Aiyedatiwa calls for collaboration with public, private institutions 

Governor Lucky Aiyedatiwa of Ondo State has expressed the readiness of his administration to partner with relevant government agencies and private institutions to move the state forward.

Aiyedatiwa, who made the call on Thursday while receiving the management team of the National Space Research and Development Agency (NASRDA) at the Governor’s Office in Akure, said the efforts were to accelerate economic growth and sustainable development across the 18 local government areas of the state.

Represented by his deputy, Olayide Adelami, the governor emphasised the critical role of science and technology in driving innovation across key sectors of the economy.

“Science and technology remain central to modern governance and economic advancement. As a government, we are open and willing to collaborate with credible institutions such as NASRDA to unlock new opportunities for development in Ondo state,” the governor said.

He commended NASRDA for its contributions to national development, particularly in the deployment of space technology for governance, research, and resource management, assuring the agency of the state government’s readiness to partner in mutually beneficial areas.

Mathew Adepoju, the Director-General of NASRDA, in his earlier introductory remarks, explained that the team was in Ondo state to engage with the management of the Federal University of Technology, Akure (FUTA) on fine-tuning the integration of the proposed Federal University of Aerospace and Aeronautics, Oka-Akoko, with FUTA.

Adepoju recalled that although the university had been duly passed by the National Assembly, its take-off was stalled due to a seven-year moratorium placed on the establishment of new public universities and polytechnics by the previous administration.

He noted that the proposed NASRDA-FUTA arrangement would enable the agency and FUTA to operate the existing facilities at Oka-Akoko, thereby strengthening training, research, and innovation in space science and technology for students and academics.

The NASRDA Director-General further urged the state government to consider the agency’s proposals for collaboration in the application of space technology for sustainable development and efficient resource utilisation.

Revealing ongoing collaborations with other states and federal institutions, Adepoju said NASRDA’s technologies are already enhancing governance and service delivery nationwide.

“We are in technical collaborations with many states across the country. Currently, we are running the Imo GIS centre to improve land administration, which we developed for the Imo state government from scratch.

“While many states have some form of GIS centres, very few are properly set up and technically enabled to deliver the level of service such infrastructure should provide.” he said.

He added, “We recently signed a MoU with the EFCC to mainstream our space technology into the fight against financial crimes. We are tracking both movable and immovable assets for the commission.”