Nigeria’s National Space Research and Development Agency (NASRDA) has reached an important achievement in global space science. It is taking part in the historic Crew-11 Mission, which launched today from NASA’s Kennedy Space Center. The mission includes a major science experiment called the World Seeds Payload. As part of this, Nigeria contributed six local crop seeds.
The World Seeds Payload is led by Jaguar Space and involves scientists from eleven countries. Each country added seeds for an important agricultural study happening on the International Space Station (ISS). Nigeria’s seeds—okra, cowpea, Guinea corn (sorghum), amaranth, maize, and melon—were chosen because they are important for food and farming. Scientists will study how these seeds behave in space, which will help with research on climate change, food security, and growing crops in space in the future.
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Olayinka Fagbemiro, an Assistant Director at NASRDA and the lead for Nigeria’s part in the project, attended the launch. She played a key role by choosing the seeds, handling all the paperwork and planning, and representing Nigeria from the start of the project until today’s launch. The seeds were officially sent to the U.S. after NASRDA signed a partnership agreement with Jaguar Space.
This is a major first for NASRDA, as it’s the first time Nigeria has sent living plant material on a crewed NASA mission to the ISS. It shows how dedicated NASRDA is to using space science for sustainable progress and working with scientists around the world.
This mission also lets NASRDA test the results of its past research on these seeds, which was done in labs under conditions similar to space. The World Seeds Payload shows how space research can include diverse cultures and voices. It also proves that countries like Nigeria have an important role to play in shaping the future of life beyond Earth.
