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‘Nigeria’s Space Technology Dev Should Promote Space Entrepreneurs’

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9 years ago

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Stakeholders in the nation’s
space technology research and development sector have called for the promotion of space entrepreneurs through local manufacturing of space components in the country.
This call was made in a communiqué issued at the end of the annual Centre for Satellite Technology and Development (CSTD) conference jointly signed by Dr Ikpaya Ikpaya and Dr Sadiq Umar, the Head of Communiqué Team and Technical Committee respectively.
The 10 point communiqué called for exploration of the many benefits of space technology given necessary support.
It said that the Centre was preparing to manufacture indigenous satellites in Nigeria by the year 2018 with the provision of a functional Assembly Integration and Testing/Design Centre (AIT/DC) facilities.
It said that National Space Research and Development Agency (NASRDA) and CSTD must ensure that the end product of its satellite development initiative create Space Entrepreneurs.
The communiqué said that the AIT/DC remained a priority project for the government, should be fully completed and made functional as soon as possible.
“Also, NASRDA/CSTD must give priority to local contents via customisation to boost national pride and confidence for the nation to move away from exporters of low-priced raw materials to manufacturers of higher-priced products,” it said.
However, the stakeholders came up with possible solutions to actualise those targets in the communiqué.
The stakeholders said that the Federal Government should commit significant funding to CSTD/NASRDA for research and development to enable them reap the benefits of space research in the form of spin-off products for economic diversification.
They urged the Federal Ministry of Education in conjunction with the Federal Ministry of Science and Technology to ensure that aerospace engineering programme became part of the educational curriculum for schools.
“NASRDA/CSTD must ensure continuous collaboration with other organisations as a key virtue to indigenisation of our space programmes, it will be a means of domesticating and indigenising Space Technology,” they said.
“The Federal Ministry of Information, alongside its parastatals like the National Orientation Agency (NOA) should set up a Space Publicity Unit (SPU).
“This is to bridge the gap in the dissemination of the benefits and applications of the Nigeria Space Programmes,” the experts said.
The Tide source reports that CSTD is a centre under National Space Research and Development Agency (NASRDA), a parastatal in the Federal Ministry of Science and Technology.
Other centres under NASRDA include Centre for Space Transport and Propulsion, Epe, Lagos State, Centre for Basic Space Science, Nsukka, Enugu State, Centre for Atmospheric Research, Ayingba, Kogi.
Prof. Seidu Mohammed is the Director-General of NASRDA, while Dr Spencer Onuh is Director, CSTD.
The theme of this year’s conference held from August 30 to August 31 is “Space Technology in Nigeria: Indigenisation and Collaboration’’.

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Kenyan Runners Dominate Berlin Marathons

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20 hours 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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20 hours ago

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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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20 hours 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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