Building on the legacy of Chief Obafemi Awolowo,
The African Regional Centre for Space Science, OAU, is now set to take Sub Sahara Africa to Space. Awo surely is a gift to Nigeria that keeps giving in a pace - setting manner.

BRIEF ON THE CENTRE

The African Regional Centre for Space Science and Technology Education in English (ARCSSTE-E) was inaugurated in Nigeria on 24th November, 1998 and affiliated to the UN Office for Outer Space Affairs (OOSA). A number of other national and regional institutions with research and training interests in space science and technology are also affiliated to it.

Following resolution 45/72 of 1990 and 50/27 of 1995, the United Nations General Assembly endorsed the recommendation of UNISPACE 82, that the United Nations Programme on Space Applications should assist member states in enhancing their indigenous capacity in the utilization of SST for national/regional development. The UN office of Outer Space Affairs (UN-OOSA) was mandated to establish Centres for Space Science and Technology Education in developing countries on a regional basis. Nigeria and Morocco were chosen to host the Centres for Space Science and Technology Education for the benefit of Anglophone and Francophone Afreican countries respectively.

The host institution for the Centre in Nigeria is Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife. For the effective take-off of the activities of the Centre, Prof. Wale Omole, the then Vice-Chancellor of Obafemi Awolowo University nominated Prof. E. E. Balogun of the Department of Physics to work with other members of the Technical Advisory Committee to put things in place.

To fulfill the hosting guidelines, the ground floor of the new Faculty of Science extension was approved temporarily for the centre. The building was furnished by National Agency for Science Engineering Infrastructure (NASENI).

The signing of the draft agreement for the centre in Nigeria was done on the 22nd of November, 1998 in Sheraton Hotel, Lagos, after which, the commissioning of the Centre's facilities was done on the 24th of November, 1998. Prof. E. E. Balogun was the pioneer Director and the chief executive of the centre.

After considering the fact that the University was expected to offer a suitable permanent site for the Centre, an area off the Road 1 within Science and Technology Park was approved for development. Co-located in the same area are Regional Centre for Training in Aerospace Surveys (RECTAS), Centre for Energy Research and Development (CERD) and National Centre for Technology Management (NACETEM).

The centre is being supervised by National Space Research and Development Agency (NASRDA).

The development of skills and knowledge of university educators, environmental research scientists in the four principal areas of Remote Sensing, Satellite Meteorology Applications, Satellite Communication and Basic Space and Atmospheric Science and Technology.Engage Educators in the development of environmental and atmospheric sciences curricula that can be used to advance the knowledge of the scholars.Develop Research scientists and project personnel in preparing the space-derived information for presentation to the policy and decision makers in charge of national and regional development programs.Co-ordinate Regional and International cooperation in space science and technology programs.

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