Nigeria saved about $2billion using its home-made satellite,the Director, Centre for Satellite Technology Development, CSTD, of the National Space and Research Development Agency, NASRDA, Prof. Spencer Onuh, on Monday, September 19, revealed this.
CSTD Boss, who spoke at the 2016 lecture of the centre in Abuja, said other sectors of the economy like communications, agriculture, military, education and medicine have benefitted from Nigerian satellite projects.
“The benefits are enormous. The fact that we use ATM in our banking sector is a break though. We are able to use the Internet services with high broad band connectivity is a benefit,” he said.
Spencer said: “We have detailed landmark of the country using the Nigerian satellite. This is what cost us about $3million in 1960.We talking about saving $2billion as of today. Even in Agriculture, we are able to advice our farmers, where to cultivate a plant and what to cultivate.”
While delivering his paper, on: Space Science and Technology: Roles of the press towards its evolution, promotion and educational benefits in developing nations, the guest lecture, Dr. Felix Ale, stated that space science and technology remains a very fundamental key and solutions to myriads of societal problems and a veritable tool for development in the global community.
He added that the press abroad through space journalism has made it possible to come to term with the reality that space exploration has shaped our world views.
