First made-in-Nigeria helicopter to fly soon, says NASENI

The National Agency for Science and Engineering Infrastructure (NASENI) says the first made-in-Nigeria helicopter is nearing completion.

Kareem Aduagba, project manager of the Aeronautics and Air Vehicle Development Institute, an agency under NASENI, spoke on Wednesday during a focus group engagement in Kaduna.

The event organised by NASENI was attended by inventors and manufacturers drawn from academia and private sectors to promote local manufacturing, innovation, and the adoption of made-in-Nigeria products.

The forum also brought together government officials, industry leaders, and innovators to discuss policies that will drive Nigeria’s industrial and technological growth.

“Very soon, we are going to do the first test. Everything is nearing completion now, and very soon, we will fly the first made-in-Nigeria helicopter,” Aduagba said.

“What we are doing now is not to reinvent the wheel. We had one of our projects being started from the first principle, which we are working on, both the made-in-Nigeria helicopter and some unmanned aerial vehicles (UAV).

“We have some which we bought over from developed countries, which we had them in semi-knockdown (SKD) and some complete knockdown (CKD).

“So, we are now making use of science and engineering knowledge to work on the SKD and the CKD.”

Abdulfatai Ambali, head of the manufacturing services department at the Hydraulic Equipment Development Institute, Kano (under NASENI), emphasised the agency’s role in national development.

Ambali added that NASENI has a renewed focus on commercialisation, collaboration, and creation under its current leadership.

He said many Nigerians are not aware of NASENI and its activities, noting that with the current leadership, the agency is prioritising awareness, stakeholder engagement, and community impact.

He added that NASENI is working to develop homegrown technology to reduce the country’s over-reliance on foreign products, with many innovative solutions already deployed across various sectors.

Saleh Kwaru, the facilitator of the programme, urged Nigerians to be patriotic by supporting local industries, emphasising that national development depends on patronising homegrown products.

“We must look inward and leverage our resources. Constantly relying on foreign products weakens our economy,” Kwaru said.