Nigeria is about to accomplish its first human space voyage, creating history on the African continent, according to Chief Uche Nnaji, Honourable Minister of the Federal Ministry of Innovation, Science and Technology (FMIST). Chief Nnaji praised the signing of an MOU between the Space Exploration and Research Agency (SERA) and the National Space Research and Development Agency (NASRDA) in Abuja, calling it a fitting present for the agency’s 25th anniversary.
He underlined that a major objective of Nigeria’s Space Program, which was originally scheduled for 2018 but was postponed by six years, is human space flight. Nnaji expressed hope that the initiative would be realigned with President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda thanks to the SERA cooperation. He sent the Director General of NASRDA and his staff his congratulations, citing Dr. Ann Agi from Learn Space Foundation for facilitating the collaboration and highlighting the vital role of the private sector in achieving national and international space aspirations.
The meeting between US President John F. Kennedy and Nigerian Head of State Alhaji Tafawa Balewa in the 1960s over the launch of the first American and Nigerian astronauts into space was narrated by Permanent Secretary Mrs. Esuabana Asanye. America succeeded in 1969 even though both leaders were slain and the dream never materialized. She conveyed her appreciation for the NASRDA-SERA partnership and expressed hope that it will ultimately fulfil Nigeria’s space ambitions. As the country awaits the arrival of its first astronaut, she commended the participating teams and urged them to keep up their good work.
Nigeria’s first-ever human space trip in Africa was announced on June 19, 2024, by Chief Uche Nnaji, the Honourable Minister of Innovation, Science, and Technology. Nnaji praised the occasion as an appropriate gift for NASRDA’s 25th anniversary at the MOU signing between NASRDA and SERA in Abuja. Thanks to SERA’s collaboration, the space flight—which has been postponed since 2018—aligns with President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda.
Permanent Secretary Mrs. Esuabana Asanye recalled JFK and Tafawa Balewa’s unfulfilled space dreams in the 1960s, which were brought about by their assassinations. In an effort to become Nigeria’s first astronaut, she lauded the cooperation between NASRDA and SERA.
Dr. Matthew Adepoju, Director General of NASRDA, stressed the organization’s pioneering role in space exploration in Africa. Nigeria’s astronaut would be chosen democratically, according to SERA co-founder Sam Hutchinson, who also highlighted the country’s space program.
