The Honourable Minister of Education, Dr. Tunji Alausa, has said that space technology is a panacea to curb corruption in Nigeria’s education system.

Dr. Alausa made the statement when the Management Team of NASRDA, led by the Director General Dr. Matthew Adepoju, paid him a courtesy visit in Abuja.

The Minister, who expressed his admiration for the work NASRDA had previously done in collaboration with the Universal Basic Education Commission (UBEC), applauded the Agency for the success of the project, particularly the school personnel audit, which enabled the identification of ghost workers.

He stated that geospatial fencing, mapping, and other platforms developed and monitored by NASRDA have been fundamental to the discovery of ghost schools and should be replicated for senior secondary and even tertiary institutions across the country.

Dr. Alausa emphasized that it was time for Nigeria to secure sovereignty over its own databases and cease relying on international bodies for information about what resources we have and what we lack.

He added that the inter-ministerial working group, comprising key stakeholders within the education ecosystem, must include NASRDA to effectively oversee the mapping and development of a comprehensive database of schools at all levels across Nigeria.

Dr. Alausa, however, assured the Director General and the NASRDA team of the Ministry’s full support in the actualization of the proposed project, stating that with collective effort, Nigeria will move forward.

In his remarks, the Director General and Chief Executive of the National Space Research and Development Agency (NASRDA), Dr. Matthew Adepoju, commended the Minister for his innovative approach in identifying out-of-school children and taking proactive measures to address the issue.

He explained that the successful implementation of the UBEC project on primary and junior secondary schools brought greater visibility to NASRDA’s work, prompting renewed interest from relevant government bodies.

According to the Director General, the Agency has developed school optimization tools, essential for conducting needs assessments and ensuring effective resource allocation.

Dr. Adepoju further explained that, according to the World Bank, NASRDA is recognized as the organization responsible for producing the first educational database in Nigeria.

He expressed delight at the Minister’s positive disposition toward NASRDA’s request for partnership and pledged the Agency’s full support in delivering on all assigned projects.

Highlight of the event was the presentation of gifts by the NASRDA boss to the Minister.

Below are sights from the meeting.

Written by: Ninma Yacim
Editor: Joy Opaluwa
Media and Corporate Communications.