Understanding its Past, Reshaping its Future

Adigun Ade ABIODUN

The Space Policy Institute, Elliott School of International Affairs
GEORGE WASHINGTON UNIVERSITY, Washington D.C.

September 19, 2017

1
 INTRODUCTION
1. Background on Nigeria
2. Why write this book?
3. From Space Race to Space Cooperation
4. Nigeria: Initial Exposure to Space
5. Space-bound Nigeria
6. Implementation – Readiness and Lessons Learned
7. Nigeria’s Space Future
8. Conclusion

Followed by: Q & A Session and Book Signing

2
BACKGROUND ON NIGERIA

3
Background on Nigeria

4
 Background on Nigeria
• Capital: Abuja
• Population: 188.5 million
• GDP: $1,166 billion (2016)
• Area: 923,768 km²
• Number of linguistic groups ~ 250
• Federal Republic
• Noted for 419 & other unsavory acts
• Abundance of natural wealth
• Home to abundant human talents
that have ably served the global
community in various ways.
5
Why write this Book?

6
 Why write this Book?
• I wrote this book as a call to action, particularly, by
my fellow Nigerians. NSJ is the product of over three
decades of my engagement with space science and
technology education, applications and policy
formulation. It is a guide on how that experience can
contribute to making Nigeria a knowledge-rich
society. I hope that Nigeria and other developing
economies of the world will be able to use the
information and recommendations in this book to
enhance the wellbeing and meet the needs of their
people as well as contribute to the resolution of
regional and global issues of concern.

7
 From Space Race
to
Space Cooperation

8
 Space Race to Space Cooperation

Sputnik-1, October 4, 1957 Explorer-1, January 31, 1958

• Establishment of the United • Space Race between the

Nations Committee on the United States and USSR
Peaceful Uses of Outer Space
on December 12. 1959 (UN *
Resolution 1472 (XIV)
9
 Space Race to Space Cooperation:
Who Benefits?

COSPAS-SARSAT Architecture 1979 *

*1974 – India Loaned ATS-6 for

SITE from the United States International Space Station
(1993 – 2011) 10
Nigeria: Initial Exposure to Space

11
 Nigeria: Initial Exposure to Space (1)

1958

Microlock - A portable radio tracking

device installed at the University of
Ibadan to receive telemetry needed
to plot the orbit of Exploter-1 * NASA Tracking Station 5 in Kano

USA’s Manned Space Network - Late 1960 – Early 1970 12

Nigeria: Initial Exposure to Space (2)

August 23, 1963

Zagami Meteorite - October 3, 196213*

 Nigeria: Initial Exposure to Space (3)
The Zagami Meteorite – Cut and Shared Globally
1996
18,000 g Saw out
of rock from About 1989 ~7,000 g 5,200 g 2,800 g
Mars fell to End piece ~80% NZ Robert
Earth in 1978 13 g Robert A. 20% DML Haag
Zagami, Nyquist Haag
Sawn,
Nigeria on water J Schwade
1,000 g
Oct. 3, 1962 Piece to Kankakee, Ill
Sent to
Wasserburg Japan
200 grams
Sent to ~1994
David 400 g
BMNH in
New Univ. of NM
1963 and 11,000 g Consortium USNM
returned in Kaduna Fe-rich #6545
1965 Museum coarse
Main mass Vistisen et al 1992 Glass Marti et al 1995
BM(NH) Further TS Studied by McCoy et al 1993
169
234 g Cuts
~2,000 g AMNH
Haag 287
1966,54g Berlin 50
End … Mainz
Stolper & Piece 233
McSween 38
Paris
1979 Zurich
Bethany
Science?
 Nigeria: Initial Exposure to Space (4)
(At the Universities)
• Earth Observation – UNIFE, 1973
• 1979-Today, UN Programme on
Space Applications – ARCSSE-E &
GERT-INISSE *
• 1985 Basic Space Science Centre
at UNN, Nsukka
Participated in IGY in 1957-58

World Climate Research Centre at the University of Ilorin, 1992

15
 Nigeria: Initial Exposure to Space (5)
At the govt. level - Post Civil War Reconstruction
• 1969-1972 Communication
Earth Stations acquired and
installed

• 1973 Applied and

Admitted to COPUOS
• 1975 - Aerostat Balloon
acquired and installed
• 1988 - Applied for, and in
2006 ITU allocated it, a GSO
slot, at 42.50E - (2.6250E -
14.7500E)
Communication Earth Station
Aerostat Balloon
“USE NIGERIA’S WEALTH TO
PROVIDE A FUNCTIONAL
COMMUNICATION
SYSTEM IN THE SHORTEST
POSSIBLE TIME.”
Gen. Murtala MOHAMMED - 1975
• 16
SPACE-BOUND NIGERIA

17
18
 SPACE-BOUND NIGERIA (1)
• 1997-98: Preparation for UNISPACE-III (1999) offered
opportunities for Nigerian civil servants to rub
shoulders with international merchants quickest way
for the developing countries to become space fairing
and space capable.

