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President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has directed the immediate release of approved funds for the maintenance of Nigeria’s space assets.
The order was announced on Tuesday at the inaugural meeting of the National Space Council held at the Presidential Villa in Abuja, where the President was represented by Vice President Kashim Shettima.
Tinubu said the cost of implementing the revised 25-year roadmap for Nigeria’s space development should be forwarded to the Federal Executive Council for consideration and approval, revealing what he described as a decisive push to move the programme from planning to delivery.
“Nigeria will not watch the new frontier unfold from the sidelines,” the President said in remarks delivered at the meeting.
He added that the country’s space ambitions must be tied to “outcomes, accountability and national value,” with direct benefits for agriculture, education, security, research and economic planning.
The President linked the renewed focus on space to his Renewed Hope Agenda, pledging sustained government support and resources for the sector.
He announced investments were driven by the opportunities offered by outer space as a catalyst for technological advancement, environmental protection and economic diversification.
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According to Tinubu, space technology underpins cyber security and the digital economy, with the global space economy projected to exceed one trillion dollars by 2040.
“When we invest in space, we are funding precision in agriculture, security at our borders, early warning systems against floods and fires, safer skies and stronger communications,” he said.
He also instructed the Nigerian space agency to fully enforce space regulation and spectrum management under the NASRDA Act 2010, directing all ministries, departments and agencies, as well as the private sector, to comply with the regulatory framework.
The President further ordered the Ministry of Finance to ensure the timely release of all approved funds for these purposes.
Briefing journalists after the meeting, the Minister of Innovation, Science and Technology, Kingsley Udeh, described the council session as historic, saying it produced “landmark outcomes” for Nigeria’s space industry.
Udeh upheld the council approved new conditions of service and staff regulations for the Nigerian Space Research and Development Agency, aligning them with international best practice to improve remuneration and retain skilled professionals.
The council also agreed to set up a working group of space experts to refine the revised 25-year roadmap, drawing members from NASRDA, the Nigerian Communications Commission, the National Defence Space Agency, Nigerian Communications Satellite, and other stakeholders.
Udeh added that approval was granted for the development and operationalisation of the Bola Ahmed Tinubu Space Centre in Ekpe, which he said would give Nigeria the capacity to launch and maintain satellites locally, reducing reliance on foreign expertise.