The Director General and Chief Executive, National Space Research and Development Agency (NASRDA), Dr. Matthew Adepoju, has said that Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) and hyperspectral imaging are critical tools that will shape Nigeria’s future in space technology and national development.
He made this statement during the closing ceremony of a five-day advanced training programme on SAR and hyperspectral imaging, held at the Agency’s headquarters in Abuja.
Dr. Adepoju, who was represented by the Director, Media and Corporate Communications, Dr. Felix Ale, explained that SAR and hyperspectral imaging are leading the next phase of global space innovation due to their unmatched ability to provide detailed, all-weather, day-and-night Earth observation data.
He added that these technologies are essential for countries seeking accurate environmental intelligence, resource monitoring, disaster prediction, and strategic national planning.
Dr Adepoju posited that Nigeria must take decisive steps to strengthen its competitiveness in these areas, and harness the immense benefit of these satellites for solving national issues.
The NASRDA boss described the training as a strategic milestone, which aligns with the Agency’s preparations for the launch of its proposed four new satellites, including a Synthetic Aperture Radar satellite.
He further emphasized that these missions will expand the nation’s capability in environmental monitoring, security applications, and sustainable development, adding that SAR and hyperspectral imaging can be deployed to tackle crucial national challenges such as oil spillage detection, agricultural assessment, flood control, forest surveillance, and other priority sectors vital to Nigeria’s socio-economic stability.
While commending the facilitator for his expertise and professionalism, Dr. Adepoju emphasized that the ultimate value of the training lies in how effectively the knowledge is applied and shared.
He charged senior experts to mentor younger officers, stating that continuous knowledge transfer is key to sustaining growth in the space sector.
Also speaking on behalf of the Director, Strategic Space Applications, the Head of the Division of Environment and Climate Change, Dr. Laide Aderoju, said the DG has mandated that groups be created, and what is learnt be documented and developed into a bankable proposal to ensure sustainable projects, which he said action will be put to that directive.
In his remarks, the facilitator of the training, Dr. John Ogbole, appreciated the Director General for his support and the platform to thrive, noting that strengthening technical capacity is essential for Nigeria’s relevance in the evolving global space ecosystem.
He charged the participants to take the lessons learnt seriously in their various groups and develop an action plan that can be readily developed into an solution based innovation that can be adequately deployed.
Speaking on behalf of the participants, their representatives expressed gratitude to the DG’s leadership for prioritizing capacity development and pledged to utilize the acquired knowledge to enhance the Agency’s operations.
Below are pictures from the event:
Written by Grace Jacob
Editor: Kaneng Dagyeng
Photo Credit : Ibrahim Zakari
Media and Corporate Communications NASRDA.
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