NASRDA advocates private participation in space technology

The National Space Research and Development Agency (NASRDA) has advocated active private sector participation and investments in the development of space business in Nigeria.

Director General of NASRDA, Prof Saidu O. Mohammed, said this when members of the Correspondent Chapel of the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ), Kogi State chapter, paid him a courtesy visit in Abuja.

He said the call became necessary given the fact that Nigeria as a country loses billions of naira annually in capital flight to countries that deliver telecommunication, data, satellite and internet services to the over 150 million citizens.

“Satellite technology remains the driving force behind most developed and developing economies. It provides security, telecommunications, technology advancements, protects the environment and a host of daily services. Over time, space technology has become a crucial tool in tackling the global challenges various countries are facing and will continue to face in years to come”, he said.

He said commitment to space technology development in the country will go a long in way creating millions of jobs and boosting food security through timely generation of relevant data for farmers.

“Food security is a critical issue and space technology can be harnessed to improve on that. We need to understand the soil and early warning system information. When you have large scale agriculture, you must continue to monitor soil fertility through satellite”, he said.

Prof Saidu, while noting the efforts of the agency in the generations of data which has helped the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) in response and management of disasters over the years, appealed for more support from government to enable the agency function optimally.