FG Approves 4 New Satellites to Boost Security, Agriculture and Disaster Management
Our Correspondent
The Federal Government has approved the development and deployment of four new satellites aimed at strengthening Nigeria’s space technology and earth observation capabilities.
The project will be handled by the National Space Research and Development Agency, NASRDA, and is expected to expand the use of satellite data in key sectors including national security, agriculture, environmental monitoring, disaster management, urban planning and other areas of national development.
According to details of the approval, the constellation will include three optical satellites and one Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) satellite. Officials say the combination will give Nigeria improved capacity to monitor and gather timely information on the country’s land and environment, including during cloudy weather and at night.
The SAR satellite is designed to provide all-weather, day-and-night imaging. This will support security operations, border surveillance and rapid response to disasters such as floods and wildfires.
The three optical satellites will focus on agriculture, land use mapping, environmental monitoring and urban planning.
The government said the initiative demonstrates its commitment to leveraging science, technology and innovation for national development.
It is also expected to reduce Nigeria’s reliance on foreign satellite data and strengthen the country’s capacity for evidence-based decision-making.
With the new satellites, NASRDA will be able to provide federal and state agencies with more frequent and localized data to guide policy in food security, climate adaptation, infrastructure planning and internal security.
20
Post Comment