Abuja, Nigeria – In a historic move, the Federal Government of Nigeria has announced plans to send its first civilian into space, marking a significant milestone in the country’s 25-year space exploration journey.
The National Space Research and Development Agency (NASRDA) and the Space Exploration and Research Agency have signed a memorandum of understanding to collaborate on this groundbreaking project, which was announced by NASRDA Director-General Mathew Adepoju at a press conference in Abuja on Wednesday.
“This collaboration marks a significant milestone in Nigeria’s space exploration journey and opens new opportunities for scientific research and technological advancement,” said Adepoju.
Nigeria’s space exploration journey began in 1999, during the administration of former President Olusegun Obasanjo, who established NASRDA on May 5, 1999. Since then, several satellites have been launched into orbit, including NigeriaSat-1, NigeriaSat-2, NigeriaSat-X, and NigComsat-1R.
The most recent launch was the NigeriaSat-X in 2011. Although NigeriaSat-1 was decommissioned and burned up in a controlled reentry into Earth’s atmosphere in 2014, the country has continued to pursue its space exploration goals.
This new project aims to take Nigeria’s space program to new heights, literally, by sending a civilian into space for the first time. The government has not yet announced the identity of the individual who will embark on this historic journey.
This development is a testament to Nigeria’s commitment to scientific research and technological advancement, and we look forward to seeing the progress and achievements that will come from this ambitious project.
