Dr. Halilu Shaba, director-general, National Space Research and Development Agency (NASRDA), has announced announced the postponement of its 2025 plan to launch a satellite from Nigeria.
Dr. Shaba, who disclosed this during the NASRDA Day presentation at the 8th Science, Technology, and Innovation (STI) Expo cited sufficient funding.
He noted that the ambitious plan had to be put on hold.
Aside from the satellite launch plans, the Director-General also mentioned that the agency does not possess the financial resources to send an astronaut into space.
According to him, the cost associated with such a mission is prohibitively high.
Hence, for the moment, such endeavors are beyond the agency’s current financial reach. However, this situation highlights the agency’s continued efforts to build capacity amidst challenging economic circumstances.
Dr. Shaba further explained that the process of planning and securing a launch slot for an astronaut takes approximately five years.
He emphasized the impracticality of advising the government to train an astronaut at present without a confirmed slot, as the individual might age and no longer be fit for space travel by the time a slot becomes available.
The ambitious goal to send a Nigerian astronaut into space, as well as launching a domestically produced satellite by 2025, was previously outlined as part of the agency’s 25-year plan.
In October 2023, the Director-General projected a promising future for Nigeria’s space industry, estimating its potential value to be up to $1 billion.
He envisioned that Nigeria could generate as much as $20 million from launching a single satellite, should the country succeed in developing its own Assembly, Integration, and Testing Laboratory (AITL).
These projections underscore the potential for the space industry to make significant contributions to Nigeria’s economy.