A special documentary on the giant strides of the National Space Research and Development Agency (NASRDA), particularly under the leadership of its incumbent Director General, Professor Seidu Mohammed will be transmitted nationwide in some selected television stations in the second week of January.
In his end of year press statement in Abuja, Head Media and Corporate Communications of the Space Agency, Dr Felix Ale said the broadcast of the new special documentary is part of the strategic efforts to keep the general public abreast of activities of the Agency most especially its significant achievements and milestones in recent times.
Dr Ale said aside the successful launch of its various satellites, the Space Agency under Professor Seidu Mohammed has made tremendous impact in various application areas, and established infrastructures for progress and development.
He said among these several achievements, is the development of an advanced laboratory for archiving, cataloguing and processing of images.
Dr. Ale added that there is an advanced laboratory for image processing at the strategic space applications department through which the agency has been able to record a lot of achievements in collaboration with its national centre for remote sensing in Jos.
Dr Ale explained that through the innovation and supervision of its Director General, the space agency has successfully carried out a lot of projects among which are the resource inventory of the country at the scale of 100,000 as well as production of satellite atlas which has been described as first of its kind in Africa.
The atlas according to him have been effectively distributed and have been of immense support to the National Population Commission (NPC), Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and several relevant government ministries, departments and agencies while it has also been used to support various universities in the country.
The NASRDA’s spokesperson explained that Professor Mohammed who has given a lot of attention to capacity building in order for the agency to be at per with its counterparts across the globe has succeeded in increasing the number of PhD holders among the agency’s work force from six on assumptions of office to about two hundred.
According to him, this enviable feat has been particularly lauded by stakeholders in the community of Space practice, who described the achievements as heart warming and a pointer to the determined efforts of Nigeria towards the actualisation of its Space agenda.
He added that through the DG’s consistent efforts and commitment to excellence and improved performance, the Space Agency has also been granted approval to commence a space institute in affiliation with the Pan Africa University of Science and Technology for the award of masters and PhDs degrees in some strategic areas of science and engineering.
He said observers are strongly of the view that the noble contributions and exemplary performance of Professor Seidu Mohammed since assumption of office have not only contributed in consolidating the historic achievements of the Space Agency but it has further repositioned it as a strategic establishment for national development in the country.
They also emphasised that the glorious efforts and roles of the Space Agency has strategically placed Nigeria as a key player in the space sector in the global community and indeed a leading space nation in Africa.
Dr Ale said there is no gainsaying the fact that the National Space Research and Development Agency can today pride itself as the number one constituency of engineers and scientists in Nigeria in view of the large number of highly skilled engineers and scientists in the service of the Agency.
He said through the space agency, Nigeria has launched the highest number of satellites in Africa “and it is our belief in NASRDA that a lot can still be done for the great of our nation and for the overall benefits of the people.
The NASRDA spokesperson acknowledged with gratitude the support of President Mohammadu Buhari who is the Chairman of National Space council, members of both Senate and House of Representatives committees on Science and Technology and the Honourable Minister of Science and Technology, Dr Ogbonnaya Onu for the support accorded the Director General on his glorious sojourn in the Agency thus far.
This according to him has culminated into the numerous achievements recorded by the Agency under the able and dynamic leadership of Professor Seidu Mohammed.
Dr Ale noted in particular the just completed National Space Museum at the NASRDA headquarters which was one of the focus of attractions during the recent visit of the Governor General of Canada Her Excellency, Right Honourable Julie Payette to the Agency as part of her state visit to Nigeria.
He emphasised that the visit of the Governor General of Canada will remain historic in the history of the Space Agency and it represents one of the high points of its activities in the last quarter of 2018.
