The National Agency for Science and Engineering Infrastructure (NASENI) and the Presidential Implementation Committee on Technology Transfer (PICTT) have launched the second phase of the DELTA-2 Programme-the 2nd Call for Proposals, which will focus on Commercialisation of all R&D outcomes in different fields of the economy.
The director of Information, NASENI, Olusegun Ayeoyeninkan in a statement disclosed that the Delta-2 Project is a bilateral collaboration by the Nigerian government through NASENI-PICTT and the Czech Republic, 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 first call for proposals under the Delta-2 programme was launched in 2022, following which grants were disbursed by NASENI to winners of the approved projects to scale up their enterprises.
In his welcome address, the chairman of PICTT, Dr. Dahiru Mohammed said Delta-2 Project had become 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.
Mohammed 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, the Executive Vice Chairman/ CEO of NASENI, Mr. Khalil Suleiman Halilu 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.
