‎From Satellites to Soil: How NASRDA Backs Tinubu’s Food Vision

Daniel Adaji
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‎In a quiet, wood-paneled conference hall at Hawthorn Suites in Abuja, scientists, policymakers, and agricultural experts from across West Africa gathered, not just for another workshop, but for what could be a turning point in the region’s fight against hunger.
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‎At the heart of this moment stood the National Space Research and Development Agency (NASRDA), Nigeria’s flagship space agency, under the leadership of its forward-thinking Director General, Dr. Matthew Olumide Adepoju.
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‎Though unavoidably absent, leading Nigeria’s delegation at the United Nations Committee on the Peaceful Uses of Outer Space (UN-COPUOS) in Vienna, Adepoju’s presence resonated strongly throughout the event.
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‎His message, delivered through a senior official, was clear: space science has a place on the farm, and it is central to Nigeria’s food security agenda under President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Initiative.
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‎“This workshop is not just about technology. It is about empowering our nations with the tools to make data-driven decisions that will improve livelihoods and ensure sustainable food systems,” Adepoju said in his remarks at the opening ceremony of the regional training on July 1, 2025.
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‎Titled “Empowering Agriculture Extension Workers for Food Security: The Role of CropWatch in Enabling Agricultural Monitoring and Stabilising Food Productivity in West Africa,” the three-day event, jointly organised by NASRDA, the Aerospace Information Research Institute of the Chinese Academy of Sciences (AIRCAS), and the Alliance of International Science Organizations (ANSO), brought together delegates from Nigeria, Ghana, Côte d’Ivoire, Guinea, Liberia, and beyond.
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‎At its core lies CropWatch, a powerful satellite-based monitoring tool that uses remote sensing, artificial intelligence, and big data to track crop health, predict yields, and help governments and farmers prepare for environmental risks.
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‎For Adepoju and his team at NASRDA, this is more than a scientific breakthrough — it’s national service. Under his stewardship, the agency has aligned its space-based innovations with the urgent national need to end hunger and stabilise food production, both cornerstones of President Tinubu’s development blueprint.
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‎“Hunger and malnutrition mean less productive individuals, who are more prone to disease and thus often unable to earn more and improve their livelihoods,” the NASRDA DG noted. “We will continue to support all efforts and partnerships to end hunger in Nigeria and Sub-Saharan Africa.”
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‎This alignment hasn’t gone unnoticed at the top. Minister of Innovation, Science and Technology, Chief Uche Geoffrey Nnaji, has frequently emphasised the importance of deploying science and technology to transform traditional sectors like agriculture.
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‎President Bola Tinubu assured Nigerians that all bottlenecks hindering the realisation of the agricultural sector’s potential, including livestock production, will be removed to enable food sovereignty and export.
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‎He stated this at a bilateral meeting held at the Copacabana Forte with Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula Da Silva and some members of both countries’ cabinets.
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‎NASRDA’s work is a direct response to this call – turning space science into tools that can forecast food shortages, advise on crop suitability, and aid in evidence-based policymaking.
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‎One of the proudest moments of the workshop was the announcement that Nigeria had been chosen to host the CropWatch Regional Center for West Africa – a recognition of NASRDA’s capacity and regional leadership.
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‎“Nigeria and Mozambique have the best CropWatch dashboards. Based on our performance, Nigeria was chosen as the host,” said Dr. Rakiya Babamaaji, NASRDA’s CropWatch Nigeria Coordinator.
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‎She noted that while funding and infrastructure posed challenges, they were overcome through strategic partnerships and a shared vision. “We approached ANSO and AIRCAS, and they supported us. NASRDA also contributed. The strategy is collaboration — we cannot do it alone,” she said.
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‎Participants at the training, including remote sensing experts, extension workers, and government officials, engaged in hands-on sessions learning how to interpret satellite data, use CropWatch tools for monitoring, and develop regionally coordinated agricultural strategies.
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‎“The efforts put into scaling this project to empower agriculture extension workers are crucial for food security,” added Sakinatu Jimeta of the Nigeria Integrated Water Resources Management Commission. “CropWatch is a valuable tool.”
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‎Speakers from across the continent echoed Adepoju’s call for science-driven agriculture. Dr. Kofi Asare of Ghana’s Space Science and Technology Institute spoke passionately about how satellite data can help farmers manage their crops more efficiently and access financing through improved risk profiling.
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‎“Once you digitalize agriculture, it becomes more attractive to youth. It also helps financial institutions assess farmers better, reducing risk perceptions,” he said.
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‎From China, Prof. Wu Yirong, Director General of AIRCAS, reminded participants that real-time data is transforming agriculture globally — and Africa must not be left behind.
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‎“We want to train more young talent in Nigeria and West Africa to use this platform to support food security,” he said.
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‎One thing was clear from the workshop: NASRDA under the able leadership of Dr Matthew Olumide Adepoju is bridging the gap between space and soil. Under his guidance, the agency is not just launching satellites – it is launching hope. Hope for the farmer in Zamfara who fears the rains may not come. Hope for the extension worker in Monrovia who needs data to guide rural farmers. Hope for a continent ready to take its agricultural destiny into its own hands.
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‎“This training represents a significant milestone in our collective efforts to harness space technology and remote sensing for sustainable agricultural development,” Adepoju stated.
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‎As the country steers itself toward self-sufficiency in food production, NASRDA’s work – aligned with President Tinubu’s mission and powered by international collaboration – is proving that the solutions to Africa’s agricultural problems may not lie only beneath the soil, but far above, among the stars.
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