The Director-General and Chief Executive of the National Space Research and Development Agency (NASRDA), Prof. Matthew Adepoju, has reaffirmed the Agency’s commitment to strengthening public-private partnerships to advance indigenous technology for national development.

He stated this during the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between NASRDA and Irison P&P Global Synergy Ltd at the Agency’s headquarters in Abuja.

Prof. Adepoju described the partnership as a strategic step towards leveraging private-sector expertise to strengthen Nigeria’s indigenous technological capabilities and expand the application of space-based data and emerging technologies for national development.

He noted that the agreement would provide an opportunity to improve data management and utilisation through private-sector engagement, while opening up new possibilities for technological advancement.

The Director-General expressed confidence that the collaboration would deliver tangible benefits to the country, stressing that its success would depend on effective implementation and measurable results.

He urged both parties to commence implementation without delay, emphasising that the MoU must translate into practical outcomes rather than remain a mere document.

Speaking earlier, the leader of the delegation and Chief Executive Officer of Irison P&P Global Synergy Ltd, Chief Olu Fashanu, expressed appreciation to the Agency for the opportunity to collaborate with NASRDA.

He described the company as an engineering-focused organisation with expertise in space data collection, advanced systems and artificial intelligence-driven integration platforms.

Chief Fashanu explained that the MoU provides a framework for developing indigenous drones with substantial local content.

According to him, the initiative will focus on the design, assembly and maintenance of drones in Nigeria, with the aim of strengthening local technical capacity, promoting knowledge transfer and encouraging home-grown innovation.

He expressed optimism about the partnership, describing NASRDA as a strategic institution whose expertise and reputation would contribute significantly to the success of the initiative.

Below are highlights from the event.

Reporter: Chado Joel
Editor: Joy Atama-Opaluwa
Picture Credit: Fauziya Nakwarai
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