A physics lecturer at the University of Abuja, Mr Abel Osagie, on Sunday said Nigeria can put a spacecraft into orbit in the next five years.
Osagie said this in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) against the backdrop of India, a developing country like Nigeria, achieving the feat in September.
He said that with the full commitment of the Nigerian government, in collaboration with the private sector, the country could achieve the feat.
“If India can do this, Nigerian scientists could do same.
“The private sector has a major role to play in funding research in space technology because it is the driving force for developing countries like ours to advance in research.
“If the Federal Government is fully committed towards this end, and collaborates with the private sector, in five years, we should put a spacecraft in orbit like India did,’’ he said.
Osagie, therefore, advised Nigerian businessman to collaborate with the Federal Government by investing in the funding of researches into space science and technology.
NAN recalls that India successfully put a spacecraft in orbit around the planet Mars on Sept. 24, making her the first Asian country to achieve the feat.
India’s Mars Orbiter Mission (MOM) was said to have been developed with home grown technology and at the cost of about $75 million.
Two-thirds of the spacecraft’s parts were made by Indian companies, such as Larsen & Toubro, and Godrej & Boyce – something the Nigerian private sector can emulate.
Experts say the feat would bolster India’s chances of becoming a major player in the global space industry that has grown to over $314 billion in revenues. (NAN)
0 replies:
Post a Comment