An Astronomer, Prof. Augustine Chukwude, has called on the federal government to invest in acquiring astronomical research facilities to aid basic space science research and study in the country.
Chukwude, an official of the Astronomy Society of Nigeria (ASN), told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Abuja on Thursday – earlier today, January 9 – that most Nigerian astronomers reside abroad due to the dearth of research facilities in astronomy.
According to him, the federal government needs to invest in acquiring a minimum of a 30-metre telescope that will aid basic space science research and study.
He said that acquiring a 30-metre telescope could place Nigeria on a pedestal among countries in the South, North and East because of her situation along the equator.
“Nigeria (easily) boasts the highest number of astronomers in sub-Saharan Africa but most of them are outside because they have to be where they have facilities to do their research.
“If the National Space Research and Development Agency (NASRDA) through the federal government can provide a 30-meter telescope, it will put Nigeria on the global map.
“There is what we call Very Long Baseline Interferometry (VLBI), that is, using radio observatory or telescope from different continents, link them up to form a very high resolution.
“If Nigeria has a 30-metre dish today, Nigeria will definitely be big as a nation because those in the South, North, East will want to link up with us because we are along the equator,’’ he contended.
Chukwude said the only place in Africa with a functional radio telescope is South Africa, adding that if any country around the equator champions such now, it would be the pride of nations.
According to him, astronomers trained in observational astronomy need to constantly be around facilities to aid research, but Nigeria lacks even a 5-metre telescope.
Nigeria needs to lay emphasis on basic space science which will encourage its education and project other areas of space science, including astronomy, Chukwude stressed.
“Astronomy has the capacity of drawing people in Science, Technology, Education and Mathematics and once you have people in astronomy, you are almost sure of a future guaranteed in space research.
“It doesn’t matter how long it takes us to develop our basic space science programme, but it is a programme we have to develop on our own,’’ he was quoted by the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) as surmising.
