NASENI’s UniAbuja Agri-Incubation Centre in Line with SDGs’ Zero Hunger, No Poverty Mantra – Dr Tanko

By Emmanuel Kwada 

The National Agency for Science and Engineering Infrastructure (NASENI) is spearheading a transformative push toward Nigeria’s food security with its state-of-the-art Agricultural Incubation Centre at the University of Abuja (UniAbuja), Gwagwalada.

This initiative directly supports the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) 1 (No Poverty) and 2 (Zero Hunger), according to Dr. Yahaya Tanko, Technical Assistant to NASENI’s Executive Vice Chairman/CEO, Khalil Suleiman Halilu on SDG

Speaking at an SDG event organised by advocacy for food security, Dr. Tanko expressed strong confidence that the NASENI-funded project will serve as a powerful pathway to eradicating poverty and achieving zero hunger by fostering technology-driven agriculture, innovation, and commercial viability.

“The agriculture incubator funded by NASENI is fully in line with SDGs 1 and 2,” Dr. Tanko affirmed. “It positions Nigeria to harness science, technology, and innovation (STI) to unlock the full potential of our vast arable land and build a resilient, self-sufficient food system.”

Under the visionary leadership of Khalil Halilu over the past two years, NASENI has accelerated innovative projects with rapid implementation.

The UniAbuja centre, spanning 10 hectares on the university campus, integrates poultry production, aquaculture, crop cultivation, and cutting-edge research. When completed, it is poised to become a replicable model across Nigeria’s six geopolitical zones.

It positions Nigeria to harness science, technology, and innovation (STI) to unlock the full potential of our vast arable land and build a resilient, self-sufficient food system.

The facility features a world-class agribusiness training and incubation centre, three commercially sustainable production units including a 10,000-capacity broiler poultry farm, a 10,000-capacity layer poultry farm, and catfish/tilapia aquaculture farms with three 16-metre-diameter tanks projected to yield about 25 tonnes of fish annually.

It also has 10 high-tunnel greenhouses (500 sqm each), a 2.5-hectare net house, and four hectares of open-field farmland supported by drip irrigation.

Additionally, there’s a tissue culture laboratory to fast-track seedling production and enhance crop quality, plus supporting infrastructure like six solar-powered boreholes, power storage workshops, irrigation control rooms, and a planned water retention structure for year-round supply.

“The NASENI Agricultural Incubation Centre is designed to make food available and affordable through technology-driven farming, breeding, and research,” he said.

“Its placement in a university environment deliberately strengthens R&D, knowledge transfer, and innovation.

The United Nations World Food Programme warns that 35 million Nigerians could face acute food insecurity in 2026 without urgent intervention, particularly in the north.

NASENI’s initiative addresses these gaps by promoting modernized, tech-infused farming, youth empowerment through training and startups, reduced unemployment, and stronger links between farmers, researchers, investors, and markets.

It aims to boost yields, diversify the economy, commercialize local products, earn foreign exchange, and ease pressure on the naira.

By restoring Nigeria’s agro-industrial prowess and driving an agricultural renaissance, NASENI’s UniAbuja Agri-Incubation Centre signals a bold new dawn—turning vast untapped potential into sustainable food security, innovation, and prosperity for all Nigerians.

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