President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has directed the immediate release of approved funding for the maintenance of Nigeria’s space assets and stressed the importance of accountability and national value in implementing the country’s revised 25-year space development programme, according to official statements from the National Space Council meeting held in Abuja.

The directive was issued on Tuesday March 3, 2026 during the inaugural meeting of the National Space Council at the Presidential Villa, where Vice President Kashim Shettima represented the president. Tinubu said the investment must support the revised 25-year roadmap under the National Space Policy and Programme, and that funds should be forwarded to the Federal Executive Council for approval to speed up implementation.

Tinubu emphasised that Nigeria must actively participate in the global space economy as it grows, and that the nation’s space ambitions must benefit sectors such as agriculture, education, security and the digital economy, with a strong emphasis on outcomes, transparency and tangible value to citizens.

He also instructed the National Space Research and Development Agency (NASRDA) to enforce space regulation and spectrum management under the NASRDA Act 2010 and urged all relevant ministries, departments and agencies to support the space sector’s growth and regulatory compliance.

Officials described the council meeting as historic, with decisions that include strengthened conditions of service for space professionals and the establishment of expert working groups to further refine the long-term space development plan.