Federal government and Space Exploration and Research Agency (SERA) a global space agency based in the United States of America, have signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) that will see a Nigerian land in space for the first time.
The agreement which is also aimed at fostering the development of critical technologies and infrastructure, was signed in Abuja on Wednesday between the National Space Research and Development Agency (NASRDA) on behalf of the federal government and SERA.
Uche Nnaji, minister of innovation, science, and technology, said the partnership is important to transforming Nigeria’s space programme.
Nnaji, reaffirmed the significance of human space flight as a core objective of Nigeria’s National Space Policy and Programme (NSPP).
He noted that the NSPP, approved in 2001, identified human space flight as one of its pillars, with a 25-year roadmap initiated in 2005 aiming for the first human space flight by 2018.
“We are about six years behind schedule, but the signing of the MoU signifies our commitment to achieving this goal,” Nnaji said.
Mathew Adepoju, director general, NASRDA, said that “This collaboration, which is coming to the country, marks a significant milestone in Nigeria’s 25th anniversary of Space Exploration journey and opens new opportunities for scientific research and technological advancement”.
According to Adepoju, “The Human Space Flight programme is one of the cardinal objectives of our National Space Policy. To support this, we established the Department of Physical and Life Sciences three years ago.”
He also highlighted the potential benefits of the program, stating, “This initiative will bring numerous spinoffs and opportunities for Nigerians.”
Sam Hutchison, co-founder of the Space Exploration and Research Alliance also said that “The human space flight programme gives Nigerians the opportunity to choose who they want to send to space. Anyone aged 18 and above can apply. The process will be democratic, allowing the Nigerian people to select four potential astronaut candidates before a final selection.” On his part, Mathew Adepoju, director general of NASRDA, said SERA’s expertise and the agency’s dedication would yield remarkable milestones in human space exploration within the continent and beyond.
“This collaboration, which is coming to the country, marks a significant milestone in Nigeria’s 25th anniversary of the space exploration journey and opens new opportunities for scientific research and technological advancement,” he said.
Joshua Skurla, co-founder of SERA, said the agency is honoured to partner with NASRDA, noting that Nigeria has a rich history of scientific and technological innovation.
“Until now, space has been an exclusive domain, with over 80% of all astronauts to date coming from just three countries,” Skurla said.
“Nigeria has a rich history of scientific and technological innovation, and we are honoured to partner with NASRDA to extend this legacy into space and create new opportunities for Nigerian space explorers.”
