Market News

From Isaac Job, Uyo

The National Space Research and Development Agency (NASRDA) has said arrangements have been concluded to launch two new satellites to the orbit as a move to replace the one launched in 2011.

The agency’s Director General, Dr Matthew Adepoju, disclosed this in Uyo, while interacting with journalists on the sidelines of the 2025 NASRDA top management retreat in Akwa Ibom State.

According to him, the initiative would be in collaboration with Space Exploration and Research Agency (SERA) in USA.

“In the next six months to one year, definitely NASRDA will launch at least two out of the four satellites into the orbit.

“Then, the programme of the first Nigeria, first African to be in space would have been a reality too, because we have already secured the seat in the blue origin.

“So, we are in the process of selection of the Nigerian that will be the beneficiary of this initiative. It is a collaboration between NASRDA and SERA in USA”

Adepoju said that opportunities abound for wealth creation in the space sector to get Nigeria out of the present economic hardship and youth unemployment.

He said the agency had concluded plans to train about 200,000 youth with skills acquisition to catch up with opportunities in the space sector to develop themselves and self-reliant.

Adepoju revealed that President Bola Tinubu had approved the take off grant for the space regulations and spectrum management in Nigeria. He noted that lack of space regulations had been the reason many of the telecommunications companies operating in the country were rendering poor services to Nigerians.