbreaking of a Skills Development Centre, the commissioning of a drone training facility and the distribution of household support items under the agency’s Sustainable Empowerment Programme.
At the groundbreaking ceremony of the NASENI Skills Development Centre in Rigachikun, Igabi Local Government Area, NASENI’s Executive Vice Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, Khalil Suleiman Halilu, said the centre would provide practical, industry-relevant training to promote youth employment, entrepreneurship and self-reliance.
In his remarks, the Kaduna State Governor, Uba Sani, said the facility would complement existing vocational institutions and expand access to technical education, particularly for women, persons with disabilities and underserved communities.
He disclosed that 4,050 trainees graduated from the Kaduna State Institute of Vocational Training and Skills Development in August, adding that the state had provided ₦800 million to support the graduates in establishing businesses.
At the commissioning of the NASCAV Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) Training Centre at the Air Force Institute of Technology (AFIT), Kaduna, Khalil Suleiman Halilu said the facility had already trained two cohorts of drone pilots through a partnership between NASENI and Caverton Helicopters.
He noted that drone technology could support agriculture, infrastructure monitoring, healthcare, environmental surveillance and security operations.
Representing the Minister of Defence, General Christopher Musa, AFIT Commandant, Air Vice Marshal Adeniran Kolade Ademuwagun, called for greater investment in indigenous technological capacity to reduce Nigeria’s dependence on foreign suppliers, particularly in defence and security.
He said developing local expertise would improve equipment maintenance, operational efficiency and intelligence gathering.
Similarly, Governor Uba Sani also highlighted women’s participation in the drone training initiative, stating that at least 60 per cent of the centre’s participants were women.
Under its Sustainable Empowerment Programme, NASENI also distributed clean cooking stoves, solar home systems and support packs to 450 women and 50 men in Kaduna State.
Halilu said the interventions were designed to improve household welfare, reduce recurring expenses and extend the benefits of science and engineering to grassroots communities.
He added that the initiatives reflected NASENI’s principles of Creation, Collaboration and Commercialisation, stressing that partnerships among government institutions, technical organisations and the private sector were essential to developing local expertise and translating technological innovations into practical economic benefits.
The officials called for sustained collaboration, quality project implementation and effective use of the facilities and distributed items to ensure lasting benefits for young people, businesses and communities.
