The Director, Centre for Satellite Technology Development (CSTD), Dr Spencer Onuh, says the centre will train Nigerian engineers to design, test and fabricate a satellite.

Onuh, who disclosed this in Abuja yesterday, said the centre would work towards building the human capacity that would enable the country to meet the target by 2018.

The mandate of CSTD, which is under the National Space Research and Development Agency (NARSDA), is to achieve indigenous satellite technology competence to design, test and fabricate a satellite by 2018.

"Capacity building was a core module in the manufacture and launch of NigeriaSat-1, NigeriaSat-2, NigeriaSat-X and NigComSat-1-R, owned by the country," Onuh said.

He said the centre had trained over 50 Nigerian scientists, who were involved in the design, testing and launch of NigcomSat-1 and its replacement. "Fifteen other scientists from NigeriaSat-1 and 27 engineers from NigeriaSat-2 and NigeriaSat-X were trained by the centre, while a number of our engineers and scientists have been trained up to PhD level both within and outside the country," he said. (NAN)