The federal government has pledged to add satellites in the orbit in determining the advancement of the space technology center in Nigeria.
Speaking, the Minister of Science and Technology, Dr. Ogbonnaya Onu stated this at the 2020 edition of Space Dialogue and National Media Conference on Space Science and Technology held recently, in Abuja with the theme: ‘Potency of Space Dependent Technologies in Driving Good Governance and Eliminating Corruption in Post COVID-19 Era.’
According to him, the present administration believes so much in the ability of science and technology in the Transformation of the Nigerian economy from a resource-based to a knowledge-based economy and has proven the same through the much needed support rendered to the development of science and technology ministry and its agencies in the country since inception.
“We have introduced five additional policies in the last five years and if implemented, especially the Executive Order 005, Nigeria will achieve what China has achieved in a short time. I assure you that the ministry will continue to do its best to ensure that additional satellites are put in the orbit that will help in the direction the nation is going.
‘‘Without space science and technology, it will be very difficult for Nigeria to compete with the rest of the world. We should aim to be the best in the world and this is achievable. We are prepared to make NARSDA to compete with best space agencies in the world,” he said.
Earlier, the Chairman Senate Committee on Science and Technology, Senator Ajayi Boroffice, frowned at what he called wrong employment at NARSDA and called on the ICPC to thoroughly scrutinize the anomaly to enable the agency achieve its set goals.
Boroffice said it was wrong for such a sensitive agency to have 80% support staff as against 70% engineers and scientists that are needed to carry out researches and innovative studies in line with the
