NASRDA makes students interact with space station
Director General, NASRDA, Dr. Matthew Adepoju, NASRDA management, school administrators, and students pose during Nigeria’s historic live interactive session with NASA astronaut Zena Cardman at the International Space Station.
… inspiring, nurturing interest in space science.
The National Space Research and Development Agency said it successfully connected Nigerian students to the International Space Station, where they held a live interactive session with NASA astronaut Zena Cardman.
The historic event, the first of its kind in Nigeria, took place at NASRDA Headquarters in Abuja and brought together students from various schools across the Federal Capital Territory. The Director of Media and Corporate Communications, Dr. Felix Ale, NASRDA, said in a statement on Tuesday.
The session was witnessed by Director-General and Chief Executive Dr. Matthew Adepoju, NASRDA, alongside the agency’s top management team, school administrators, students, and stakeholders in the science and technology education sector.
In his welcome address, Adepoju described the development as a record-breaking stride in Africa’s space exploration journey. He said the initiative was strategically designed to inspire and nurture the interest of the younger generation in space science and technology.
The executive described the students as the hope of the nation and urged them to continually appreciate the purposeful leadership of President Bola Tinubu and the Minister of Innovation, Science and Technology, Geoffrey Nnaji, whose vision has accelerated Nigeria’s advancement in science and technology.
Programme Coordinator Mrs. Joy Olayiwola, NASRDA, and the team at GeoApps Plus Limited were commended by Adepoju for what he described as “a giant stride” in the success of the Nigerian Space Programme.
During the event, the Department of Physical and Life Sciences at NASRDA, Mr. Tope Owolabi, delivered a presentation highlighting the global significance and practical application of space science, spanning earth observation, satellite technology, and medical innovations.
The climax of the event was a live question-and-answer session, moderated by Mr. Stefan Dombrowski, Belgium, and Mr. John Sygo, South Africa, during which NASA astronaut Zena Cardman engaged freely with the students, providing insightful responses to their questions. The interactive session was widely described as inspiring, educative, and memorable.
Managing Director of GeoApps Plus Limited, Mr. Emmanuel Onwuabuariri, lauded Director-General and Chief Executive of NASRDA, Dr. Matthew Adepoju, for his visionary leadership in driving NASRDA’s transformation and assured that subsequent editions of the programme would be bigger and more impactful.
The event concluded with the presentation of certificates of attendance to participating schools by Director-General and Chief Executive of NASRDA, Dr. Matthew Adepoju, who again urged students to imbibe a culture of continuous learning and to channel their potential toward nation-building.
