The Minister of Innovation, Science, and Technology, Chief Uche Nnaji, announced that the Federal Government will soon initiate the regulation and licensing of participants in Nigeria's space ecosystem to enhance revenue generation.
This declaration was made during the inauguration of the Advanced Unmanned Aerial Vehicles Laboratory at the National Space Research and Development Agency (NASRDA) in Abuja on Thursday.
The establishment of the laboratory coincides with Nigeria's 25th anniversary in space exploration. Nnaji emphasized the potential of satellite technology to identify and mitigate illegal activities across various sectors, including oil and gas.
He stated, “We will begin regulating and licensing the space sector, including upstream and downstream operations, as part of President Bola Tinubu’s administration's achievements.”
He highlighted the use of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) for monitoring pipeline leakages and combating vandalism, which would also help improve revenue by tracking ship activities at Nigerian ports.
“Currently, over 80% of ships entering Nigerian ports evade paying bunker fees by turning off their ignitions,” Nnaji explained.
He noted that satellite capabilities would enable better monitoring of these activities and enhance agricultural productivity.
Matthew Adepoju, Director-General of NASRDA, reiterated the agency's commitment to deploying space technologies for economic benefit. He stated that collaboration with private sector partners is crucial for developing the space ecosystem and translating research into tangible products and services for Nigeria.
Adepoju remarked on the importance of UAVs in environmental monitoring and precision agriculture, stressing that local sourcing of materials for drones aligns with the government's local content development goals.
“Our drones are designed for various applications, including long-distance missions for pipeline monitoring and surveillance,” he added.
