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The National Space Research and Development Agency, NASRDA, is poised to begin implementing its space regulation and licensing mandate with a N20 billion start-up fund approved by President Bola Tinubu.
Dr. Matthew Adepoju, the Director-General of NASRDA, made this announcement on Thursday in Abuja.
Adepoju highlighted that the regulatory role of the agency, as outlined in the NASDRA Act of 2010, had not been fully realized since NASRDA’s establishment in 1999.
His comments came ahead of the NASDRA stakeholders’ workshop on space regulation, which is scheduled for April 8.
The NASRDA Director-General revealed that upon taking office, he submitted a memorandum to President Tinubu urging the enforcement of the agency’s regulatory functions, in line with the provisions of Sections 6 and 9 of the founding laws. The president, he said, subsequently approved the necessary funding to kick-start the initiative.
“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.
“This is to enable us to commence the space regulation and spectrum management in Nigeria.
“Although times and lots of activities happen that have security implications, but if we don’t take charge of our space sector, it will continue to be misused,’’ Adepoju said.
Adepoju explained that the agency had not yet accessed the N20 billion, noting that the release of funds depends on their availability.
“Within the framework of what is possible for us to do now, we’ve set up the platform, and we are commencing our regulatory and licensing functions,” he said.
He clarified that the space sector is divided into three segments: upstream, midstream, and downstream.
“We have the upstream, which is deep space, the midstream, which is in between the space objects, such as satellites and the planet Earth.
“We have the downstream, which has to do with ground stations, activities and people who are utilising space products and services.
“In between these three sectors, activities must be regulated; otherwise, Nigerians will be short-changed.
“People have to be licensed and issued guidelines, the spectrum within Nigeria has to be monitored, and the agency has been granted this power since 2010, which has many benefits,’’ he said.
Adepoju stated that the licensing platform is fully operational and accessible to both public and private sector participants in the space industry. He explained that the licensing is available for individuals and organizations utilizing or providing space-related products and services.
He highlighted the importance of strict oversight over satellite image providers, geographic information system operators, and satellite-based telecommunications and broadcasting services. Adepoju also warned that without proper regulation, geographic data intelligence could be exploited by non-state actors for illegal activities.
The Director-General further said that the initiative aims to strengthen national security, foster economic diversification, and promote the development of local content. He added that it would also create revenue opportunities for sectors like oil and gas, shipping, and telecommunications, which rely on space products for their operations.
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