The National Space Research and Development Agency, NASRDA has said that developing the appropriate space technology in Nigeria could strengthen its manufacturing sector.
Director-General of the agency, Prof Seidu Mohammed, said at the 2013 Centre for Satellite technology Development, CSTD week in Abuja that developing the appropriate space technology in the country would make Nigeria more competitive at the world stage.
The Director General, who was represented by NASRDA’s Director of Engineering and Space System, Dr Femi Agboola, said that space technology could be used to build up Nigeria’s manufacturing capability.
He described space technology as a panacea to the country’s vision to rank among the 20 most developed economies in the world by the year 2020.
He also described space technology as a tool that could help raise Nigeria’s Gross Domestic Products, GDP, if properly applied.
“If Nigeria increases its GDP to even 25 per cent through the manufacturing sector, everything will change. We need to produce quality products that can compete with others across the world by taking advantage of space technology,’’ he said.
Mohammed said that the developed countries had been able to stand out economically because they built up their capabilities in manufacturing through space technology, with at least 40 per cent of their GDP accruing from the manufacturing sector.
“If you can produce a satellite and take it to the orbit, the process of going from ground to the orbit, your satellite, every equipment there represent every other equipment you have on the ground, be it in auto-mobile, aircraft, appliances in your home – your television, all these things are embedded in satellite.
“This is just a robot that is going to space, but by the time it rides from its rocket to space, it will go through shaking that simulates like you have used for like 50 years already.
“And so, if it gets to the space and still work; anything you take those technologies and apply to on ground, you know you have a perfect technology.
“So, for me as an engineer, we must be able to produce quality space products. Once we do that, one other component we need in Nigeria is to have steady electricity supply.
“Space technology can give us the kind of manufacturing capability we need to do competitive manufacturing and export products ’’ Mohammed said.