Stakeholders in Nigeria’s space programme have raised an alarm over a bill before the National Assembly, seeking the duplication of the functions of an existing government agency, National Space Research and Development Agency (NASDRA).
The proposed bill, which was sponsored by Hon. Ibrahim Shehu Geshua, is said to have passed second reading in the House of Representatives.
In the proposed bill, titled “A Bill for an act to establish the Nigerian Communications Satellite Corporation
empowered to engage in, purchase or otherwise acquire or take over all or any of the assets, business, company, firm or person in furtherance of any business relating to the satellite communications industry and to enforce all regulatory measures relating to the general control of the satellite communications sector,” Nigerian
Communication Satellite Corporation seeks, among other things, the power to design and launch satellites as well as regulate the space sector.
In a statement signed by some of the stakeholders, Engr Moses Agu, Prof. Sani Mashi, Prof. Oluyemi Ayeni and Prof Pius Okeke, they wondered why the bill was entertained on the floor of the House of Representatives even as the federal government was rationalising ministries, departments and agencies with similar functions to reduce the cost of governance.
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