We Did Not Seek UK Aid for Our Space Program: Nigeria

Vunderkind

Social Member
dg.jpg

The National Space Research and Development Agency, (NASRDA) has denied seeking or receiving any financial grant from the United Kingdom for implementing its space programs.

According to Dr. SEIDU MOHAMMED, the Director General of NASRDA, the country never approached the UK for space grates. He said this while in Abuja.

He however agreed that Nigeria and a UK-based company, SSTL (a satellite company) went into a partnership in 2002 for the building and launching of Nigeriasat-1, Nigeriasat-2 and Nigeriasat-X, but added that it was only a partnership, and it never graduated into a grant by the UK.

He refuted the claims, stating that whatever dealings Nigeria has had to undertake with UK has been on commercial terms and had nothing to do with a grant of any sort.

As he put it, “NASRDA has not at any time received financial aid or grant from the UK for space programme, besides the existing cordial relationship established with Surrey Satellite Technology Limited (SSTL), a UK based company, in our quest for the utilization of space and science technology for the socio-economic development of our nation. Let me say point blank here that the partnership has been purely on a commercial basis.”

He also said that Nigeria has been benefitting immensely from its satellites, indicating that claims that Nigeria received grant for its space program was propagated by detractors.
 
Back
Top