NASRDA boss urges Landmark University graduates to embrace space technology

Mr Saidu Mohammed, the Director-General of the National Space Research Development Agency (NASRDA), on Friday called on graduating students of Landmark University to embrace space development technology for the growth of the nation.

Mohammed, who was represented by Dr Spencer Onu, the Director, Centre for Satellite Development in the agency, made the call at the 4th Convocation of the university in Omu-Aran in Kwara.

He called on the graduating students to develop interest in space technology, saying, “you are the future of the nation, we need you in the space programme, please, go for it.”

The recent Memorandum of Understanding that NARSDA signed with Landmark University, he said, was to align with the agrarian revolution of the institution.

Mohammed commended the university for its agriculture programmes, saying that the future of the country depended on its agriculture to ensure food security.

He expressed the hope that the agency would also collaborate with the university to launch a satellite programme similar to the Edu-Sat1 programme with the Federal University of Technology, Akure.

Prof. Placid Njoku, the founding Vice Chancellor, Michael Okpara University of Agriculture, Umudike, Abia, in his keynote address, commended the university for ensuring that the students were groomed in character and learning.

“Both Covenant and Landmark Universities are foremost in this respect and I commend the vision of the founder because he’s not shooting for mediocrity but for excellence,’’ he said.

Njoku said that the university’s degree programme on entrepreneurship was “ highly commendable.’’

“Agri-prenuership is the only way the country can be revolutionised and I urge the VC to track the performance of the students as they go out in the world,” he added.

The Chancellor of the university, Bishop David Oyedepo, congratulated the graduating students on their successful passage through “the refining mill of our unique training system.’’

“I believe that self-determination is a core requirement for self-actualisation. Until a mind is adequately renewed, life cannot be practically transformed.

“Our well-honed Pathfinders are positive thinkers who shall become great builders and world changers,” he said.

Oyedepo expressed confidence that the university’s custom-built programmes – Total Man Concept (TMC), Towards a Total Graduate (TTG) and Agripreneurship– would have meaningfully rubbed off on them.

“As we release the noble set of Pathfinders Class of 2017 as an array of assets to the world, we reiterate our commitment to providing the right and qualitative ambience supportive of academic excellence and exploits ,’’ he said.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that 468 students graduated in the 2016/2017 Convocation.

Of this figure, 66 had First Class, 252 made Second Class Upper, 55 emerged with Second Class Lower while only three had Third Class.