Minister of Science and Technology, Dr. Ogbonaya Onu, has declared that the federal government is now prepared to manage any incidence of natural disasters that may occur anywhere in the country.
He said the federal government’s readiness involves ability to foretell likely areas of natural disaster and also prevent its devastating effects.
The minister stated this yesterday in his speech during the commissioning ceremonies at Centre for Remote Sensing in Jos, Plateau State and Centre for Geodesy and Goedynamics in Toro, Bauchi State.
According to the minister, “The Geodesy and Geodynmics is a centre under the Ministry of Science and Technology, responsible for incidences of natural disaster like earthquakes, earth tremor, landslide, volcanoes, etc.
The centre, which serves as earthquake network and observation centre, has stationed its technical staff at strategic locations across the country to monitor likely areas of earthquake.
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Commenting on the earth tremors witnessed in Abuja and part of Southern Kaduna in the last quarter of 2018, the minister said a presidential inter-ministerial committee was constituted to investigate what was responsible for the disaster and would soon submit its report.
He said the report of the inter-ministerial committee will help the ministry in planning for future occurrence. He however expressed delight the natural disaster in the country has not resulted to any loss of lives.
While commissioning the auditorium and e-library at the National Centre for Remote Sensing in Jos, he said, “The centre should be opened to students of secondary to understudy what space agencies are doing so as to build the interest of future Nigerian leaders in space science and technology
He said the centre for remote sensing since its reception in 1995 has gone through various stages of development to reach its present level of recognition as a centre for excellence in providing geo-informatics services.
“The centre is committed to more than ever before to live up to expectations as the focal point remote sensing /geographic information system activities in Nigeria.
“With these two space agencies, the federal government is ready to manage the geographical space of the country from the space.
The minister expressed appreciation to the Director-General of National Space Research and Development Agency (NASRDA), Pros Seidu Muhammed, for putting Nigeria on the technological map of Africa and the world.
Earlier in his welcome address, Dr. Tahir Abubakar, who is the Director of the Centre for Geodesy and Geodynamics said, “Since inception, the centre has been efficiently carrying out activities within the context of its mandate in close and rewarding collaborations with both national and international institutions. Some of the international collaborators are NASA and IRIS in USA, Institute of Geodesy and Geophysics in China, GFZ in Germany, etc. The Institute of Geodesy and Geophysics, China has signed MoU with NASRDA for capacity building for our scientists and engineers, deployment and installation of the VLBI, whose building complex is one of the projects being commissioned today. When installed, the VLBI will provide new insights into the African Plate Tectonic, Global Geodynamics and the study of earthquake mechanisms.
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