Nigeria to launch homegrown satellites–Nnaji

[Press Release] Minister of Innovation, Science, and Technology, Chief Uche Nnaji, has announced plans by Nigeria to launch satellites built by Nigerian scientists and engineers, with ground stations and data collecting centres, domiciled in Nigeria.

He made the statement in Abuja at a stakeholders’ workshop, organized by the European Union, in collaboration with NASRDA, on “AI, Big Data Analytics, Automation and Space Technology Application for Sustainable Development.”

Chief Nnaji stated that the President Tinubu led administration was working to launch satellites aimed at providing innovative space-based solutions to address the challenges facing the country.

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The Minister said the government was committed to actualizing this feat as it would be utilized in various areas such as security, pipeline monitoring, food security in agriculture as well as diverse sectors that would be beneficial to the sustainable development of our nation.

Chief Nnaji added that artificial intelligence was one of the primary focuses of the Ministry and said it would support NASRDA in its activities, for the advancement of satellite technology.

He therefore encouraged participants at the workshop to actively share insights that would be strategically beneficial to the collaboration, adding that there was the need to develop practical solutions that could be implemented for the greater good of Nigerians.

Earlier in his remark, the Director General, National Space Research and Development Agency (NASRDA), Dr. Matthew Adepoju, while appreciating the Minister for gracing the occasion, assured the Minister that there were competent and capable crops of engineers and scientists that could build, launch, and operate the proposed satellites in the Agency.

He stated that the Agency was prepared to take all necessary measures to continue providing space-based solutions to the country’s challenges, adding that the application of Artificial Intelligence and Robotics was a critical factor in satellite technology today.

The NASRDA boss pointed that the Space Agency was a leader in Artificial Intelligence and Robotics and was open to collaborating with all stakeholders in related fields to significantly reduce poverty and enhance agricultural productivity.

He noted that while satellite technology was often considered elitist, it played a crucial role in advancing agriculture, security, and other essential sectors of the nation.

Speaking at the event, Dr. Abdullahi Mustapha, Director General of the Energy Commission, congratulated the Director General of NASRDA on his recent appointment pledging his support for him as “he drives the leadership of the Agency.”

Also speaking at the event, the Programme Officer at the European Delegation to Nigeria and Ecowas Dr. Iuri Aganetto said the primary focus of the workshop was to explore the transformative potential of space technology, artificial intelligence, and big data analysis in enhancing agricultural practices for security in Nigeria.

He said, by leveraging cutting-edge technologies, critical challenges in climate-smart agriculture and environmental management can be addressed, thereby contributing to the resilience and sustainability of Nigeria’s agricultural sector.

In a joint presentation, representative of the European Space Agency, Dr. Zoltan Szantoi, and NASRDA’s Dr. Idris Jega, gave a seven-point concept note on the theme of the workshop.

According to the presentation, the workshop was aimed at enhancing NASRDA’s AI expertise for remote sensing data analysis, which was critical for advanced agriculture and environmental monitoring.

The presentation further stressed that the workshop also purposed to generate evidence to enable informed decision-making in agriculture and environmental management, aligning with technological trends and addressing needs with precision and accuracy.

Participants were drawn from various agencies of government and non-governmental organizations.

Ninma Yacim
Media and Corporate Communications