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.

The move, according to the presidency, signals a renewed push to reposition the country’s space programme as a strategic national priority.

The directive was issued at the first meeting of the National Space Council held at the Presidential Villa, Abuja on Tuesday.

The President, represented by Vice President Kashim Shettima, reaffirmed his administration’s commitment to the implementation of 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. 

He added, “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.

“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.”

President Tinubu assured that his administration, through the Renewed Hope Agenda is committed to developing the society “by engaging relevant human resources for the socio-economic improvement of our nation.

Tinubu said Nigeria would not “watch the new frontier unfold from the sideline,” stressing that the nation’s space ambitions must be anchored on measurable outcomes, accountability and tangible national value.

The presidential directive comes at a time when tensions in the Middle East have deepened following coordinated military strikes and retaliatory missile and drone attacks across the region.

The conflict started with US and Israeli strikes on Iran over the weekend that killed the Iranian supreme leader and showed no sign of abating as it entered its fourth day.

The crisis has led to broader regional destabilisation and disruption of global energy supply routes, particularly around the Strait of Hormuz, a critical corridor for international oil shipments.

Although the Federal Government did not explicitly link its decision to the unfolding conflict,  space-based infrastructure  including satellites and spectrum management systems  plays a crucial role in modern security architecture, communications resilience, intelligence gathering and disaster response, especially during periods of geopolitical volatility.

Tinubu emphasised that investment in space technology was not a distant aspiration but a practical instrument for national development.

According to him, space capabilities would support precision agriculture, enhance early warning systems for floods and fires, strengthen border security and power a competitive digital economy.

The president noted that his administration’s investments in the sector is prompted by the opportunities in the outer space “as a new frontier for human development, as a stimulus for increased technological advancement and economic diversification.”

He explained that the outer space provides “a unique challenge and platform for effective exploration and exploitation of the nation’s natural resources as well as the protection of its environment.

President Tinubu continued: “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.”

Urging the space agency to be alive to its mandate of ensuring that space assets and resources over Nigeria are used responsibly,  Tinubu directed the agency 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 further stated.

In his remarks, Minister of Innovation, Science and Technology, Kingsley Udeh, described the session as historic, noting 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 stem brain drain in the sector.

He said the Council also resolved to set up 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.

Udeh added that the Council approved the development and operationalisation of the Bola Ahmed Tinubu Space Centre in Ekpe, which he said would enhance Nigeria’s capacity to host and maintain satellites locally, reducing dependence on foreign expertise.