NASRDA Mulls Law on Space Regulation

Nigeria has concluded legal frameworks to licence space activities in the country including a register where every space-related subjects would be recorded, Nigeria CommunciationsWeek can now report.

The country had in recent years successfully launched communications satellites into orbit in conjunction with Chinese space technology. Its most recent launch is the NigComSat-1R, which replaced the failed NigComSat-1. It’s NigeriaSat-1 recently ‘retired’ from orbit, but has been replaced with NigeriaSat-2.

Dr. Seidu Mohammed, director general of the National Space Research and Development Agency (NASRDA), said “Nigeria shall achieve technological competence in the manufacture and launch of satellites by the year 2025.”

Last week, Dr. Mohammed told a gathering of space educators, journalists and students of Obafemi Awolowo University, (OAU) Ile-Ife that the country would provide an enabling environment for space research and investment.

Speaking at the University’s ‘African Regional Centre for Space Science and Technology Education’ as part of activities marking the World Space Week 2012, Dr. Mohammed NASRDA was developing a legal framework for the licencing of space activities in Nigeria.

“The major component of legal framework is the establishment of space register where all space subjects would be recorded. This has just been concluded and very soon some of these data will be passed on to the committee on peaceful use of outer space,’’ said Mohammed.

Concurring, Dr. Gbenga Oduntan of the University of Kent, Kent, United Kingdom said: “A centre for space law will be the centre that study the issue of law and polices in relation to outer space technology.”

Dr. Oduntan who delivered keynote lecture titled: “Progressive Technological, Policy and Legal Regimes for the Utilisation of Space Solutions for Effective Peace, Human Safety and National Security in Nigeria,” stated that space technology was not only for scientists, but also for the lawyers, artists, thinkers as well as writers.

“You cannot separate the scientific plans from the legal plans, because there are things that you do in national life that will have implication in international law. It can be based in a university or even as a department in the National Space Research and Development Agency; but we certainly need that. No space active country exists without such,” said Oduntan.

He called on African leaders to invest more resources into space technology research and deployment, stating that this would help the continent to fast track its development processes. Oduntan also noted that space science provides a unique opportunity for developing countries to enhance their growth and development.

The national space agency was established in1999 with the ‘broad objective to pursue the development and application of space science and technology.’ NASDA’s objectives includes to enable: “Nigeria build indigenous competence in developing, designing and building appropriate hard and software in space technology as an essential tool for its socio-economic development and enhancement of the quality of life of its people.”