Abuja - October 18 - Mediaage NG News – The Director- General of the National Space Research Development Agency (NASRDA), Halilu Ahmed Shaba has described the Act governing the agency as one of the reasons for the poor funding of the agency that has resulted in lack of adequate research and completion of ongoing ones.
He revealed this at a public hearing organised by the Senate Committee on Science and Technology, chaired by Senator Aminu Iya Abbas.
He said despite efforts made by previous Ministers from the Ministry of Innovation, Science and Technology to improve the agency’s portfolio, the problem still persists and can be traced to inception.
“The act need to be amended to shrug off these hinderances, he said.
“We’ve been having ministers coming, trying to see how they can improve the agency’s portfolio but, we realise that it (problem) is from inception, the conception of the Act. Obviously, this requires amendment.
“If you look at the budget given to research, space agency does not come handy. I remember the time we made a budget and they gave us N5,000 to buy a new Hiace bus, that amount couldn’t have even bought an old tire then.
“We would be glad when we are engaged in the era of budget for things to be out in the appropriate places.”, he disclosed.
The DG said where there is no right amount of money needed, it means will be no completion of already existing projects, some of which have lasted for over a decade. This has left Nigeria behind other countries in Africa, in terms of research completion.
“Ghana was able to present something to the world in a competition we were involved in, he said.
“But, ours has been lingering for more than seven years and Ghana is seen as being the first to make that kind of research”.
A member of the Committee, Sen. Osita Ngwu describing the 10th Senate as a corrective one, promised that all the issues brought by the Agency will be looked into but, advised that they play their own part by continue to be innovative. “I don’t see how a ministry (Innovation, Science and Technology) if research and development are not funded.
“One thing we should do is to put our support behind the government”, he said.