• 1999 – On May 5, two and a half months before the

beginning of UNISPACE III, the Federal Executive
Council (FEC) established the National Space Research
and Development Agency without a space policy or
programme to guide the new organization.

• 1999 - NASRDA embarked on a Nigerian Satellite

Project, with the intent to acquire satellites from
abroad.
 SPACE-BOUND NIGERIA (2)
• 2000, September 26 – SSAP-SST submitted to the
President the document, titled: Nigerian Experts
Consultative Group – NECG in developing Nigerian Space
Programme: A Blue Print for Scientific and Technical
Development.
• 2000, November 7, Nigeria (FMST) and Surrey Satellite
Technology Ltd (SSTL) of UK signed a “Purchase and Sale
Agreement” for:
• (i) LOE Microsatellite - NigeriaSat-1;
• (ii) GEO Minisatellite; and
• (iii) Provision of associated equipment and ancillary
services
• 2001, July 4: National Space Policy and Programme
approved by FEC.
 SPACE-BOUND NIGERIA (3)
Analysis of the Nigeria/SSTL Agreement -1

1. “This Agreement shall be governed, construed

and performance thereof shall be determined in
accordance with the laws of England and the
Parties hereby agree to submit to the jurisdiction
of the English courts; and

2. “The Agreement shall be governed by Nigerian

laws for items to be supplied in Nigeria and SSTL
(Nig.) Ltd to be held liable for such items.”
21
 SPACE-BOUND NIGERIA (4)

Analysis of the Nigeria/SSTL Agreement -2

• The contractor drafted the Agreement and

took advantage of the national inadequate
knowledge of the subject matter;

• Agreement was loaded with Unjustifiable

justifications; and

• National Commitment was missing. 22

 SPACE-BOUND NIGERIA - My Role (5)
1. 1999 Nov. 8 – Appointed as Senior Special Assistant (to the President of
Nigeria) on Space Science and Technology (SSAP-SST). And committed myself
to develop and deliver a document on Nigeria’s space future within 6-
months.
2. 2000 – March; my mandate, as SSAP-SST, was publicized nation-wide through
the Newsmedia.*
3. 2000 - Visited USA as well as SSTL facilities in Surrey, UK in the company of
two Nigerian experts on electronics and satellite meteorology.
4. 2000 – I established a 24 member Nigerian Experts Consultative Group
(NECG) and held two meetings in June and August.
5. 2000 – I submitted NECG Report to the President on Sept. 26 with strong
advice not to buy a satellite, but to no avail.
6. 2000 Nov.– At the request of the NSA, I analyzed the Nigerian/SSTL
Agreement and concluded that it was not in Nigeria’s best interest.
7. 2001 Feb. – A Review Committee established by Govt. agreed that the
Agreement “suffered from lapses and inadequacies,” but the government still
went ahead and acquired the satellites.
8. 2001 April - I formally requested the President of Nigeria to disassociate me
from the Nigerian Satellite Project.
Implementation & Lessons Learned

24
 Implementation - Nigerian Space Project (1)

NigComSat-1, 05-13-2007
11-10-2008
NigeriaSat-1, 09-27-2003

NigeriaSat-2, 08-11-2011 NigComSat-1R, 12-19-2011

25
Implementation of the Nigerian Space Project (2)
Which one is yielding better results?

NigeriaSat-2 in Polar Orbit LAPAN – A2 in Equatorial Orbit

Implementation - Nigerian Space Project (3)
What is the level of readiness?

Global Competition

27
Implementation - Nigerian Space Project (4)
Lessons Learned - Global Competition

CBERS-2B (China & Brasil) LANDSAT-7 (USA)

• ESA’s ENVISAT • WORLD VIEW-4 (USA-Private)

28
 Implementation - Nigerian Space Project (5)
Lessons Learned - Global Competition

Eutelsat 16
NigComSat-1R

Footprint of NigComSat-1R Footprint of Eutelsat 6 29

Implementation - Nigerian Space Project (6)
Capacity Building Issues
1. The government did not abide by the nation’s
1977 education policy of giving admission
preference to S&T education.

2. The government failed to respond to the

demands of ASUU to implement the S&T
education policy, hence incessant ASUU strikes.

