he Director General, National Space Research and Development Agency (NASRDA), Dr. Halilu Shaba has reiterated the strategic role of NASRDA’s as a national asset designed to deliver space-based products and services, overall development of the nation.
He made this statement at the Agency’s headquarters in Abuja while receiving a delegation from the Nigerian Correctional Service (NCS) Abuja.
Dr. Shaba who expressed delight over the name change of the institution from ‘Nigeria Prisons Service’ to ‘Nigerian Correctional Service’, stressed that aside the institution being saddled with the responsibility of keeping the inmates, it also plays a vital role of providing inmates with adequate skills needed to make them productive members of the society.
He further stated that NASRDA is always partnered with security agencies, and has organised trainings for several security agencies, except the correctional institution which according to him the partnership will engender.
The NASRDA boss therefore stated that the Space Agency will contribute its quota towards the resourcefulness of the inmates while in the correctional facilities.
Dr. Shaba also assured the delegation of the agency’s preparedness to support the institution, saying whatever will reduce crime in the society, the Agency will be part of it, as the Agency is developing innovation hub so as to make space technology available and impactful as space technology is shrinking how things are done, while the global space keeps increasing.
Speaking earlier, the Comptroller-General of the Nigerian Correctional Service, Haliru Nababa represented by the Assistant Comptroller-General, Mustapha Attah, appreciated the Director General for granting his team audience.
He expressed the desire to move from analogue systems to technologically driven and digitized systems, of which space technology plays a vital role, saying with the Agency’s support the NCS will move from the age of consumption to production so as to become sustainable.
According to him, developed countries in the world operate a system where inmates are productive, and can even acquire education while in custody, as most criminals in Nigeria fall between the young age of 18 to 35 years and can be productive and contribute to the development of our nation.
The Comptroller General while acknowledging the contributions of NASRDA to the nation’s security said the institution can no longer be manually powered as crime and criminality now take advantage of digitally sophisticated approaches to thrive, there is therefore the need for the institution to be technologically advanced to operate a system where with the press of a button the 244 correctional facilities within the country can be monitored.
He however emphasized that a partnership with NASRDA will give the Service access to technologically enhanced tools and response parameters which will help reduce the cost of managing Correctional centres and assist in countering prison breaks.
Ninma Yacim
Media and Corporate Communications*
