The Federal Government has been advised to fund the acquisition of equipment needed for research while universities should introduce space physics as a course of study at bachelor level in order to stimulate improvement of stable Energy and advancement of development in all spheres of life in the country. Akeem Babatunde Rabiu, a Professor of Space Physics, gave the advice while delivering the 70th Inaugural Lecture of the Federal University of Technology, Akure, FUTA. Rabiu emphasized that for sustainable national development to be attained, tertiary Institutions must increasingly direct their curriculum and research agendas towards issues that address basic human and societal needs, adding that government should back effective legislation that mandates industries to support scientific researchers conducted in Universities in their respective operational areas.
Rabiu who spoke on the topic “Terrestrials and Extraterrestrials: Divine Nexus for Man’s Comfort”, disclosed that space-based Technologies have found indispensable applications in almost all facets of human endeavours. Rabiu who is the current Director and Chief Executive of the Centre for Atmospheric Research, CAR, of the National Space Research and Development Agency, NASRDA explained that the nexus between the terrestrials and extraterrestrials manifest in forms of natural and man-induced interactions between them. These nexus, according to him include “the transmission of high frequency radio waves from the earth through the space environment and its reception on earth, the solar radiation with its enormous potential energy within the reach of humans in the terrestrial environment; space-earth communication as facilitated by satellite technology; and the ultimate effort of terrestrial man to optimize the extraterrestrial for its comfort”.
He declared that the recent advances in space technology has made the earth a better and more comfortable place to live in, particularly with myriads of operational satellites domiciled in the extraterrestrial environment. Today, according to him, space-based technologies have eased the burden of terrestrial men in almost all human endeavours and virtually every system has gone electronic and space-dependent such as the e-commerce, e-agriculture, auto-piloting, e-banking, automated teller machine system (ATM), global system for mobile communication (GSM), to mention a few. He credited man’s comfort today over his ancestors to his ability to harness the divine nexus between the terrestrials and extraterrestrials. He therefore proposed that policies favourable to solar energy generation be encouraged and formulated such that the establishment of an inter-University Corporation for atmospheric and space environment research is realizable.
In his remark the Vice-Chancellor, Professor Adebiyi Daramola said the choice of the lecture was apt considering the current energy challenge and atmospheric and space related issues confronting the nation. He noted that the Lecturer showed erudition, scholarship and prodigious contribution to knowledge.
The lecture attracted the academia, students, traditional rulers and other stakeholders in the education sector.