3. A 2012 government commissioned report

vindicated ASUU and concluded that: report
“Physical facilities for teaching and learning in
Nigerian Universities are Inadequate,
Dilapidated, Over- stretched/over-crowded,
and Improvised”.
 Implementation - Nigerian Space Project (7)
Infrastructural Issues

1. Incessant electric power failures

2. Nigerian industries took flight to

neighboring countries

3. Importation of almost everything to meet

the needs of the nation
 Implementation - Nigerian Space Project (8)
Funding for Education, R&D and Space

State & Federal Universities

National Assembly vs. R&D

Phase-1 of 25-Year Road Map
32
Implementation - Nigerian Space Project (9)
Comparative Funding of National Space Programmes

33
Nigeria’s Space Future

34
Nigeria and its 21st Century S&T Engagements
• Nigeria and Nigerians should note that in the space age of
today, countries that are able to help themselves, that
invest in the generation of knowledge and can contribute
to innovations, are often enthusiastically welcomed to
interact, at the research and development levels, with
their counterparts within the space-faring and space–
capable communities of the world.

• Nigeria must cultivate and nurture such a character with

the goal of enhancing the quality of life of its citizens,
fostering collaboration in S&T, economic development and
trade, as well as tackling the global challenges of our time,
particularly, climate change and global security.
35
 Proposal 1 - Build & nurture a national culture of
science and technology
• Broad knowledge of the role of S&T and
space in development particularly for
political leaders and decision makers
• Put people to work – productive utilization of
professionals
• Inspire Nigerian Youth through informal
education programmes on the
accomplishments and legacies of the nations
unsung S&T heroes

36
 Proposal 2 - Revitalize S&T
in Nigerian Schools and Colleges

1. The Youth, the work-force of the future, should be

exposed to rigorous (theory and practice) STEM
Education;

2. S&T as tools of development, at the State and local levels,

should be product generating and not be saddled with
establishment of more bureaucratic organs.

3. Polytechnics should be strengthened as specialist

institutions for education and training of very highly
skilled technicians. Converting polytechnics to universities
is detrimental to the goal of developing the basic hands-
on skills needed in the nation’s industries.

37
 Proposal 3 - Rationalize Tertiary Institutions
1 A university can develop a niche for itself that is unique and
can have maximum impact on both its immediate
environment and the nation at large.
2. The nation is in need of tertiary institutions that address
specific areas of S&T and R&D in such fields as fundamental
and applied sciences, climate science, health sciences,
engineering (all branches including automobile engineering),
electronics and the computer, energy (finite and renewable),
marine sciences, and agriculture and forestry, just to name a
few.
3. It is now apparent that the Federal Government needs a
helping hand to successfully run its over 40 universities.
About 75% of these should be privatised and the remaining
25% should be upgraded to function as focused
specialist/core institution in a specific field/discipline.
4. Improved R&D Funding
Proposal 4 - Learn from others in the global community

1. Attract foreign-based research scientists

2. Learn from the entrepreneurial spirit within foreign

universities

3. Study and learn from examples of how S&T has

become a tool of development, e.g., in Brasil, Saudi
Arabia and South Africa
Proposal 5 – Commit to and invest in space-related priorities

Among the proposed priorities are:

• Space sciences
• Electronics, ICT and information sciences
• Knowledge and Understanding of the equatorial
plane
• Building and sustaining an S&T private sector
Proposal 6 - Contribute to the resolution of global issues

Satellites monitoring
Lake Bosumtwi, Ghana
Greenhouse gases 41
 Proposal 7: The Think Tank – An Oversight Body
The National Parliament should establish a Think Tank to serve as an
independent oversight body for the nation’s space activities.
The initial focus of The Think-Tank should include, among other things, the
following:

1. Redefine and redesign the national space programme

2. Undertake regular monitoring and evaluation of the nation’s space

activities

3. Promote public awareness of space through periodic dialogue

between the public and the stakeholders.
4. Ensure transparency on the nation’s space efforts, its products and
services and how the citizenry can freely gain access to them as
well as use them for their own benefit
5. Provide the nation’s political leaders and decision makers with
continuing opportunities to gain a broad knowledge of the role of
space in development
Proposal 8 – Identify and tap sources of support (funding etc.)
sources for the proposals

Examples:

1. The Nigerian Geological Survey Agency (NGSA)

2. The Raw Materials Research and Development Council

(RMRDC)

3. The Nigerian Investment Promotion Commission (NIPC)

*
 CONCLUSION (1)
If Nigeria stays the course in executing the proposed redefined
and redesigned space programme, it will, among other things:

Have a multiplying effect on Nigeria’s economy and
industrial production;

 Enhance the quality of life of Nigerians; and the science and

technology capability of the nation

 Ingrain a can-do mentality in Nigerians as well as reduce

Nigeria’s scientific and technological dependence on others

 Uplift Nigeria’s image at home, in Africa and within the

international community.
44
 CONCLUSION (2)

Today, Nigeria has the opportunity to shape its own space

and economic future as well as become a leading partner
and voice in determining Africa’s future. Its actions, as a
nation and a people, will tell.

45
Thank You

46