It was an evening of discoveries for many as Landmark University’s 7th Inaugural Lecturer Professor Babatunde Olufemi Adebesin espoused the need to pay attention to space weather knowledge in proffering panacea to some natural disasters and infrastructural deficits affecting Nigeria’s socio-economic development. Friday 29th April, 2022 will remain indelible in the annals of Landmark University as one of her pioneer Faculty, Professor Babatunde Olufemi Adebesin delivered the 7th inaugural lecture titled “The Natural Mirror in the Upper Atmosphere: Resource, Risk and Innovation”. 

In his presentation, Professor Babatunde Adebesin stated the need to begin to care about space weather since research has established the resource and the accompanied risk of the upper atmosphere. According to the inaugural lecturer, a better understanding of the mechanism between parameters used in describing the ionospheric layer and their solar and geomagnetic influences will go a long way in furthering the expansion of space knowledge. Going further, Professor Adebesin revealed that, “Processes like the impaired telecommunication and scientific radar launch activities, the epileptic power supply, the incessant pipeline leakages, lag in adopting precision agriculture, and so on; experienced especially in Nigeria nowadays, may not be unconnected with the risk factor involved with the ionospheric space weather activities”. 

The 7th Inaugural Lecturer later identified some of the threats of space weather to mankind which include, radio wave disturbance, oil pipeline leakages due to earth currents, disruption of navigation systems, solar cell damage, computer and memory upsets and failures, safety threat to astronauts in space and plasma bubble appearances. Others are electricity grid disruption, citing the recent national power grid collapse (widespread power outage for several hours experienced in many cities in Nigeria on March 15, 2022) as an example, telecommunication cable disruption, airline passengers threat to radiation and polar cap absorption. 

Also, Professor Adebesin listed increase in rate of leukemia and other forms of cancer, high blood pressure, strokes and cerebrovascular insufficiency, intense depression and suicides and cardiovascular fluctuations as some of the indirect adverse of geomagnetic field variations accompanied by an increased level of cosmic ray activity on human health and physiology. 

The Inaugural Lecturer thereafter recognized some of the resources entrenched in space weather yet to be duly utilized in the African continent. “Space-based technology is of value to farmers, agronomists, food manufacturers and agricultural policymakers who wish to simultaneously enhance their production and profitability (with respect to precision agriculture through the use of GPS)”. He therefore stated that space weather monitoring is of importance to man and his environment, in mitigating its effects.

In his recommendations, Professor Adebesin urged the government to put in place effective legislation that will mandate relevant industries to support scientific research in their field of operational domain, as a means of University-Industry Linkage Partnership efforts at enhancing technological developments, encourage private sectors to partner in satellite transport services with the government and consider introducing space physics as a new undergraduate programme in Nigeria among others. 

Earlier, Landmark University Board of Regents Secretary, Pastor Frederick Aghahuwa on behalf of the Chancellor, Dr. David Oyedepo and the Pro-Chancellor, Pastor (Mrs.) Faith Oyedepo appreciated the guests for being part of the epoch-making event while congratulating the Inaugural Lecturer and the entire University Community for the feat attained. 

The acting Vice-Chancellor, Professor Charity Aremu in her remarks noted the tripodal mandate of the university which are teaching (students learning), research and in the long run, making impact. According to her, the result (impact) has shown in the University as Landmark becomes “the World Class University’’ as recently ranked by the Times Higher Education Ranking in the world.  “We, as a University, are passionate and intentional in actualizing the vision mandate. This is as a result of the contributions of the professorate who are researching and birthing new knowledge and inventions. Relating this new knowledge and products to the world with the aim of advancing the global heritage of the citizenry, requires a communication channel”, she added. 

The Registrar, Miss Adefunke Fola Oyinloye in her welcome remark congratulated the Inaugural Lecturer for the feat noting the aptness of the lecture to the development of the nation at this period. She thereafter urged those present online and onsite to listen to the lecture with rapt attention and open mind.