Amid escalating hostilities in the Middle East involving the United States, Israel and Iran, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has directed the immediate release of approved funds for the maintenance of Nigeria’s space assets, signalling a renewed commitment to reposition the country’s space programme as a national strategic priority.
Gatekeepers News reports that the directive was issued during the first meeting of the National Space Council at the Presidential Villa, Abuja, on Tuesday. The President, represented by Vice President Kashim Shettima, reaffirmed his administration’s resolve to implement the revised 25-year roadmap of the National Space Policy and Programme.
“I hereby approved the cost of the implementation of the approved revised 25-year roadmap for the implementation of the national space policy be forwarded to the Federal Executive Council for consideration and approval,” the President said.
Tinubu declared that Nigeria would not be a passive observer in the rapidly evolving global space landscape.
“Nigeria will not watch the new frontier unfold from the sideline. We will participate, we will compete, we will contribute. Our space ambitions must be anchored in outcomes, accountability and national value,” he said.
“We must build a programme that serves the farmer in the field, the teacher in the classroom, the entrepreneur in the market, the soldier on duty, the researcher in the laboratory and the policy maker who must plan with evidence rather than guess work. This is how a nation turns attitude into advantage.”
He stressed that investment in space technology is not a distant ambition but a practical tool for socio-economic transformation under his administration’s Renewed Hope Agenda.
According to him, space capabilities would drive precision agriculture, strengthen border security, enhance early warning systems for floods and fires, and power a competitive digital economy.
Tinubu noted that the outer space presents opportunities “as a new frontier for human development, as a stimulus for increased technological advancement and economic diversification.”
He added that it offers “a unique challenge and platform for effective exploration and exploitation of the nation’s natural resources as well as the protection of its environment.”
Highlighting the global potential of the sector, the President said: “Space technology remains the foundation for cyber security and a vibrant digital economy. The space economy is rapidly growing and it’s expected to exceed 1 trillion dollars by 2040. When we invest in space, we are not funding a distant dream.
“We are funding precision in agriculture and security in our borders; we are funding early warning systems against floods and fires, smarter cities, safer skies, stronger communications and a digital economy that can compete with the best in the world. We are funding the confidence of a nation that refuses to be trapped by the limits of yesterday.”
Tinubu also directed the space agency to enforce regulatory compliance under the NASDRA Act 2010, instructing it to “employ all legally available means to enforce the space regulation and spectrum management framework for a secure utilization of space assets and resources over Nigeria on behalf of the National Space Council as provided in the NASDRA Act 2010.”
“I also direct all MDAs, stakeholders and the private sector to comply with the space regulatory framework. This directive also includes timely release of all approved funds for this purpose by the Federal Ministry of Finance,” the President added.
Although the Federal Government did not explicitly link the move to the ongoing Middle East crisis, the directive comes against the backdrop of heightened geopolitical instability marked by coordinated military strikes and retaliatory missile and drone attacks in the region.
The conflict, triggered by US and Israeli strikes on Iran over the weekend, has contributed to broader regional destabilisation and disruptions to global energy supply routes, particularly around the Strait of Hormuz — a key corridor for international oil shipments.
Space-based infrastructure, including satellites and spectrum management systems, plays a critical role in modern security architecture, communications resilience, intelligence gathering and disaster response during periods of geopolitical volatility.
In his remarks, Minister of Innovation, Science and Technology, Kingsley Udeh, described the meeting as historic. He disclosed that the Council approved new Conditions of Service and Staff Regulations for the Nigerian Space Research and Development Agency to align with international best practices and curb brain drain.
Udeh also announced the establishment of a working group comprising key stakeholders in the space ecosystem — including the Nigerian Space Research and Development Agency, the Nigerian Communications Commission, the National Defence Space Agency and NIGCOMSAT — to refine and operationalise the revised 25-year roadmap.
Additionally, the Council approved the development and operationalisation of the Bola Ahmed Tinubu Space Centre in Ekpe, a move aimed at enhancing Nigeria’s capacity to host and maintain satellites locally, thereby reducing dependence on foreign expertise.
