‘Nigeria Can Make $20m From Launching 1 Satellite’

The Director General,  National Space Research and Development Agency (NASRDA), Dr. Halilu Shaba, has said Nigeria could generate $20 million from the launch of one satellite,  if it develops its Assembly, Integration and Testing Laboratory (AITL).
Shaba, who said this in an interview with newmen in Abuja, noted that the agency  was confident that the 25-year Space Policy Roadmap could be achieved.
Part of the content of the roadmap, which includes launching satellites into the orbit from Nigerian soil, Shaba said, was crucial to the development of Space Science and Technology.
He added that achieving such facility was a humongous project that require huge resources which their annual budgetary allocation could barely handle.
The NARSDA Director General explained that they were engaging in advocacies to investors and  other countries to see how partnerships could float the project because the government might not have the sole capacity.
“We are thinking out of the box because it can bring money and we are letting people know that this can bring money.The government can partner with the public on that because for you to launch any satellite, the initial deposit you give for the launch of the satellite minus the kilometres you cover is $20million to launch one satellite”, he said.
The NASRDA boss further said the agency  was talking to other countries due to their interests.
He added that they were making offers to some other countries that would want Nigeria to develop the AITL and grant them access over a period.
“They can come, we develop this together, we share the profit, they can launch and as well have a launch pad”, he said.