'Huge Milestone', says MoS Muraleedharan as India-Nigeria ink new space cooperation deal

On Thursday, August 13, India and Nigeria signed a Memorandum of Understanding on Space cooperation. The Minister of State for External Affairs, V. Muraleedharan said that Nigeria is India's largest trading partner in Africa and this agreement is a milestone in India-Nigeria relations. In a tweet MoS MEA, V. Muraleedharan shared the pictures of the event as well.

India-Nigeria Space Cooperation

On August 13, India and Nigeria signed an agreement on "Cooperation in the exploration and use of outer space for peaceful purposes” at the Federal Ministry of Science & Technology, Abuja. Minister of Science and Technology of Nigeria, Dr Ogbonnaya Onu attended the event at Abuja while the Minister of State for External Affairs (MoS MEA) V. Muraleedharan and Scientific Secretary of ISRO R. Umamaheswaran we present via video call.

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Dr K. Sivan, the chairman of ISRO had signed the agreement on behalf of India earlier while the Director-General of National Space Research & Development Agency (NASRDA) of Nigeria, Dr Francis Chizea signed the MoU on Thursday. 

"The MoU envisages India-Nigeria collaboration in space science, planetary exploration, ground stations, development of micro and mini satellites and joint Space R&D. It provides for capacity building assistance by ISRO, exchange of scientific know-how, exchanges between academic institutes and joint symposiums/conferences. Cooperation in remote sensing, communications and navigation will benefit Nigeria in the fields of forestry, environment, agriculture, mining, watershed development and connectivity," read the press release by the Ministry of External Affairs.

India and Nigeria have been on friendly terms for a very long time now. This space cooperation will allow the two countries to strengthen their bond. The External Affairs Ministry said that India aims to help Nigeria grow potential and aid their socio-economic development. 

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Over the years Nigerian nationals have been a part of the short term ITEC courses in remote sensing, GIS and Geoinformatics which are conducted by Indian Institute of Remote Sensing, Dehradun, Geological Survey of India Training Institute, Hyderabad and Centre for Development of Advanced Computing, Noida which has helped them increase their potential.

"On the occasion, both sides also agreed to sign a subsidiary MOU between New Space India Limited (NSIL), under ISRO, and Nigeria Erosion and Watershed Management Project (NEWMAP), under the Federal Ministry of Environment of Nigeria, on cooperation in the use of Geospatial Technologies," read the press release.

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