Business
NASRDA To Build Made-In-Nigeria Satellite By 2018
The National Space
Research and Development Agency (NASRDA) is to develop and build a Nigerian satellite by 2018, its Director-General, Prof. Seidu Mohammed, has said.
Mohammed announced this in an interview with newsmen in Abuja.
He said that the agency was working on the legal framework of the Nigerian space programme with a view to enhance the nation’s Space Science and Technology Administration.
He said that the legal framework would set the foundation for the erection of systematic space science and technology in Nigeria.
“The policy document for the actualisation of the Nigerian space programme indicates that 2011 is meant for Nigeriasat II and X, while in 2015, the training of astronauts will commence.
“The agency is expected to achieve the development and building of made-in-Nigeria satellite in 2018, while 2025 is for the development of rocketry/ propulsion system,’’ he said.
Mohammed said that the spin-off of allied industries-electronics, and software among others would take place by 2026, while 2028 was for large-scale commercialisation of space technology with know-how.
He said that NASRDA would accomplish the launch of a Nigerian satellite from a Nigerian launch pad by 2030.
He said that the vision statement of the agency was to make Nigeria build indigenous competence in the development, design and building of appropriate hard and software in space technology.
He said that the agency was committed to Nigeria’s socio-economic development as well as enhancing the quality of life of the people.
Cornerstone of Financial Services
A survey of more than 1 000 global finance leaders undertaken by digital payment network Ripple shows that 72% of respondents believe they need to offer a digital asset solution to remain competitive.
According to Ripple, leaders from the banking, fintech, corporate and asset management sector have made it clear that the “digital asset revolution is happening now”.
“Digital assets are quickly becoming a cornerstone of financial services, underpinned by progressive regulation, growing interest from Tier-1 banks, a steady consumer shift from banks to fintech providers, and booming stablecoin adoption,” Ripple says.
The survey was conducted in early 2026 and the findings released in March.
Stablecoin Boon or Bane?
Ripple has experienced significant success in the stablecoin sector since launching its Ripple USD (RLUSD) stablecoin in 2024.
With a market cap of $1.56 billion, it is considered a major regulated player in the market.
No doubt the platform was pleased to learn through its own survey that financial leaders were most bullish about stablecoins.
Roughly three-quarters of respondents believed they could boost cash-flow efficiency and unlock trapped working capital.
Ripple noted that finance leaders were thinking about stablecoins as more than “just a new way to execute payments”; instead, they viewed them as effective tools for treasury management.
In March 2026, Ripple began testing a new trade finance model built around RLUSD in a bid to increase the speed of cross-border payments.
The pilot initiative, developed alongside supply chain finance company Unloq [https://unloq.com], is running on the XRP Ledger inside a testing framework developed by the Monetary Authority of Singapore.
The Asian city-state is one of the platform’s biggest growth markets.
The idea behind the project is to see whether stablecoin-based settlement can streamline trade finance, too often hampered by reliance on intermediaries and slow reconciliation.
The only potential drawback is that if the initiative takes off, the Ripple to USD price could be negatively affected.
Ripple has always championed its native XRP token as a bridge asset, the “middleman” in the process of a financial institution turning dollars in the US into pounds in the UK, for example.
Ripple converts dollars into XRP and then back into pounds.
If RLUSD can do exactly the same thing, questions will be asked about XRP’s relevance.
That is a bridge Ripple will have to cross if it gets to that point.
Tokenisation Partners
Another interesting finding from Ripple’s survey is that most banks and asset managers are seeking tokenisation partners to help execute their strategies.
Some 89% of respondents said digital asset storage and custody were top priority. “Token servicing/lifecycle management also ranks highly for banks at 82%, while asset managers place greater emphasis on primary distribution at 80%,” Ripple found.
The survey also revealed that just more than half of fintechs and financial institutions want an infrastructure provider that can offer a “one-stop-shop solution”. This rose to 71% among corporate financial leaders.
Ripple attributes this to institutions and firms wanting uncomplicated, cohesive systems.
Infrastructure Rules
In its final analysis, Ripple says companies across the board are looking for partners and solutions that are “secure, compliant, battle-tested and that enable growth and execution”.
“The message is clear: infrastructure decisions made today will shape competitive positioning tomorrow.”
No surprise that this is precisely where Ripple is placing much of its focus.
