Onome Amuge
Nigeria has launched the second phase of a bilateral programme with the Czech Republic, aiming to commercialise research and development outcomes across strategic sectors of its economy as the government seeks to pivot towards technology-driven growth.
The DELTA-2 initiative, unveiled in Abuja this week by the National Agency for Science and Engineering Infrastructure (NASENI) and the Presidential Implementation Committee on Technology Transfer (PICTT), marks a new chapter in Nigeria’s effort to monetise innovation. Unlike many research schemes that have languished on the shelf, DELTA-2 is designed with a sharp commercial edge, targeting entrepreneurs, researchers and start-ups working in fields from agriculture to advanced manufacturing and renewable energy.
Officials said the programme, backed on the Czech side by the Technology Agency of the Czech Republic (TA CR), underscores Abuja’s commitment to shifting the economy away from over-reliance on crude oil revenues and toward knowledge-intensive sectors.
“This is not research for shelves. This is research for impact. Every funded project must deliver tangible, scalable and commercially viable outcomes that respond to Nigeria’s real challenges and opportunities,” Uche Geoffrey Nnaji, minister of innovation, science and technology said.
That commercial imperative distinguishes DELTA-2 from earlier technology transfer efforts in Nigeria, which often faltered due to weak links between academia and the private sector. Under the programme, selected projects receive financial backing, technical support and market access opportunities.
The first round of calls in 2022 drew 285 submissions from Nigerian innovators, of which 25 projects were funded last year. Officials say those investments are already bearing fruit, spawning new products in agriculture, renewable energy and manufacturing that have created jobs and enhanced local capacity.
Khalil Suleiman Halilu, NASENI’s executive vice-chairman, said 12 beneficiaries from the initial call are already scaling up, citing projects ranging from solar energy systems to advanced materials. “It is research that bridges the gap between the laboratory and the marketplace, between ideas and impact,” he said.
Beyond domestic commercialisation, policymakers are keen to emphasise DELTA-2’s role as a diplomatic and industrial bridge. By pairing Czech expertise in industrial technologies with Nigerian entrepreneurial capacity, officials argue, the programme can unlock mutual gains and embed Nigerian firms deeper into global supply chains.
“It is also a bridge between nations — between Czech enterprises and Nigerian innovators, between European expertise and African creativity,” Halilu said.
Dahiru Mohammed, who chairs PICTT, called the programme a major driver of innovation, economic growth and sustainable development,adding that it would help cut import dependence and position Nigerian small and medium-sized enterprises more competitively.
John Ugochukwu Uwajumogu, special assistant to the president on trade, investment and industry, said technology transfer would be critical. “We must strengthen our industrial capacity to attract both global and domestic investments and to compete strongly on the global stage,” he said.
Officials also framed the initiative as part of Tinubu’s “Renewed Hope” agenda, which prioritises renewable energy, food security, and digital mobility alongside traditional sectors like mining.
Abike Dabiri-Erewa, chair of the Nigerians in Diaspora Commission, praised the programme but urged that future iterations should extend to skilled Nigerians abroad. “It shows how much we have achieved in technology and innovation as a nation,” she said, calling for diaspora innovators to be integrated into subsequent funding rounds.
Analysts note that while bilateral programmes can catalyse momentum, sustained impact will depend on building local venture capital capacity, reforming regulatory bottlenecks, and ensuring that funded projects reach genuine commercial scale.
For now, however, officials argue that DELTA-2 offers a model of how targeted international collaboration, combined with a focus on outcomes rather than theory, can anchor Nigeria’s ambition to become an innovation-led economy.
“These projects respond not only to today’s needs but anticipate the challenges of tomorrow — from climate change to digital transformation. Together, we are proving that Nigerian innovation has global relevance,”Halilu stated.
