The National Space Research and Development Agency (NASRDA) is set to begin the implementation of its long-awaited space regulation and licensing functions, following the approval of a N20 billion take-off fund by President Bola Tinubu.
The Director-General of NASRDA, Dr. Matthew Adepoju, disclosed this in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Abuja on Thursday.
Dr. Adepoju explained that upon assuming office, he raised a memo to President Tinubu emphasizing the need to enforce NASRDA’s regulatory functions.
This, he said, was in accordance with Sections 6 and 9 of the NASRDA Act, which empower the agency to oversee space activities within Nigeria.
“When I raised that memo stating that our space can no longer be unregulated, Mr. President graciously approved the take-off fund of N20 billion few months ago. This is to enable us to commence the space regulation and spectrum management in Nigeria,” he said.
He noted that despite being mandated by the NASRDA Act (2010) to regulate Nigeria’s space sector, the agency had been unable to fulfill this role since its establishment in 1999.
