November 25, (THEWILL) – Nigeria has unveiled plans to launch four satellites within the timeline of President Bola Tinubu’s administration.
Nigeria’s President, Bola Tinubu, disclosed this on Monday, at the opening ceremony of the 25th Anniversary of Nigeria in Space in Abuja.
The anniversary celebration was organised by the National Space Research and Development Agency (NASRDA), in collaboration with the Nigeria Communication Satellite Limited (NIGCOMSAT) and the Defence Space Administration (DSA).
Represented at the occasion by Chief Uche Nnaji, Minister of Innovation, Science and Technology, the President said efforts have been made by NASRDA to develop major space programmes in collaboration with the Nigerian Military to develop capacity in the use of space for tactical services, among others.
Noting that the early foresight of Nigerian leaders facilitated the enactment of the Space Act that led to the establishment of NASRDA in 1999, President Tinubu said, “Space is an area of limitless opportunities and one which the advanced countries of the world are relentlessly discovering on how the opportunities can be tapped for their advantage.
“It is obvious that Nigeria cannot afford to lag in this global quest of discovering space, and how the knowledge from such discoveries can help in solving her internal issues for national development.
“Today, the synergy between NASRDA, NigComSat and DSA has led to tripodal support upon which an advanced and more robust national space programme will be built in the near future.
“All these giant strides made by this important sector of our dear country are notable and noble with the launch of seven satellites and efforts are on top gear to launch an additional four satellites within the lifespan of this administration.
“Great effort should be made to ensure that the private sector is mainstreamed into the heart of our space programme for us to do more in the coming years for our national development.
“Similarly, the sector will require improved budgetary support to be able to accomplish its programmes, whose outcomes can bring massive socioeconomic dividends to Nigeria and her citizens.
“This will also solidify Nigeria’s standing as a leading space-faring country in Africa and further boost her image to competitively attract foreign direct investment because of our locational advantage for cheaper launching services.”
He called on lawmakers to prioritise the funding for space programmes to ensure the country played leading roles in the Fourth Industrial Revolution.
In his remarks, Nnaji, who was represented by Mrs Esuabana Nko-Asanye, Permanent Secretary of the ministry, said the World Economic Forum’s 2024 report projected the global space economy to reach about 1.8 trillion dollars by 2035.
The minister added that the growth would be driven by advances in satellite technology and industries like supply chain logistics and agriculture, among others.
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