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NigeriaSat-2 For Launch In October

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15 years ago

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Nigeria’s second earth observation satellite, a higher resolution facility compared to the first one, will be launched on October 29, 2010, the National Space Research Development Agency (NASRDA) has said.

  The Director-General, NASRDA, Dr. Saidu Mohammed, made the announcement at a one-day workshop on the “Applications of High Resolution Satellite Imageries and Synthetic Aperture Radar Imageries,” held in Abuja on Monday.The satellite, dubbed NigeriaSat-2, will be the nation’s third spacecraft to be put in orbit in the past eight years.

  The new 300kg satellite, initially slated for launch in 2009, will provide the country with geographically-referenced high-resolution satellite imaging for applications in mapping, water resources management, agricultural land use, population estimation, health hazard monitoring and disaster mitigation and management.

   The satellite will carry a 2.5-metre panchromatic and 5m multi-spectral resolution payloads as well as a 32m resolution payload from NigeriaSat-1. It will also provide a viable alternative to aerial photography for emergency response planning.

   Mohammed said, “With pride and delight, I wish to inform this gathering that by God’s grace, NASRDA will launch a new high resolution earth observation satellite just about four months from now, on October 29, to be precise.”All our management, staff, project manager, engineers and scientists, along with our partners and consultants, are working day-in-day-out to ensure a successful orbital delivery.”

  He added, “We are also trusting the Lord Almighty and counting on the support of the entire nation, our engineering, scientific and research communities for your support and prayers.”With a successful launch of NigeriaSat-2, thereby increasing our nation’s capability for acquisition and utilisation of high resolution imageries, Nigeria would have moved up another notch in the provision of the major technological, economic and social development infrastructure.”

  We are not only launching NigeriaSat-2, we are simultaneously launching NigeriaSat-X, an experimental satellite, designed and built by our engineers under the supervision of our technical partner.”

  British satellite specialists, Surrey Satellite Technology Limited, won the contract for the construction of the nation’s second earth observation satellite, following due diligence conducted by the procurement adviser, Telesat of Canada.

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Kenyan Runners Dominate Berlin Marathons

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2 days ago

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September 22, 2025

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Kenya made it a clean sweep at the Berlin Marathon with Sabastian Sawe winning the men’s race and Rosemary Wanjiru triumphing in the women’s.

Sawe finished in two hours, two minutes and 16 seconds to make it three wins in his first three marathons.

The 30-year-old, who was victorious at this year’s London Marathon, set a sizzling pace as he left the field behind and ran much of the race surrounded only by his pacesetters.

Japan’s Akasaki Akira came second after a powerful latter half of the race, finishing almost four minutes behind Sawe, while Ethiopia’s Chimdessa Debele followed in third.

“I did my best and I am happy for this performance,” said Sawe.

“I am so happy for this year. I felt well but you cannot change the weather. Next year will be better.”

Sawe had Kelvin Kiptum’s 2023 world record of 2:00:35 in his sights when he reached halfway in 1:00:12, but faded towards the end.

In the women’s race, Wanjiru sped away from the lead pack after 25 kilometers before finishing in 2:21:05.

Ethiopia’s Dera Dida followed three seconds behind Wanjiru, with Azmera Gebru, also of Ethiopia, coming third in 2:21:29.

Wanjiru’s time was 12 minutes slower than compatriot Ruth Chepng’etich’s world record of 2:09:56, which she set in Chicago in 2024.

 

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NIS Ends Decentralised Passport Production After 62 Years

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September 22, 2025

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The Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS) has officially ended passport production at multiple centres, transitioning to a single, centralised system for the first time in 62 years.
Minister of Interior, Dr Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo, made the disclosure during an inspection of the Nigeria’s new Centralised Passport Personalisation Centre at the NIS Headquarters in Abuja, last Thursday.
He stated that since the establishment of NIS in 1963, Nigeria had never operated a central passport production centre, until now, marking a major reform milestone.
“The project is 100 per cent ready. Nigeria can now be more productive and efficient in delivering passport services,” Tunji-Ojo said.
He explained that old machines could only produce 250 to 300 passports daily, but the new system had a capacity of 4,500 to 5,000 passports every day.
“With this, NIS can now meet daily demands within just four to five hours of operation,” he added, describing it as a game-changer for passport processing in Nigeria.
“We promised two-week delivery, and we’re now pushing for one week.
“Automation and optimisation are crucial for keeping this promise to Nigerians,” the minister said.
He noted that centralisation, in line with global standards, would improve uniformity and enhance the overall integrity of Nigerian travel documents worldwide.
Tunji-Ojo described the development as a step toward bringing services closer to Nigerians while driving a culture of efficiency and total passport system reform.
According to him, the centralised production system aligns with President Bola Tinubu’s reform agenda, boosting NIS capacity and changing the narrative for improved service delivery.
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FG To Roll Out Digital Public Infrastructure, Data Exchange, Next Year 

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2 days ago

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September 22, 2025

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The National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA) has announced plans to roll out Digital Public Infrastructure (DPI) and the Nigerian Data Exchange (NGDX) platforms across key sectors of the economy, starting in early 2026.
Director of E-Government and Digital Economy at NITDA, Dr. Salisu Kaka, made the disclosure in Abuja during a stakeholder review session of the DPI and NGDX drafts at the Digital Public Infrastructure Live Event.
The forum, themed “Advancing Nigeria’s Digital Public Infrastructure through Standards, Data Exchange and e-Government Transformation,” brought together regulators, state governments, and private sector stakeholders to harmonise inputs for building inclusive, secure, and interoperable systems for governance and service delivery.
According to Kaka, Nigeria already has several foundational elements in place, including national identity systems and digital payment platforms.
What remains is the establishment of the data exchange framework, which he said would be finalised by the end of 2025.
“Before the end of this year and by next year we will be fully ready with the foundational element, and we start dropping the use cases across sectors,” Kaka explained.
He stressed that the federal government recognises the autonomy of states urging them to align with national standards.
“If the states can model and reflect what happens at the national level, then we can have a 360-degree view of the whole data exchange across the country and drive all-of-government processes,” he added.
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