By Celestine Okafor (Editor-in-chief)
An epoch making event is taking place this Monday, October 19, 2026 in Kaduna State as the National Agency for Science and Engineering Infrastructure (NASENI) will commission its newly built Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) training facility for drones.
The agency will also carry out a groundbreaking ceremony of the Skill Development Centre that will empower 500 households with clean energy solutions as well as sign an agreement with Kaduna State Government on technology transfer and local innovations.
The four events which will hold on Monday, October 19, 2026, in Kaduna State, titled “NASENI Strategic Engagement with the Kaduna State Government” focuses on strengthening collaboration between NASENI and the Kaduna State Government in technological innovation, skills development, capacity building and sustainable empowerment.
The engagements will be led by the Executive Vice Chairman and CEO of NASENI, Mr. Khalil Suleiman Halilu; the Executive Governor of Kaduna State, Senator Uba Sani and other dignitaries. The inauguration of the UAV training facility will take place at Rigachukun, Kaduna State.
NASENI partnered with Caverton Helicopters to establish NasCav Technology Limited (NASCAV), a joint venture established to promote indigenous aviation technology, develop technical skills, and strengthen Nigeria’s capacity in unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) operations. The partnership supports the establishment of drone assembly, training and maintenance service capabilities, contributing to Nigeria’s drive towards technological self-reliance and industrial development.
Through agricultural drone technology and the SHEFLY initiative, NASCAV is supporting the application of UAVs to precision agriculture. Drones can assist with crop monitoring, farm assessment, targeted spraying and other farm management activities, potentially reducing production costs, improving resource utilisation and increasing agricultural productivity. The initiative also seeks to empower rural women farmers through access to modern agricultural technology.
Also, the NASENI Skill Development Centre in Rigachukun, Kaduna State, will serve as a practical training facility where participants can develop technical and vocational skills relevant to enterprise and industry, prepare them for both employment and self-reliance, support enterprise development and contribute to the state’s economic activity and NASENI’s wider efforts to promote science, engineering and technology.
The Agency will also hold its NASENI Sustainable Empowerment Programme (NSEP) in the state capital where 450 women and 50 men will be empowered with clean energy cookstoves, NASENI Home Solar Solutions and support packs, aimed at reducing energy costs, supporting household livelihoods and ensuring that the benefits of innovation reach communities at the grassroots.
Finally, to round off the events at the Banquet Hall, Government House, NASENI and Kaduna State Government will sign a Memorandum of Agreement (MoA) establishing a framework for technology transfer, local capacity building, and commercialisation of indigenous innovations in key sectors of Kaduna State's economy. NNL.
