Dr Ogbonnaya Onu

Dr Ogbonnaya Onu, Nigeria’s Minister of Science and Technology said the 2018 date for the launch of a completely made- in- Nigeria satellite may no longer be feasible.

The Minister who said this when he featured on the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) Forum in Abuja attributed the shift in target date for the launch of the satellite to “logistic issues.”

He was however emphatic that space science and technology is a huge asset that a country such as Nigeria should take advantage of as it has direct impact on agriculture, environment, and health.

“Satellite can help you in education regarding distance learning; also in defence. If you have the right satellite to monitor what is happening in areas where there is insurgency, you can now go exactly there and get what you want.”

`It is very important to our economy; we just have to ensure that we are not excluded from that,“ he said.

Dr. Onu also added that the Federal Government intends to make Nigerians look inwards by buying products, especially vehicles made in the country.

According to him, the only way to make Nigeria a producer country and to encourage local manufacturers to produce and grow the economy.

“We already have made in Nigeria car.

“We want to champion the idea of Nigerians looking inward and thinking Nigeria promoting made in Nigeria products to encourage our own local manufacturers.

“It is very important. That is the only way that we can ever become a producer nation.  We cannot continue to be a consumer nation alone; it wouldn’t help us.  We must help our own local producers.

“We must all start thinking of how we can do so. It shouldn’t be only the automobiles; it should be on all products”.

The minister assured Nigerians that the government would ensure that vehicle manufacturers in the country maintained the minimum standard obtainable anywhere in the world.