NASRDA urges universities to embrace research programmes

THE National Space Research and Development Agency (NASRDA) has called on Nigerian universities to embrace collaborative programmes and research works to improve the quality of science and engineering in the country.

Prof Seidu Mohammed, the Director-General of NASRDA made the call in a statement by the Head, Media and Corporate Communications of the agency, Dr Felix Ale, on Tuesday in Abuja.

Mohammed made the call at the launch of the first Nanosatellite in Sub-Saharan Africa, an outcome of NASRDA’s collaborative efforts with the Federal University of Technology, Akure.

He congratulated the management, staff and students of the Federal University of Akure for the historic efforts toward the launch.

He said that the outcome of the school’s collaboration with NASRDA would go a long way in improving its rating in Nigeria, Africa and the world at large.

Mohammed said, “the successful launch of the Nanosatellite has again re-affirmed Nigeria’s commitment to implementation of its space road map, particularly in capacity building and domestication of space activities and resources’’.

“The launch of NigeriaSat-X and the Nanosatellite which were designed and manufactured to flight standards by Nigerian engineers and scientists remains a watershed in the history of Nigeria.’’

He said that the two unique experiences had demonstrated that a lot could be achieved through space science and technology with necessary infrastructure in place for growth and development.

He therefore appealed to the Federal Government to ensure the immediate completion of its ongoing assembly, integration and testing centre which he described as strategic to NASRDA’s daily operations.

Mohammed said that the centre would enable the agency move fully to the next level of designing and building of satellites in the country.

The newly launched Nanosatellite is expected to be deployed appropriately to the correct orbital location in the next two weeks where tests will commence immediately.

Data are expected to be downloaded at the ground stations both at the Headquarters’ of the Space Agency in Abuja and at the Federal University of Technology.