Monday, September 22, 2025 - In a groundbreaking milestone for Nigeria and the African continent, the National Space Research and Development Agency (NASRDA) successfully connected Nigerian students to the International Space Station (ISS), where they held a live interactive session with NASA astronaut Zena Cardman.
A statement by the Director, Media and Corporate
Communications of the Agency,Dr Felix Ale says the historic event which was
first of its kind in Nigeria took place at NASRDA Headquarters in Abuja and
brought together students from various schools across the Federal Capital
Territory.
The landmark event was witnessed by the Director General and
Chief Executive of NASRDA, Dr. Matthew Adepoju, alongside the Agency’s top
management team, School administrators, students and stakeholders in the
science and technology education sector.
Dr. Adepoju, in his welcome address described the
development as a record-breaking stride in Africa’s space exploration journey,
noting that the feat was strategically designed to inspire and nurture the
interest of the younger generation in space science and technology.
He described the students as the hope of the nation and
urged them to continually appreciate the purposeful leadership of President
Bola Tinubu and the Honourable Minister of Innovation, Science and Technology,
Chief Geoffrey Nnaji, whose vision has accelerated Nigeria’s advancement in
science and technology.
The NASRDA boss also commended the programme coordinator
Mrs. Joy Olayiwola and the team at GeoApps Plus Limited of the Space Agency for
what he identified “a giant stride” in the success of the Nigerian Space
Programme.
During the event, Mr. Tope Owolabi of the Department of
Physical and Life Sciences also delivered a presentation highlighting the
global significance and practical application of space science, spanning earth
observation, satellite technology, and medical innovations.
The climax of the event was the live question and answer
session, moderated by Stefan Dombrowski from Belgium and John Sygo from South
Africa, where Zena Cardman engaged freely with the students, providing
insightful responses to their various questions.
The interactive session was widely described as inspiring,
educative, and memorable.
The Managing Director, GeoApps Plus Limited, Mr Emmanuel
Onwuabuariri lauded Dr. Adepoju for his visionary leadership in driving
NASRDA’s transformation.
He assured that subsequent editions of the program would be
bigger and more impactful.
The event ended with presentation of certificates of
attendance to participating schools by NASRDA Boss, Dr. Adepoju, who again
re-echoed his plea to the students to imbibe a culture of continuous learning,
and to channel their potentials toward nation building.
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