Director General of National Space Research and Development Agency (NASRDA), Professor S. O. Mohammed, has described the agency as a “potent force” for enhancing the quality of education in the country, particularly in the areas of science, engineering and technology.

Prof. Mohammed noted that while “everybody is decrying the state of our education system, we at NASRDA have gone beyond lamentations,” adding that it is now time for decisive action, to move the system forward.

The NASRDA boss, who spoke in an exclusive interview with The Guardian, said NASRDA was assiduously conveying technology, data and expertise acquired from foreign collaborators, to Nigerian universities.
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He spoke against the background of the recent signing of Memorandum of Understanding (MoU), between NASRDA and Landmark University, Kwara State, to collaborate in capacity building, instructional and research activity.

Contained in the MOU, which The Guardian obtained, a major objective of the agency is to “further establish the relevance of space science in higher institutions”.

Through the arrangement, NASRDA also expects to “contribute to teaching, learning, research and community development,” as well as “ensure capacity building” for its staff, the students and Landmark

NASRDA’s Director of International Cooperation, Dr. Frank D. Chizea, explained that both parties would soon form a joint projects team, “to map out areas of shared interest and decide how best to proceed.”

Chizea listed the following as possible topics for early discussion, including “Geographical Information Systems (GIS),” “research” and “personnel exchanges”.