THREE weeks from today, Nigeria will begin to reap the dividends of its first space satellite, Nigeria Sat 1.

The disclosure came in Abuja yesterday from the Minister of Science and Technology, Professor Turner T. Isoun.

It was during the minister's first press briefing after the satellite, was launched on September 27.

According to Isoun, the launching of the satellite was evidence of the government's political will to establish in concrete terms, the foundation for a knowledge-based economy, powered by science and technology in the country.

Isoun, said the Abuja Ground Station of the Black Nigeria Sat-1 located at the Asokoro District will receive the first set of data which the country can use in disaster-monitoring like flood, and other forms of environmental hazards".

While appealing to the Nigerian media for coverage henceforth, of the activities of the ministry, Isoun averred that "democracy in a modern state can only be sustained when the welfare of the citizens is taken care of through sustained economic growth and development, adding, "it is a proven fact, that science and technology serves as the engine of economic growth and development in developed countries. Our efforts to generate economic growth and development to sustain democracy must be knowledge-based and science and technology-driven."

The Director General of National Space Research and Development Agency (NASRDA), Prof. Robert Boroffice, who was also present at the briefing however stressed further the need for Nigeria to proceed from Nigeria Sat-1 to the launching of the Information and Communication Satellite. The conception of this and its fabrication are already in the offing, he said.

Initiated in 1999 by the President Olusegun Obasanjo administration, the Nigeria Sat-1 is a low Earth Orbit Micorsatellite for disaster monitoring. It weighs 100 kg and has a five-year target design lifespan. Its orbit is 700 kilometres.

Nigeria Sat-1 was built by 15 Nigerian engineers with technical input of the University of Surrey in England (Surrey Satellite Technology).

Handled by National Space Research and Development Agency (NSRDA), with the support of the Federal Ministry of Science and Technology, it is meant to take the lead in establishing a dynamic remote sensing system in Black Africa.

The microsatellite will be controlled in orbit from a Space Mission Control Centre Ground Station in Abuja.

The Nigerian microsatellite is one of seven of such being proposed for a Disaster Monitoring Constellation (DMC). The other partners in the international consortium are U.K, China, Algeria, Turkey, Thailand and Vietnam.