The Executive Vice Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, National Agency for Science and Engineering Infrastructure (NASENI), Mr. Khalil Suleiman Halilu has been honoured with the Award for Outstanding Service in Innovations and Reforms (2025) by the board of editors and panel of judges of Daily Telegraph Publishing Company Limited, publishers of New Telegraph, Saturday Telegraph and Sunday Telegraph newspapers.
The award ceremony held on Saturday, 13th February, 2026 at the Oriental Hotel, Victoria Island, Lagos, came a day after NASENI was honoured with the award of Environmental Impact Agency of Year 2025 by the Leadership Newspapers at the Bola Tinubu International Conference Centre, Abuja.
Presenting the Award to the EVC/CEO of NASENI, Dr. Dakuku Peterside, former Director-General, Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA), said Halilu is one of the most outstanding visionaries working and delivering the dividends of democracy in President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s administration.
Halilu won the award for being one of the individuals and corporates, who have distinguished themselves in various sectors of our national life.
Earlier, while reading the citation of the NASENI Executive Vice Chairman, the New Telegraph Managing Director and Editor-in-Chief, Ayo Aminu, stated the newspaper has carefully followed Halilu’s activities at NASENI since his appointment by President Bola Tinubu in September 2023, “and we note with delight that you have moved the Agency from a research-focused institution to a performance-driven technology transfer and commercialisation hub.
“We are aware that you are the youngest Executive Vice Chairman/CEO in NASENI’s history. But that has not stopped you from the very impressive strides we have noted in the Agency, which we won’t be able to cover in this letter,” he said.
The citation noted various transformations carried out by the NASENI boss such as introduction of over 44 indigenous commercial products, 55 national projects implemented, more than 50 strategic partnerships signed; over 30,000 direct jobs created and new Development Institutes and Centres being built in all 36 states and the FCT.
Others include initiation of institutional reforms to transform NASENI into a delivery oriented organization; creation of the Project Management Office (PMO) and Implementation Management Office (IMO) to strengthen accountability and execution; the deployment of an Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) system to enhance transparency and efficiency across projects, among others.
Mr. Halilu appreciated the newspaper for finding him worthy of the honour saying, “I thank my team at NASENI for the work we are doing. We are committed and we’ll do more. We are basically replacing importation with made-in-Nigeria goods; we are creating jobs and ensuring security of the country.”
He said “When awards like this come, it is a sign that we are working and that people are noticing what we are doing. It gives you a boost and confidence to do more,” Halilu added.
The New Telegraph 2025 Awards ceremony held at the Grand Ballroom, Oriental Hotel, Victoria Island, Lagos witnessed the governors of Lagos, Imo, Zamfara, Ekiti, Rivers, Edo, Delta, and Sokoto states as well as CEOs of top MDAs receive awards for various interventions in their states. And agencies.
eSigned:
Olusegun Ayeoyenikan
Director of information NASENI
14th February, 2026
