In a groundbreaking milestone for Nigeria and the African continent, the National Space Research and Development Agency (NASRDA) successfully connected Nigerian students to the International Space Station (ISS), where they held a live interactive session with NASA astronaut Zena Cardman. 

A statement by the Director, Media and Corporate Communications of the Agency,Dr Felix Ale says the historic event which was 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 landmark event was witnessed by the Director General and Chief Executive of NASRDA, Dr. Matthew Adepoju, alongside the Agency’s top management team, School administrators, students and stakeholders in the science and technology education sector. 

Dr. Adepoju, in his welcome address described the development as a record-breaking stride in Africa’s space exploration journey, noting that the feat was strategically designed to inspire and nurture the interest of the younger generation in space science and technology. 

He described the students as the hope of the nation and urged them to continually appreciate the purposeful leadership of President Bola Tinubu and the Honourable Minister of Innovation, Science and Technology, Chief Geoffrey Nnaji, whose vision has accelerated Nigeria’s advancement in science and technology. 

The NASRDA boss also commended the programme coordinator Mrs. Joy Olayiwola and the team at GeoApps Plus Limited of the Space Agency for what he identified “a giant stride” in the success of the Nigerian Space Programme. 

During the event, Mr. Tope Owolabi of the Department of Physical and Life Sciences also 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 the live question and answer session, moderated by Stefan Dombrowski from Belgium and John Sygo from South Africa, where Zena Cardman engaged freely with the students, providing insightful responses to their various questions. 

The interactive session was widely described as inspiring, educative, and memorable. 

The Managing Director, GeoApps Plus Limited, Mr Emmanuel Onwuabuariri lauded Dr. Adepoju for his visionary leadership in driving NASRDA’s transformation. 

He assured that subsequent editions of the program would be bigger and more impactful. 

The event ended with presentation of certificates of attendance to participating schools by NASRDA Boss, Dr. Adepoju, who again re-echoed his plea to the students to imbibe a culture of continuous learning, and to channel their potentials toward nation building.