The Nigerian Air Force (NAF) and the National Agency for Science and Engineering Infrastructure (NASENI) have renewed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to strengthen indigenous research, development, and innovation in the defence and aerospace sectors.
The agreement was signed during a courtesy visit by the Chief of the Air Staff, Air Marshal Hasan Bala Abubakar, to the Executive Vice Chairman/Chief Executive Officer of NASENI, Mr. Khalil Suleiman Halilu, at the agency’s headquarters in Abuja.
Speaking at the event, Air Marshal Abubakar highlighted the importance of the renewed partnership, describing it as a step towards a more “seamless, structured, and result-driven cooperation” between the two institutions. He said the MoU includes provisions for joint research and development, human capacity building, local production of aerospace components, and strategic co-development of defence technologies.
“This renewed partnership aligns perfectly with the presidential priority on innovation, defence self-reliance, and indigenous capacity development,” he said, noting its alignment with the Renewed Hope Agenda for a more secure and prosperous Nigeria.
On his part, NASENI’s chief executive, Mr. Halilu, reaffirmed the agency’s commitment to supporting NAF’s operational and industrial objectives through technological innovation. “We are not just ready, we are prepared to co-develop technologies that will support NAF’s operations and industrial capacity,” he said. “Together, we can move from importation to innovation, and from consumption to creation.”
The renewed MoU signals a major milestone in Nigeria’s pursuit of technological sovereignty in defence and underscores a shared vision by both agencies to leverage science and engineering as catalysts for national development and security.