The National Space Research and Development Agency (NASRDA) is set to begin the implementation of its long-awaited space regulation and licensing functions, following the approval of a N20 billion take-off fund by President Bola Tinubu.
The Director-General of NASRDA, Dr. Matthew Adepoju, disclosed this in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Abuja on Thursday.
Dr. Adepoju explained that upon assuming office, he raised a memo to President Tinubu emphasizing the need to enforce NASRDA’s regulatory functions.
This, he said, was in accordance with Sections 6 and 9 of the NASRDA Act, which empower the agency to oversee space activities within Nigeria.
“When I raised that memo stating that our space can no longer be unregulated, Mr. President graciously approved the take-off fund of N20 billion few months ago. This is to enable us to commence the space regulation and spectrum management in Nigeria,” he said.
He noted that despite being mandated by the NASRDA Act (2010) to regulate Nigeria’s space sector, the agency had been unable to fulfill this role since its establishment in 1999.
The urgency of space regulation
According to Dr. Adepoju, the lack of regulation in the sector poses security threats and economic risks. He stressed the importance of monitoring and controlling activities in Nigeria’s space sector to prevent misuse.
“Although times and lots of activities happen that have security implications, but if we don’t take charge of our space sector, it will continue to be misused,” he stated.
He also clarified that while the N20 billion take-off fund had been approved, NASRDA was yet to access the funds due to bureaucratic procedures and availability constraints.
“Within the framework of what is possible for us to do now, we’ve set up the platform and we are commencing our regulatory and licensing functions,” he said.
Scope of regulation
Dr. Adepoju elaborated on the various aspects of space regulation, explaining that Nigeria’s space sector consists of three segments: upstream, midstream, and downstream.
“We have the upstream, which is deep space, the midstream, which is in between the space objects, such as satellites, and the planet Earth. We have the downstream, which has to do with ground stations, activities, and people who are utilising space products and services,” he explained.
He further noted that regulating these activities was crucial to preventing exploitation and ensuring that Nigerians benefit from space technology.
“In between these three sectors, there are activities that must be regulated, otherwise Nigerians will be short-changed. People have to be licensed and issued guidelines, the spectrum within Nigeria has to be monitored, and the agency has been granted this power since 2010 and this has lots of benefits,” he added.
Licensing framework
The licensing process, he said, is now open to both public and private operators in the space industry. He emphasized that individuals and organizations using or providing space-related products and services would require licensing from NASRDA.
He highlighted the importance of oversight in various sub-sectors, including satellite imagery, geographic information systems, satellite-based telecommunications, and broadcasting services.
“If unregulated, geographical data intelligence could be exploited by non-state actors for illicit activities,” he warned.
Dr. Adepoju also outlined the broader impact of space regulation, stating that it would enhance national security, support economic diversification, and promote local content development in Nigeria’s space sector.
According to him, revenue generation is another key benefit, as major industries such as oil and gas, shipping, and telecommunications rely heavily on space-based services.
