The National Space Research and Development Agency (NASRDA) now has a new acting Director-General following the expiration of the appointment of Mr Jonathan Angulu as the acting Chief Executive Officer of the Agency.

Dr Francis Chizea who was the Director, Planning Policy and Research Department, is the new Acting Director-General of the agency.

In a letter dated 15th May 2020, the Permanent Secretary of the Federal Ministry of Science and Technology Dr M.B Umar directed Dr Francis Chizea to take over from the outgoing Director-General, Mr Jonathan Angulu. In the referenced letter, the Permanent Secretary directed Mr Jonathan Angulu thus: “In line with the Head of the Civil Service of the Federation’s circular No. OCSF/330/113 dated 18th July 2019, you are required to hand over to Dr Francis Dubem Chizea, who is the most Senior Officer in NASRDA to serve as an overseeing director of the Agency pending the appointment of a substantive Director-General by the Federal Government.”

About Dr Francis Chizea

Dr Francis Chizea, an adjunct faculty at International Space University joined the National Space Research and Development Agency in 1999 as one of its pioneer staff and has spent about 21 years in the Nigerian civil service.

Some of his previous positions at the agency includes Chief Scientific Officer, Earth Observation; Assistant Director Space Systems Department; Deputy Director, Business Intelligence Department; Deputy Director Space System Department; Director, Space Systems Department; Head, Anti-Corruption and Transparency Unit; Secretary, Technical Advisory Committee and Director, International Cooperation Department.

He was instrumental to the development and launch of NigeriaSat-1, NigeriaSat-2 and NigeriaSat-X. and served on the committee that drafted the 25 years roadmap for the Nigeria space policy. He led Nigeria’s participation in the Disaster Monitoring Constellation project and has coordinated the participation of Nigeria at the United Nations Committee on the Peaceful Uses of Outer Space and its two Sub-Committees for the past 14 years. He was also a member of the African Union Working Group on Space Science and Technology. This is the Working Group responsible for the drafting of the African Space Policy and Strategy that was approved by the Heads of African States in January 2016. He also served on many local and international Committees and Research Groups in various capacities.

Dr Chizea has a PhD in Physics and Astronomy from the University of Nigeria, Nsukka and has several publications to his name.