Dele Ogbodo in Abuja
The Director, Centre for Satellite Technology Development (CSTD), of the National Space and Research Development Agency (NASRDA), Prof. Spencer Onuh, on Monday said has Nigeria saved about $2billion using its home made satellite.
Spencer 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.
He said: “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.
“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.
Ale who is the head of media and corporate communications of National Space Research and Development Agency (NASRDA), urged the Nigerian media to use agenda setting to influence the perception of the audience as in space and science technology.
Space journalism, he said remain a very strategic part of the media that has played a very crucial role in global affairs, adding, that its noble contributions in the promotion of space science and technology will continue to loom large in human history, particularly in the technological revolution across the globe.
Ale, tasked the media to continue to portray the positive aspect of the of the space technology as it remains one of the strategic solutions to the realisation of government agenda.
He said: “The Nigerian press must rise up to challenges to ensure the integration of space technology application into the various stages of the nation’s development efforts.”
