Today, the National Space Research and Development Agency (NASRDA) is one of the best agencies in Nigeria that is known to be delivering on its mandate. The need for an effective operational legislation for the smooth implementation of the ever ready and effective NASRDA cannot be overemphasized.
The visit to the agency’s headquarters by the erudite Dr. Olisa Agbakoba, who paid a courtesy call on the Director-General of the agency, Dr. Halilu Ahmad Shaba, highlighted the importance of the agency’s relevance and importance to Nigeria’s development in the 21st century.
The visit also serves as a platform for the SAN and the management of the agency to brainstorm of space legislation as a vehicle for the growth of space exploitative activities in the country as it impacts the societal development of Nigeria.
The visit emphasized the important role space is playing today to mankind and the future of mankind is dependant on space because space is the future.
We need laws in the space sector today in the country that will not only strengthen NASRDA as the sole implementation agency for all space related developments but those laws are expected to give legal backing to the actualisation of the constitutional mandates of the agency as well as spur it to operate in line with the current trends in the global space industry.
The need for a total rejig of NASRDA’s space policy which are expected to include the licencing of space objects as more people are becoming aware and showing interests on space with some emerging and strategic developments in the critical sector.
It is now time for NASRDA as an agency to be really strengthened and its supremacy reaffirmed when it comes to mandates on space and that can only be done through legislative action. This is important as Dr. Agbakoba stated because the clear roles of the agency and its mandate stated clearly by laws for the avoidance of conflict between the agency and other players in the emerging space industry in the country.
NASRDA is the agency in Nigeria saddled with the sole responsibility to build and launch satellites and it is imperative for the agency to have clearly stated legal support to actualise the Nigerian space agenda for the overall benefits of the people.
The space agency is today regarded as a potential source of revenue generation for nations and for our country not to be left out especially in the area of space technology and tourism which is a veritable platforms that has the potential of making many sets of billionaires in our country.
NASRDA must be appreciated and commended for synergizing with both the private and public organisations as well as relevant stakeholders in mapping out strategies and ensuring proper implementation of the nations space programmes and this highlighted and sums up the visit of the legal luminary, Dr. Olisa Agbakoba.
For a successful implementation of the expected commercialisation of the space programmes, our space laws needs to be rejigged and reviewed for improved revenue generation as highlighted by the NASRDA director-general during the visit.
Dr. Shaba emphasized as always the strategic roles the agency plays in the socio-economic development of Nigeria. NASRDA mandate was designed to build and launch satellites as well as regulate all aspects of space related activities in the country.
The agency is expected to build bridges in the spirit of result oriented collaborations with the relevant stakeholders with the shared incisive vision and playing significant or complimentary roles in the realisation of its goals and objectives.
The agency is expected to extend its hands of fellowship especially in its implementation of its key objectives through collaboration with a view to achieving its critical mandates for the progress of Nigeria.
It is now a thing of joy that professionals in various fields of learning like Dr. Agbakoba are now ready to collaborate with NASRDA in taking the country’s developments to the next level through the space industry because the future lies in space exploration and Nigeria will not be left out.
– Musa Wada writes from Abuja.
