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 the commercialisation of all R&D outcomes in different fields of the economy.

The Delta-2 Project is a bilateral collaboration by the Federal Government of Nigeria through NASENI and PICTT and the Czech Republic through the Technology Agency of the Czech Republic (TACR), targeting submissions from innovators, technology entrepreneurs, and researchers in Nigeria across mining, agriculture, advanced manufacturing, science and engineering, among others.

The First Call for Proposals under the Delta-2 programme was launched in the year 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, Presidential Implementation Committee on Technology Transfer (PICTT), Dr Dahiru Mohammed, said Delta-2 Project had become a major driver of innovation, economic growth, and sustainable development in Nigeria, saying it aimed at accelerating Nigeria’s technological growth through international collaboration.

He 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 had resulted in innovative products and services across agriculture, advanced manufacturing, and other strategic sectors, which had 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 was already yielding results.

In her goodwill message, the Chairman/CEO, Nigerians in Diaspora Commission (NiDCOM), Dr Abike Dabiri-Erewa, said the initiative reflected the visionary leadership of President Tinubu’s administration in encouraging fresh ideas and innovations that could move the country forward.