Abuja, Nigeria – The Nigerian government has taken a significant step towards sending the first Nigerian to space. The Nigerian government and the Space Exploration and Research Agency (SERA) from Delaware, USA, have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to send the first Nigerian to space.
The MoU was signed in Abuja yesterday, with Chief Uche Nnaji, Minister of Innovation, Science and Technology, emphasizing the importance of this collaboration. “Human spaceflight is not just a random aspiration of our country but a major objective of the Nigeria Space Policy and Programme which was approved by the Federal Executive Council (FEC) in 2001,” Nnaji stated. He highlighted that reviving and implementing abandoned national plans is a key element of the Renewed Hope Agenda under President Bola Tinubu’s administration.
The timeline for this historic mission remains flexible, with potential launch windows from now until December, or in 2025, as SERA continues to test-run its platform. Dr. Matthew Adepoju, Director-General of the National Space Research and Development Agency (NASRDA), noted that SERA would fully sponsor the cost of sending a Nigerian to space. “This event marks the commencement of the agency’s efforts to implement part of its roadmap of having a human spaceflight,” Adepoju said.
The announcement comes as Nigeria celebrates the 25th anniversary of its space programme. According to Adepoju, the Human Spaceflight programme is a core objective of the National Space Policy and Programme. “It was with this in mind that we established the Department of Physical and Life Sciences about three years ago to forge this mandate,” he explained. The collaboration with SERA is seen as a pivotal moment for Nigeria’s deep space explorations, promising numerous spinoff benefits and opportunities for Nigerians.
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Mr. Joshua Skurla, Co-Founder of SERA, pointed out the global context of this achievement. “Eighty per cent of astronauts, globally, have exclusively emanated from three countries,” Skurla said, acknowledging Nigeria’s rich history of scientific and technological innovation. He expressed SERA’s excitement to partner with NASRDA to extend this legacy into space.
SERA’s Founder, Mr. Sam Hutchison, elaborated on the inclusive nature of the astronaut selection process. “The application to be in space is open to any Nigerian older than 18 years, regardless of their discipline,” Hutchison announced. The selection process will be democratic, with Nigerians able to vote for their preferred candidates. “The Nigerian people will select four potential astronaut candidates before a final selection process,” he added.
While this space ambition may appear as some form of advancement, Nigerians are largely amused by what many consider to be a waste of time and resources, given the more pressing problems currently facing the country.
Source: VanguardNGR