President Bola Tinubu has approved a N20 billion take-off fund for the National Space Research and Development Agency (NASRDA) to implement its long-awaited space regulation and licensing mandate.
The Director-General of NASRDA, Dr. Matthew Adepoju, disclosed this in an interview on Thursday, revealing that the agency’s regulatory function, as outlined in the NASDRA Act of 2010, had remained dormant since its establishment in 1999.
This led to Tinubu’s approval of the fund, enabling NASRDA to commence space regulation and spectrum management.
“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 a few months ago,” Adepoju said.
While confirming that the agency has yet to access the funds, he noted that NASRDA has begun setting up the necessary framework to oversee and license activities in Nigeria’s space sector.
The development comes ahead of the NASRDA stakeholders’ workshop on space regulation, scheduled for April 8.
The News Agency of Nigeria reports that Adepoju outlined the three segments of the space sector: upstream, midstream, and downstream.
“The upstream segment covers deep space, while the midstream includes space objects like satellites and their interactions with Earth. The downstream sector focuses on ground stations, activities, and users of space products and services,” he explained.
He emphasised the importance of regulating these activities to prevent Nigerians from being taken advantage of.
“Licensing, guidelines, and spectrum monitoring within Nigeria are essential, and the agency has held this regulatory mandate since 2010, bringing numerous benefits,” he said.
Adepoju announced that the licensing platform is now operational and open to both public and private sector operators in the space industry.
The licensing covers individuals and organisations that use or provide space-related products and services.
He highlighted the need for strict oversight of satellite image providers, geographic information system (GIS) operators, and satellite-based telecommunication and broadcasting services
Without proper regulation, he warned, geographical data intelligence could be exploited by non-state actors for illicit activities.
The Director-General emphasised that the initiative would enhance national security, drive economic diversification, and promote the development of local content.
Meanwhile, it would generate revenue from key industries such as oil and gas, shipping, and telecommunications, which depend on space technology for their operations.
