The Director General and Chief Executive of the National Space Research and Development Agency (NASRDA), Dr. Matthew Adepoju, led a high-level delegation to the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) headquarters in Bangalore, India, to strengthen bilateral cooperation in space science and technology between Nigeria and India.
The visit formed part of the implementation of the existing Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on the peaceful uses of outer space between both countries.
As a step toward advancing Nigeria’s presence in the global space community, the visit provided an opportunity to consolidate earlier gains and explore new frontiers of collaboration in capacity building, research, and sustainable development.
During the engagements, Dr. Adepoju and his team held strategic discussions with the Scientific Secretary of ISRO, the Director of the Earth Observation Programme Office (EDPO), senior officials, and key partners, including the Indian Institute of Space Science and Technology (IIST), Trivandrum, and Ananth Technologies.
A major outcome of the visit was an understanding between NASRDA and IIST to deepen academic and research exchanges.
Both institutions agreed to jointly pursue student and faculty exchange programmes, capacity-building workshops, collaborative scientific research, development of curricula in emerging space technologies, joint conferences, sponsorships, and collaborative funding proposals.
This initiative is expected to integrate Nigerian universities into global research networks in space science and engineering.
The NASRDA delegation also reviewed progress under the Indian Technical and Economic Cooperation (ITEC) programme, through which 25 NASRDA officers were trained in January 2025 on satellite image analysis and Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) data processing.
This initiative underscores India’s commitment to knowledge transfer and Nigeria’s determination to build technical manpower in the space sector.
Dr. Adepoju described the mission as a turning point in Nigeria-India relations in space cooperation, noting that the engagements will accelerate innovation in satellite technology, bolster food security through precision agriculture, enhance disaster preparedness, expand educational opportunities, and contribute to the achievement of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
The NASRDA delegation included Dr. Godstime Kadiri James (Director, Strategic Space Applications), Dr. David Jeb Nyomo (Director, National Centre for Remote Sensing, Jos), and Dr. Chichebe Akachukwu (Director, Ground Station and Mission Control).
Below are pictures from the visit:
Written by: Monica Jiya
Editor: Joy Opaluwa
Media and Corporate Communications
