President Bola Tinubu has directed the immediate release of approved funds for the maintenance of the country’s space assets in line with the National Space Policy and Programme.
Stanley Nkwocha, senior special assistant to the president on Media and Communications (Office of the Vice-President), in a statement posted on his X handle, said Mr Tinubu approved on Tuesday during the first meeting of the National Space Council held at the Presidential Villa, Abuja.
“I hereby approve that the cost of the implementation of the approved revised 25-year roadmap for the implementation of the national space policy be forwarded to the Federal Executive Council for consideration and approval,” Mr Tinubu said.
Mr Tinubu, represented by Vice President Kashim Shettima, according to the statement, said, “Nigeria will not watch the new frontier unfold from the sidelines. We will participate, we will compete, we will contribute. Our space ambitions must be anchored in outcomes, accountability and national value.
“We must build a programme that serves the farmer in the field, the teacher in the classroom, the entrepreneur in the market, the soldier on duty, the researcher in the laboratory and the policy maker who must plan with evidence rather than guesswork. This is how a nation turns attitude into advantage,” he said.
He assured that his administration, through the Renewed Hope Agenda, is committed to developing the society by engaging relevant human resources for the socio-economic improvement of our nation.
“We shall be steadfast in providing the required support to the success of the space programme as well as relevant resources needed for its growth and the successful realisation of the mandate of the nation’s space agency.”
The president noted that his administration’s investments in the sector are prompted by the opportunities in outer space “as a new frontier for human development, as a stimulus for increased technological advancement and economic diversification.”
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He explained that outer space provides a unique challenge and platform for effective exploration and exploitation of the nation’s natural resources as well as the protection of its environment.
“Space technology remains the foundation for cybersecurity and a vibrant digital economy. The space economy is rapidly growing, and it’s expected to exceed 1 trillion dollars by 2040. When we invest in space, we are not funding a distant dream.
“We are funding precision in agriculture and security in our borders; we are funding early warning systems against floods and fires, smarter cities, safer skies, stronger communications and a digital economy that can compete with the best in the world. We are funding the confidence of a nation that refuses to be trapped by the limits of yesterday,” he added.
Urging the space agency to be alive to its mandate of ensuring that space assets and resources over Nigeria are used responsibly, Mr Tinubu directed the agency to “employ all legally available means to enforce the space regulation and spectrum management framework for a secure utilisation of space assets and resources over Nigeria on behalf of the National Space Council as provided in the National Space Research and Development Agency (NASRDA) Act 2010.
“I also direct all Ministries, Departments, and Agencies (MDAs), stakeholders and the private sector to comply with the space regulatory framework. This directive also includes the timely release of all approved funds for this purpose by the Federal Ministry of Finance,” he said.
