The National Space Research and Development Agency (NASRDA) is ready to begin implementing its space regulation and licensing mandate, following the approval of a N20 billion take-off fund by President Bola Tinubu.
Dr. Matthew Adepoju, the Director-General of NASRDA, shared this development during an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria on Thursday in Abuja.
Adepoju explained that the agency’s regulatory role, as outlined in the NASDRA Act of 2010, had remained unfulfilled since the agency’s creation in 1999.
This announcement comes ahead of the NASRDA stakeholders’ workshop on space regulation, which is scheduled for April 8.
The NASRDA DG revealed that upon taking office, he submitted a memo to President Bola Tinubu, emphasising the need to enforce the agency’s regulatory functions.
“This aligns with the provisions in Sections 6 and 9 of the law that established NASRDA,” Adepoju noted, adding that President Tinubu ultimately approved the N20 billion take-off fund.
“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,” he said.
Adepoju acknowledged the potential security risks associated with the sector but stressed the importance of taking control of the space industry to prevent misuse. “Although times and lots of activities happen that have security implications, if we don’t take charge of our space sector, it will continue to be misused,” he stated.
While the N20 billion has yet to be accessed, Adepoju explained that the release of funds is contingent on 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 told NAN.
He went on to explain that the space sector is divided into three main segments: upstream, midstream, and downstream.
“We have the upstream, which is deep space; the midstream, which involves space objects such as satellites and the planet Earth; and the downstream, which focuses on ground stations, activities, and people who utilise space products and services,” Adepoju explained.
He emphasised the need for regulation across all three sectors to prevent Nigerians from being short-changed. “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 added.
Adepoju confirmed that the licensing platform is now open to both public and private sector operators in the space industry. The licensing process will apply to individuals and organisations using and providing space products and services.
He also highlighted the importance of stringent oversight for satellite image providers, geographic information system operators, and satellite-based telecommunications and broadcasting services. Unregulated geographical data intelligence, he warned, could be exploited by non-state actors for illicit purposes.
The Director-General further noted that the initiative would bolster national security, foster economic diversification, and support local content development. He also emphasised the potential for revenue generation from sectors like oil and gas, shipping, and telecommunications, which rely heavily on space products for their operations.
