The Director General of the National Space Research and Development Agency (NASRDA), Dr. Matthew Adepoju, has announced plans to train 200,000 Nigerian youths annually with relevant skills to harness opportunities in the growing space economy.
Adepoju disclosed this while speaking to journalists during the 2025 NASRDA top management retreat held in Uyo, Akwa Ibom State.
He has said that opportunities abound for wealth creation in the space sector to get Nigeria out of the present youth unemployment.
“We are introducing some skills acquisition for youth employment because we have observed that they need skills, wherever you have problems, that is potential money, that is potential jobs, that is opportunities.
“But when you don’t have the skills to tackle the problems and turn the situation to wealth creation.
“That’s why we brought up the skills acquisition hub, which is taking off soon,” Dr. Adepoju said.
Six regional skills acquisition centres planned
To implement the programme, NASRDA plans to establish skills acquisition hubs across all six geopolitical zones of the country. The first regional centre, he said, is nearing completion and is expected to be commissioned this year.
“The first one out of the six regional centres will be completed and commissioned this year, where we can train up to 200,000 youths every year in every region.”
He noted that these training hubs would offer practical, market-ready skills that would empower the youths to solve problems and contribute to national development.
International collaboration
Dr. Adepoju also revealed that NASRDA is preparing to launch two new satellites into space within the next year to replace the aging satellite launched in 2011.
He said this effort is being executed in partnership with the United States-based Space Exploration and Research Agency (SERA).
“In the next six months to one year, definitely, NASRDA will launch at least two out of the four satellites into orbit. Then the programme of the first Nigerian, first African to be in space would have been a reality too, because we have already secured the seat in Blue Origin.”
He added that the process of selecting the Nigerian who will benefit from the space travel programme is ongoing.
Space regulations
The NASRDA boss confirmed that President Bola Tinubu has approved a take-off grant for the establishment of space regulations and spectrum management in Nigeria.
He said the absence of a proper regulatory framework has contributed to poor service delivery by telecom and broadcasting companies in the country.
“Many of the services rendered to us in Nigeria are substandard. Let’s look at direct-to-home television, even telephone, you are in the middle of a telephone call, and everything is dropping, because of the transponder they are using.
“I was really disappointed in the room while I was listening to the President’s acceptance speech, and because it was cloudy and about to rain, everything went off the screen.
“It is because nobody is regulating the space sector, which is the function of NASRDA, both the upstream, midstream, and downstream,” he said
Dr. Adepoju emphasized the economic potential of the space sector and urged private investors to get involved.
He said the global space economy is now the largest in the world and offers significant avenues for job creation, economic growth, and improved national security.
