The National Agency for Science and Engineering Infrastructure, NASENI, is facing a major transparency challenge following a Freedom of Information request seeking full disclosure of public funds, foreign investments, strategic partnerships and project implementation records managed by the agency between 2023 and 2026.
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The request seeks a comprehensive account of the administration of the NASENI Statutory Fund, including revenues derived from the statutory 0.25 percent levy on the profits of companies operating in Nigeria, federal appropriations, foreign investments, development financing arrangements and the implementation status of flagship projects announced by the agency.
At the centre of the request are questions relating to the deployment, management and measurable impact of some of NASENI’s major investment initiatives, including the reported $2 billion Agricultural Machinery and Equipment Development Programme, AMEDP, strategic foreign partnerships, local manufacturing plans and technology domestication projects.
The request also seeks disclosure of agreements entered into with international partners, including arrangements involving the China Development Bank and Chinese technical partners for solar cell manufacturing, as well as records relating to the agency’s reported $425 million solar production expansion programme.
Details of private sector co-investors, project financing structures, local content commitments, implementation benchmarks and project outcomes have also been demanded.
The matter, filed as Aigbokhan President, Esq v. Mr. Khalil Suleiman Halilu & 2 Ors, with Suit No: FHC/ABJ/CS/957/2026, is now before the Federal High Court.
Particular attention is being directed at claims relating to rural electrification, irrigation infrastructure and technology deployment across the country.
NASENI has been asked to disclose the specific communities, local government areas and beneficiary locations where turbines, power infrastructure and other technology installations have been deployed, together with performance reports showing their operational status and impact.
The request, addressed to NASENI’s Executive Vice Chairman, Mr. Khalil Suleiman Halilu, is being presented as a high-stakes move to obtain documentary evidence on how one of Nigeria’s key science, engineering and technology agencies has managed funds and investment commitments under its control.
Following the expiration of the statutory period for disclosure under the Freedom of Information Act, judicial review proceedings have commenced before the Federal High Court.
On June 3, 2026, the court granted leave for judicial review and adjourned the matter to September 22, 2026, for further proceedings.
The proceedings are expected to test the extent of transparency obligations imposed on public agencies entrusted with substantial public funds, development financing arrangements and international investment portfolios.
The case also raises broader questions about accountability in the management of strategic development projects and whether public institutions can rely on broad policy announcements without providing verifiable records of implementation, expenditure and impact.
As one of Nigeria’s foremost technology and industrialisation agencies, NASENI occupies a strategic position in the management of public resources meant for industrial development, renewable energy, local manufacturing and technological advancement.
The FOI request therefore seeks to determine whether the agency’s publicised investment commitments and project announcements have translated into measurable benefits for Nigerians.
The development comes amid growing public demand for accountability from government agencies handling multi-billion-naira projects, memoranda of understanding, foreign partnerships and strategic infrastructure programmes.
Observers say the era of relying only on press statements and ceremonial project launches is giving way to stronger demands for documentary proof, statutory compliance and measurable results.
At stake is not merely compliance with an information request, but whether one of Nigeria’s most strategically positioned technology agencies can demonstrate, through verifiable records, that its investment announcements have produced tangible outcomes.
The court proceedings are expected to provide clarity on the scope of NASENI’s disclosure obligations under the Freedom of Information Act and the extent to which public agencies must account for funds, partnerships and projects carried out in the name of national development.
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