Senate approves appointment of Dr Matthew Olamide Adepoju as NASRDA DG

The Senate on Tuesday approved the nomination of Dr Matthew Olamide Adepoju for appointment as the Director General of the National Space Research and Development Agency (NASRDA).

This followed the endorsement of the recommendation of the Commission on Science and Technology that screened the nominee.

The report was presented by the Chairman of the Committee, Senator Aminu Iya Abass (Adamawa Central).

President Bola Ahmed Tinubu had in May 2024 nominated Dr Adepoju for appointment as DG of NASRDA, following an almost three-year stint by Dr Halilu Ahmad Shaba as the CEO of the agency between 2021 and May 2024.

According to the report, Dr Adepoju holds a Postgraduate Diploma in Education (PgD) in City and Urban, Community and Regional Planning from the University of Lagos State, 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.

Dr Adepoju’s journey at NASRDA spans 15 years, during which he held various key positions.

He started as the Chief Research Officer  (2009 to 2013), then took on the role of Head of Cadastral Mapping and Urban Space Applications (2009-2014), and later served as Deputy Director (2014-2022).

He was later appointed the Acting Director (2021-2023) and eventually the Director (2021-2024).

His leadership was not limited to NASRDA, as he also served as the President of the Geoinformation Society of Nigeria from 2017 to 2022. 

Furthermore, Dr Adepoju is a space scientist with over 20 research publications. His multidisciplinary research includes urban and regional planning, geographic information science, remote sensing, environment, disasters, climate change, crime, and criminality.