FEC Approves N30bn For Planetarium, Museum Projects

The National Space Research and Development Agency (NASRDA) has revealed that the approval of the establishment of a Planetarium and space Museum in the agency by the Federal Executive Council (FEC) would strengthen the industry’s growth.

Dr Felix Alle, Head, Media and Corporate Communications, while confirming the approval on Wednesday with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), said it would be a new dimension of development.

The Planetarium and museum projects when implemented is expected to boost tourism in the space agency with 2,160 tourists, sky divers on a weekly basis.

The tourism activities will further generate N30 billion in 15 years.

Alle said, “space is a veritable tool for development and that is what these projects are going to achieve for the country.

“They will create employment, drive tourism in our space industry according to global standards, as well as open up opportunities for Public Private Partnerships.

“It is a great day for NASRDA and we do hope that the projects will be successfully executed.”

In August, the Infrastructure Concession Regulatory Commission (ICRC) placed the space agency’s Planetarium, Museum and Satellite Broadband projects on concession.

The ICRC, however, announced that Atlantic Factorial Limited, a Lagos-based space to cloud analytics company was the preferred bidder of the projects.

The commission also said the Special Purpose Vehicle would be Milky-Way Visuals Limited.

A Planetarium is a dome-shaped building in which images of stars, planets and constellations are projected for public entertainment and education.