The BIRD-4 Satellite project was recently launched in Landmark University, Omu Aran led by the University Vice-Chancellor, Professor Adeniyi Olanyanju, George Maeda (from Kyushu Institute of Technology, Japan), the Coordinator, BIRD-4 Satellite Project and the Director, Center for Satellite Technology Development (CSTD) NASDRA, Dr. Spencer Onuh.
The Joint Global Multi-National Birds Satellite Project known as ‘BIRDS PROJECT’ is a cross border interdisciplinary satellite project for non-space fairing countries. The project which is supported by Japan is a two-year project which students shall design, develop and operate 5units of identical 1U CubeSats belonging to five participating countries and operated from 7 ground stations. The project is in four phases, three completed and the fourth about to kickoff. So far, the BIRDS I,II and III have been completed in twelve countries which are Japan, Nigeria, Ghana, Taiwan, Thailand, Bangladesh, Mongolia, Bhutan, Malaysia, Philippines, Sri Lanka and Nepal.
However, the National Space Research and Development Agency (NASDRA) has facilitated the partnership between LMU, KYUTECH and NASDRA to work on the BIRD-4 satellite project with Landmark University hosting the ground station as well as presenting some of her engineering students to be part of the project.
The Vice-Chancellor expressed optimism that the project, when completed, would enhance the agrarian mandate of Landmark University, which in line with the Liberation mandate of the proprietor base, would provide a panacea to food insecurity thereby restoring the dignity of the black race. He gave assurance that LMU will be committed to her part of the project added that the institution will leave no stone unturned till the set goal is achieved.
In his presentation, Professor Maeda from Kyushu Institute of Technology, Japan said a BIRD project will take 24 months to be completed and his visit is aimed at inviting Landmark University officially to be part of the project which is scheduled to kick off in October 2018. He spoke on the importance of having a space engineering laboratory in Landmark University; “To fully exploit space for National profit, it is necessary to design, build, test, and launch your own satellite,” he further enthused.
Professor Maeda after his presentation saluted the commitment of Management for making Landmark University a world-class Institution by all standards, “I have been to many Universities in Africa and this is by far the best,” Professor Maeda added.
Landmark University’s participation in this project will make it the second time a Nigeria University will be joining the BIRD project, the first of which was the Federal University of Technology, Akure which launched the nation’s first Cubesat in 2017.
About Landmark University
Established in 2011 with a vision to be a leading world class university, by spearheading an agrarian revolution on the African continent through the exploration of hidden treasures in the mother-earth thereby restoring the dignity of the black race.
In 2014 it was featured among the top five universities in Nigeria by Webometrics. The University has made ties with several leading Agriculture Institutions both in Research and practice and many other institutions in the pursuance of their agrarian revolutionary drive
