Following the unending challenges of the environmental degradation in the Niger-Delta Region, including insecurity in the country, the Delta State Polytechnic in Ogwashi-Uku has organised a two-day intensive capacity building workshop on the applications of Satellite Remote Sensing and GIS Technologies in Tackling Environmental Challenges in the Niger Delta region of Nigeria.
The workshop had in attendance academic researchers drawn from the South-South and South-Eastern states of Nigeria, compromising scientists, educators and students among others.
In his remarks, the Acting Rector of the Polytechnic, Doctor Leanard Ojogbo, said that the main thrust of the workshop was to adequately train the staff and students of the polytechnic at ensuring that the institution made the best use of satellite data and information from the products of the Nigeria SAT Project as well as other earth observation satellites for the accelerated advancement of the school environment, state, region and country, particularly in the areas of environmental resources monitoring, disaster management, security, risk and poverty reduction.
Doctor Ojogbo noted that the workshop had demonstrated the commitment of the school in partnerships with the Advanced Space Technology Application Laboratory ASTAL to integrate space technology into academic and research activities of the school as well as provide the needed human capacity for the economy of the future.
“Our students and staff have shown above average interest in space technology applications across divers discipline and as such this workshop would serve as a catalyst and further motivation for the academic community,” he stated.
Ojogbo commended the state governor, Senator (Dr) Ifeanyi Okowa, for providing an enabling environment for the workshop to hold in the state, just as he noted that the state government had continued to play active roles in the provision of enabling environment for the development of space technology.
The Workshop Chairman, Vice Chancellor, University of Delta, Agbor, Prof. (Mrs.) Stella Chiemeke, who declared the it open, said that the benefits of the workshop included finding solutions for the various challenges facing the region, especially in sectors, such as Agriculture, security, manufacturing, ICT development and capacity building.
Prof. Chiemeke, who was the immediate past Rector of the polytechnic said that with the development of the space technology in the region, it would helped to curb the insecurity, environmental degradation among other challenges confronting the region.
In his opening address, Minister of Science and Technology, Doctor Ogbonnaya Onu, said that the workshop was collaborative commitment to exhaustively explore the inherent potentials and benefits accruable in space science and technology, of which, he disclosed that, Nigeria was a frontline player.
Doctor Onu who was represented by the Director (Chief Executive Officer), National Centre For Remote Sensing (NCRS), Jos and doubled as the Special Guest of Honour, Dr. E.N Gajere that Nigeria Space Policy was principally focused on the vigorous pursuit of the attainment of space capabilities with the aim to accelerate socio-economic development for the rapid improvement of the living standards of Nigerians.
“The National Space Research and Development Agency (NASRDA) has made important contributions to the application of space science to several sectors of the national economy. The sectors include: communication, agriculture, environment, national security, education and industry. NASRDA will in the near future, work on appliances and equipment that are of great benefit to the general public.”
Also, efforts are on to replace the existing earth observation satellite in orbit. The human capacity development in NASRDA will continue, until we have in the country the necessary manpower to execute and implement our space policy that will put our dear nation as one of the leading nations in the world in space science and technology,” he added.
On his part, the Convener of the workshop, Executive Coordinator, Advance Space Technology Application Laboratory (ASTAL), Uyo, Dr. Kenneth Uchua, said that the workshop was designed to afford the participants multiple opportunities to develop indigineous capabilities to specific areas through training and technological competence aimed at acquisition of indispensable skills and expertise in the satellite remotes and geo-information.
Some of the participants that spoke to newsmen were the Registrar of the institution, Mrs. Florence Ngozi and the Head of the Media and Enlightenment Unit, Comrade Tesi Prince Edesiri among others who shared their experiences on the knowledge acquired, adding that the workshop had exposed them to the possibilities of tackling the environmental and insecurity challenges confronting the nation.
High points of the event was the presentation of the designed space monitoring nnvironmental samples to the state governor, University of Delta and Delta State Polytechnic, Ogwashi-Uku.