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From Juliana Taiwo-Obalonye, Abuja
President Bola Tinubu has directed the immediate release of approved funds for maintaining Nigeria’s space assets, underscoring his administration’s push for a results-driven space programme that benefits everyday citizens.
Speaking through Vice President Kashim Shettima at the first National Space Council meeting held on Tuesday at the Presidential Villa, Abuja, Tinubu reiterated his commitment to the revised 25-year roadmap for Nigeria’s space policy. “I hereby approve that the cost of the implementation of the approved revised 25-year roadmap for the implementation of the national space policy be forwarded to the Federal Executive Council for consideration and approval,” he stated, according to a statement issued by the vice president’s media aide, Stanley Nkwocha.
“Nigeria will not watch the new frontier unfold from the sideline. We will participate, we will compete, we will contribute. Our space ambitions must be anchored in outcomes, accountability and national value,” Tinubu said. “We must build a programme that serves the farmer in the field, the teacher in the classroom, the entrepreneur in the market, the soldier on duty, the researcher in the laboratory and the policymaker who must plan with evidence rather than guesswork. This is how a nation turns attitude into advantage.”
The president linked space investments to the Renewed Hope Agenda, promising steadfast support for the National Space Research and Development Agency (NASRDA). He highlighted outer space as “a new frontier for human development, as a stimulus for increased technological advancement and economic diversification,” offering opportunities for resource exploration, environmental protection, cybersecurity and a digital economy projected to exceed $1 trillion by 2040.
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“When we invest in space, we are not funding a distant dream. We are funding precision in agriculture and security in our borders; we are funding early warning systems against floods and fires, smarter cities, safer skies, stronger communications and a digital economy that can compete with the best in the world. We are funding the confidence of a nation that refuses to be trapped by the limits of yesterday,” Tinubu emphasised.
He urged NASRDA to enforce regulations under the 2010 NASRDA Act and directed ministries, departments and agencies (MDAs), stakeholders and the private sector to comply, including timely fund releases from the Ministry of Finance.
Minister of Innovation, Science and Technology, Kingsley Udeh, hailed the meeting as historic, noting approvals for NASRDA’s Conditions of Service and Staff Regulations to retain experts through competitive pay. “Another resolution passed by the council is to set up a working group of space experts to work on the revised Nigeria 25-year space programme roadmap,” Udeh said, listing members including NASRDA, the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC), the National Defence Space Agency and NIGCOMSAT.
The council also approved the Bola Ahmed Tinubu Space Centre in Ekpe for satellite launches, cutting reliance on foreign expertise.
