With very heavy hearts, we announce the passing of our co-founder and board member, Dr Adigun Ade ABIODUN on 3rd February 2025.
Dr. ABIODUN received his undergraduate and graduate education from the University of Washington, Seattle, Washington, U.S.A. He also conducted his post-doctoral research fellowship at the Canada Centre for Remote Sensing, Ottawa, Canada.
He spent his entire lifetime in service to humanity, including:
📍Civil and hydraulic engineer with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Seattle (1966-68)
📍Hydraulics systems research engineer with the Boeing Company, Seattle, USA (1968-71)
📍Senior Lecturer at the University of Ife (now called Obafemi Awolowo University), Ile-Ife, Nigeria (1971-77)
📍Remote Sensing Specialist, United Nations Office for Outer Space Affairs (UNOOSA) (1977-81)
He was appointed United Nations Expert on Space Applications, at UNOOSA, in November 1981 and served in that position until September 1999 when he retired from the services of the United Nations. In this capacity, he led the establishment of the UN Regional Centres for Space Science and Technology Education, in Brazil/Mexico, India, Jordan, Morocco and Nigeria. He also led the efforts of the UN in the development of “A Space-Based Cooperative Information Network (COPINE) – Linking Scientists, Educators, Professionals and Decision Makers in Africa.”
Thereafter, Ade Abiodun served as:
📍Senior Special Assistant to the President of Nigeria (then, President Olusegun Obasanjo) on Space Science and Technology (2000-03);
📍Member of the College of Commissioners of the United Nations Monitoring, Verification and Inspection Commission on Iraq (UNMOVIC), 2000-07;
📍Chairman, Board of Directors, Spaceweek International Association, now called World Space Week Association (2001-04);
📍Chairman, United Nations Committee on the Peaceful Uses of Outer Space (UN-COPUOS), 2004-06;
📍Trustee, The ISPRS Foundation
📍Adviser to Nigeria’s National Space Research & Development Agency (NASRDA) and the Nigerian delegation to COPUOS.
He founded the African Space Foundation (ASF). He also co-founded the African Association of Remote Sensing of the Environment (AARSE); African Leadership Conference on Space Science and technology for sustainable Development (ALC); and African Space Leadership Institute (ASLI).
He served as a member of the African Union Space Working Group (AUSWG), which developed the African Space Policy and Strategy, and laid the foundations for the establishment of the African Space Agency.
He lectured and published extensively on different aspects of space science and technology. He is the author of Nigeria’s Space Journey – Understanding its Past, Reshaping its Future.
Dr. Abiodun’s dedication, leadership, and contributions continue to inspire future generations of scientists, engineers, and policymakers in Africa and beyond. His legacy remains an enduring testament to his unwavering commitment to advancing space science for the benefit of humanity.
We deeply mourn his passing, but we celebrate his remarkable life and his many decades of commitment to Africa and the international community.research and policy development.
