The present director general of the National Space Research and Development Agency (NASRDA), Dr. Ahmad Halilu Shaba, marked three years in office on the 14th of April 2024 and this piece is primarily meant for showcasing his impacts and achievements as the helmsman of the agency.
The immediate past former president of the country, President Muhammadu Buhari in his wisdom and knowing the importance of the space industry and the knowledge economy nominated Dr. Ahmad Halilu Shaba as his nominee to be the substantive director general of NASRDA on February 25, 2021. The letter which was read on the floor of the Senate of the Federal republic and in plenary by the then Senate President, Senator Ahmad Lawan for screening and confirmation was unanimously endorsed and passed by all the senators who applauded the President for his leadership recruitment effort as it got to do with our nation joining the world in the space race on the 14th of April, 2021.
Dr. Ahmad Halilu Shaba, a seasoned scholar and technocrat has over twenty one year post doctoral research work in the field of remote sensing and extensive knowledge in space technology management and safety that even his critics agrees that he was eminently qualified for the job that we call a square peg in a square hole in the Nigerian grammatical parlance.
Dr. Halilu Shaba joined the nation’s public service in 1989 and commenced his career at the National Population Commission in the year 1989-2001 before joining the Federal University of Technology at Minna in the year 2001-2006, where he became a lecturer and rose the academic line to become the deputy dean of students affairs.
Dr. Ahmad Halilu Shaba came on board as the helmsman of the nation’s apex space agency at a time when a lot was expected from the agency in driving the nation’s development as one of the best space fairing country in the African country. This demand from the government was indeed expected because of the country’s high place in the continent being christened “The giant of Africa”. Nigeria being a signatory to the United Nations sustainable developments goals agenda which many then were not aware of indeed needed the space sector revolution to be able to achieve the sustainable developments it seeks cannot do this without an effective and efficient space agency and that was why the President gave him a mandate to go and reform and put in place workable policies that would change the narratives of our space sector for the better.
The director general, Dr. Ahmad Halilu Shaba, immediately after his swearing in by the President knowing fully well that the agency was indeed pivotal and central to the success or otherwise of the country’s economy and it’s much needed fulfilment of its obligation as a signatory to the united nations convention on the sustainable development goals agenda swung into action by first putting in place a set of reform agendas that was implemented to change the agency’s narrative for the better.
We can all acknowledge that prior to his appointment NASRDA as an agency was a business as usual agency where anything goes, the agency was severally in the news for the bad reasons ranging from job racketeering and corruption. Many also described the agency as a shame because of its over bloated workforce doing nothing to make the nation fulfil on it’s sustainable development goals. His reforms agenda many would agree was implemented by him holistically that today the issue of job racketeering is now a thing of the past and it’s budgetary allocations today is no longer only about the payments of salaries and awarding of non existent contract but being channel to build infrastructures that are very necessary for the nation’s technological advancements and growth.
These achievements are all because of the vision, actionable plan and service delivery mantra of Dr. Ahmad Halilu Shaba.
If sustainable development is defined in development circle as developments that satisfies the needs of the present without compromising the ability of the future generations to satisfy theirs and its achievements was a major mandate giving to Dr. Ahmad Halilu Shaba during his inauguration for his first term to implement, I can say proudly that he has systematically and pragmatically achieved this mandates through his well thought out policy and reforms initiatives.
In order to be sustainable, Dr. Shaba knows developments must combine three main elements; Fairness protection of the environment, and economic efficiency. The director general used his basic knowledge of space technology innovation for sustainable developments which also involves three key approaches to get us there and which are; the addressing of the basic needs of the country through innovations and capacity buildings, including poverty alleviation and reductions, promoting innovations approaches which can lead to sustainable economic growth and job creation for the country and promoting global and regional cooperation for better management of global and national challenges together with other governmental agencies by finding pictures and information.
The agency today can be said to be able to rationally and peacefully use the outer space to provide the country the needed powerful tools for the furtherance of the well being of our citizens and its environment is being achieved under the Dr. Shaba led management of NASRDA.
Some of the other achievements of Dr. Shaba during the past three years is that his appointment has helped the agency to consolidate and achieve some of its optimal goals within a short period because the agency is now driving and regulating the sector. The agency is today ever ready and committed to leave raging on it’s achievements and knowledge to further technological growth not only in Nigeria but on a global scale. This achievements during his first four year term have not only highly contributed to the growth and reputation of Nigeria in the space world but also advanced the field of space science and technology in Nigeria.
The director general’s involvement of the private sector is today transforming the landscape of the nation’s space economy and contributing to the economic growth and technological advancement by driving innovations and progress by creating multi-million naira business verticals that gives a lasting impact to the space industry and beyond.
Today, also, the agency has succeeded to a great extent in harnessing the collective expertise of the nation’s engineers through the seizing of this incredible opportunity offered by the Dr Shaba led management to lead the way into the future of the space industry.
Well done Dr. Ahmad Halilu Shaba.
– Musa Wada writes from Abuja.
