The new Chief of Defence Space Administration (DSA), Rear Admiral Williams Kayoda, visited the Nigerian Communications Satellite (NIGCOMSAT) Limited on January 14, 2021. He was received by the Executive Director of Technical Services, Professor Jaafaru Bambale.

The new Chief made the visit to acknowledge the existing relationship between the DSA and NIGCOMSAT and establish further areas of collaborations.

Rear Admiral Williams Kayoda was appointed to head the DSA on November 27, 2020. He replaced Major General Emmanuel Whyte. Prior to his appointment, Rear served in various capacities including Director of Navigation, Positioning and Timing at the DSA, Director of Logistics at the Defence Headquarters, and Director of Defence Space Administration, Abuja.

Rear Admiral Kayoda also has several academic qualifications, amongst which are BSc in Chemistry, MSc in Operations Research and Masters of Philosophy. Others are Diploma in Law of Armed Conflict and Human Rights, United States Defence Institute of International Legal Studies, Newport, Rhodes Island-USA and Proficiency Certificate: Electronic Navigation, Professional Military Training, Fort Lauderdale, Florida USA.

Earlier this year, the US Secretary of Air Force, Barbara Barrett, visited the DSA. During the visit, Barrett introduced the first-ever collaboration between the United States Air Force (USAF) and the DSA.

Prior to visiting the NIGCOMSAT, Rear Admiral Kayoda had also paid a courtesy visit to the Nigerian Minister of State for Education, Chukwuemeka Nwajiuba on December 8, 2020. He was accompanied by the Delta State Coordinator of Project Nigeria, Engineer Faith Oniuwherin.

Last June, the Minister of Defence Major General Bashir Salhi Magashi reiterated the Federal Government commitment to acquire more space science technologies to give the country’s Armed Forces competitive edge in the global arena.

He said the realisation of President Buhari’s administration to improve the productivity of the Armed Forces informed the proper funding of the Defence Space Administration through budgetary allocations from 2015 to date.

Formerly the Defence Space Agency, the Defence Space Administration was established on October 9, 2014. And with that, Nigerian Armed Forces became the first military in Africa with an independent dedicated Space programme.

The provisions of the Nigerian Space Policy and Programmes (NSPP) approved in 2001 led to the creation of the DSA. The NSPP stated that there shall be a Defence Space Command that would facilitate and implement the Defence and security aspects of the NSSP for the enhancement of national security and development. The DSA Act 2016 was enacted by the 8th National Assembly and signed into law on February 3, 2017.