Grace Oloyede
Nigeria has secured a seat on an upcoming Blue Origin New Shepard suborbital spaceflight through a collaboration between the Space Exploration & Research Agency (SERA) and Nigeria’s National Space Research and Development Agency (NASRDA). This seat will be reserved for a Nigerian citizen as part of SERA’s initiative to send six people from traditionally disadvantaged countries in space exploration to outer space. This historic collaboration marks a major move forward in Nigeria’s space exploration efforts and promises new opportunities for scientific study and technological growth.
Joshua Skurla, Co-Founder of SERA, emphasised the exclusive character of space exploration to date, with more than 80% of astronauts hailing from only three countries. He expressed SERA’s pride in collaborating with NASRDA to carry Nigeria’s tradition of scientific and technical innovation into space.
With this partnership, NASRDA aims to break new ground in space exploration and application for Nigeria’s socio-economic benefit. Chief Uche Godfrey Nnaji, Nigeria’s Minister of Innovation, Science and Technology, emphasised that human spaceflight is a crucial objective of Nigeria’s Space Policy and Program. He sees this collaboration as a method to fulfil the country’s long-held goals.