Barring any unforeseen circumstances, the federal
government is to start the training of local astronauts for space travel by 2015. Minister of Science and Technology, Professor Ita Ewa, Monday announced the government's intentionto train astronauts for space travel while giving å report of the achievements of his ministry in the past two years, at a press conference in Abuja.
Ewa who said the ministry was waiting for President
Goodluck Jonathan to approve the training programme, added that the country would also
collaborate with the Chinese government for the
development of a space rocket.
Already, the minister said a launch site with a 20-
kilometre launch capability had been set up in Epe,
Lagos State, adding that 12 engineers from the
National Space Research and Development Agency
(NARSDA) are in China for training.
Speaking on the benefits to Nigeria from an
improved space programme, the minister explained
that once the president has approved the
programme, the country would start preparing the
launch of two more communication satellites.
According to him, the socio-economic benefits of
such deployment of satellites include; security
surveillance, flood management, environmental
surveillance for pest and diseases infested areas,
desertification and pollution, especially oil spillage in the Niger Delta.
Source: This day, Jun 18, 2013

We are not ripe for this yet....

Na today naija pple start to de visit sky?
Me 2 don go sky come back b4 (in my dream)

Lovely, I look forward to becoming one of the first crew member to go on a Space Mission!

Are you sure of what you are saying mr minister?,are we good to to sky Ohh sorry,may be SKY BANK you mean .

Talking about misplaced priorities, this is surely one of em.

there is nothing like misplaced priority here;all facets of our national life can be developed side by side;thats what happened in other parts of the now developed world.
this is long overdue;let them face this and other pressing tech issues and funding with the seriousness they badly need.
look at south Africa;a tech powerhouse in her own right and the world.
Nigeria too can become a tech power house if we give it our all.

adoniza: Lovely, I look forward to becoming one of the first crew member to go on a Space Mission!

_

Make sure you watch Gravity (the movie) before you go.