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President Ahmed Bola Tinubu together with top government officials which included the Director General of the Raw Materials Research and Development Council (RMRDC), Professor Nnanyelugo Ike-Muonso gathered at the Banquet Hall of the Presidential Villa, Abuja to mark Nigeria’s 25 years in space technology. President Tinubu who was represented at the event by the Honourable Minister of Innovation, Science and Technology, Chief Uche Godfrey Nnaji emphasized the critical role of a well-funded and empowered space sector in driving Nigeria’s development and ensuring the country remains a leader in Africa’s space industry.
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President Tinubu charged Nigerian lawmakers to give priority attention and increased funding and reforms for the nation’s space programme. In the words of Mr. President, “I am glad that we have a good number of legislators here to celebrate this milestone together. I, therefore, call upon our legislators to prioritize the funding for our space programme to ensure we play a leading role in this fourth industrial revolution”, President Tinubu stated. The President equally emphasized the need for enhanced support to solidify Nigeria’s position in the fourth industrial revolution and foster greater international engagement in space exploration.
Earlier, the Director General of the National Space Research and Development Agency (NASRDA), Dr. Mathew Adepoju pointed out that in the past 25 years, the Nigerian space programme had been the beacon of Nigeria’s aspiration in space exploration and development, thus placing the country on the global map of space-faring nations. The NASRDA boss stated that agencies such as the Raw Materials Research and Development Council (RMRDC) can leverage on space technology to track raw materials exploitation across the country.
In his remark, the Honourable Minister of Innovation, Science and technology, Chief Uche Nnaji who was represented by the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry, Mrs. Esuabana Nko Asanye stated that the World Economic Forum 2024 report projected the global space economy to reach about 1.8 trillion dollars by 2035. Chief Nnaji added that this growth would be largely driven by advancements in space and satellite technology and industries like agriculture, supply chain logistics, among others.
The Honourable Minister applauded President Tinubu for recognizing the critical role of space technology in achieving the laudable ideals of the Renewed Hope Agenda.
The event was organized by the National Space research and Development Agency (NASRDA) in conjunction with Nigeria Communication Satellite (NigComSat) and Defense Space Administration (DSA).
