NASENI operates mainly through her Development Institutes. Each of the Institutes has a unique mandate of Engineering Infrastructural development. At present, there are Eight (8) Development Institutes.

Each of the Development Institutes is headed by a Director who is the Chief Executive of the Centre. The Director is a Professional engineer with proven experience in engineering practice, research and development. The Centre Director reports to the Director-General at NASENI Headquarters in Abuja. These Centres have developed various technologies some of which have been ceded to the SMEs.

The Institutes and their mandates are:

• Scientific Equipment Development Institutes (SEDI) in Enugu and Minna with a mandate to develop and produce scientific equipment and their production systems, and the ceding of these technologies to SMSs.

• Electronic Development Institute, ELDI, Awka with mandate to develop and produce electronic devices and assemblies, computer technologies and their production systems, and the ceding of the technologies to SMEs.

• Hydraulic Equipment Devlopment Institute (HEDI), Kano with a mandate to develop and produce hydraulic and pneumatic machinery, materials, fittings and their production systems, and the ceding of the technologies to SMEs

• Engineering Matrials development Institute (EMDI), Akure with mandate to develop and produce engineering materials and their production systems, and the ceding of the technologies to SMEs.

• National Engineering Design Development Institute (NEDDI), Nnewi with a mandate to develop engineering design capacity in the country and dissemination of same to SMEs with a view to ensuring that Nigerian made products attain standards specifications and make then globally acceptable.

• Power Equipment and Electrical Machines Development (PEEMADI), Okene with a mandate of developing and manufacture of machines to manufacture power equipment and electrical machines.

• Prototype Engineering Development Institute (PEDI), Ilesha with a mandate of developing engineering prototypes and their production systems and teh transfer of these to private sector satellite industries.