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President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has appointed Dr. Mathew Adepoju as the new Director General of the National Space Research and Development Agency (NASRDA), succeeding Dr. Halilu Ahmad Shaba, who served as CEO from 2021 to May 2024.
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Dr. Adepoju’s journey with NASRDA spans an impressive 15 years, during which he has held several key positions. He began his career at the agency as the Chief Research Officer (2009-2013), then became the Head of Cadastral Mapping and Urban Space Applications (2009-2014), and later served as Deputy Director (2014-2022). His dedication and expertise earned him the role of Acting Director (2021-2023) and subsequently Director (2021-2024). Additionally, Dr. Adepoju served as the President of the Geoinformation Society of Nigeria from 2017 to 2022.
Dr. Adepoju is a distinguished space scientist with over 20 research publications. His multidisciplinary research encompasses urban and regional planning, geographic information science, remote sensing, environment, disasters, climate change, crime, and criminality. His work has been pivotal in implementing various successful projects that harness space technologies, in collaboration with organizations such as NASRDA, the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (UN-FAO), the World Bank, the United Nations Human Settlements Programme (UN-HABITAT), the Universal Basic Education Commission (UBEC), and the Center for International Earth Science Information Network (CIESIN).
Dr. Adepoju’s academic background is equally impressive. He holds a Postgraduate Diploma in Education (PgD) in City and Urban, Community and Regional Planning from the University of Lagos, Nigeria. He furthered his studies with a Master of Science (M.Sc) in Geographic Information Science from the University of Nottingham, United Kingdom, and a Doctor of Philosophy in Geographic Information Science from the University of Leicester, UK. His academic achievements underscore his dedication and passion for his field.
