By Enyichukwu Enemanna
Nigerian President, Bola Tinubu has announced the appointment of a 32-year-old techpreneur as the Executive Vice Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of the National Agency for Science and Engineering Infrastructure (NASENI).
Khalil Suleiman Halilu replaces Dr Bashir Gwandu whose appointment in the agency has been terminated.
Halilu is the founder of The CANs, which he said is the “first-ever” eco-friendly technological hub in West Africa.
Before then, Halilu in 2018 founded OyaOya Strategic Services Ltd and ShapShap Logistics Ltd.
While his OyaOya is a technological application designed to connect commodity traders in an ecosystem that is both fast and efficient, ShapShap is an on-demand platform that connects clients with drivers supported with flexible route options and insurance cover on goods being transported.
His appointment on Friday was announced in a statement by the Special Adviser to the President on Media and Publicity, Ajuri Ngelale.
Halilu will serve for an initial term of five years in accordance with the relevant sections of the NASENI Act, 2014, the statement said.
Ngelale said Halilu is expected to bring his significant experience as an innovator and technology expert to bear in this important new national assignment.
A graduate of University of Hertfordshire, Halilu was born on October 29, 1990, into a lineage of traders in Kano, Nigeria’s centre of commerce.
