The Honourable Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Mr. Festus Keyamo, SAN, has called for closer institutional collaboration with the National Space Research and Development Agency (NASRDA) to advance the development of Nigeria’s aerospace sector.

The Minister made the call when the Director-General/Chief Executive of NASRDA, Prof. Matthew Adepoju, and his team paid him a courtesy visit in Abuja.

Mr. Keyamo explained that aerospace development was originally under the purview of NASRDA before it was subsequently added to the mandate of the Ministry of Aviation under the administration of former President Muhammadu Buhari, adding that the discussions focused on institutional responsibility for aerospace development, airspace surveillance and areas of technical collaboration between the two institutions.

He acknowledged that, despite the inclusion of aerospace in the Ministry’s mandate and nomenclature, there is currently limited activity specifically focused on aerospace development within the Ministry.

The Minister therefore called for further engagement involving the Minister responsible for Science, Technology and Innovation, with a view to taking the matter to the Presidency for consideration and appropriate direction on the institutional framework for aerospace development in Nigeria.

In his remarks, the Director-General of NASRDA, Prof. Matthew Adepoju, emphasised the importance of technical collaboration between NASRDA and the Ministry of Aviation, particularly in strengthening airspace monitoring and surveillance through the application of space-based technologies and research.

He proposed that NASRDA work with the Ministry to develop specialised monitoring equipment capable of detecting and tracking aircraft flying below 5,000 feet, noting that the proposed technology could help address gaps in existing airspace surveillance capabilities.

Prof. Adepoju said the collaboration would draw on NASRDA’s expertise in space science and technology, research and development, while leveraging the Ministry’s operational knowledge of Nigeria’s aviation sector.

The discussions also covered areas of collaboration in research, innovation, indigenous technology development and the production of specialised equipment to address emerging challenges in Nigeria’s aviation and aerospace sectors.

Below are pictures from the event.

Reporter: Ibrahim Zakari
Editor: Joy Atama-Opaluwa
Media and Corporate Communications