Egusi Is Headed to Space

[Nneka S. Achapu]

Dear friends and colleagues,

Did you know that Houston, Egusi, and Nigeria are now linked in a historic way?

On July 31, egusi seeds from Oyo State travelled into orbit aboard a NASA resupply mission to the International Space Station, marking the first time a Nigerian object will enter space—and making egusi the first West African crop studied in orbit.

This groundbreaking mission is led by Nigerian space scientist Dr. Temidayo Oniosun as part of his research initiative: “Emerging Space Nations: Space for Agriculture and Agriculture for Space.”

In addition to egusi, the payload includes culturally significant crops from around the world: Egyptian cotton, Armenian pomegranate, and Pakistani wheat.

While the launch is happening from Cape Canaveral in Florida, **Houston—Space City and home to NASA’s Johnson Space Center—**is deeply connected to this moment.

Houston is also home to the largest Nigerian population in the U.S., with over 150,000 Nigerians and Nigerian-Americans contributing to our culture, economy, and identity.

Whether you’re passionate about science, culture, or cuisine, this is a moment for all of us. 

From Alief to the Texas Medical Center, the Nigerian community is shaping Houston—and now, we’re sending a piece of our story to the stars.

https://spaceinafrica.com/2025/08/01/nigerias-egusi-seed-sent-to-space-as-part-of-global-research-mission-to-the-iss/

 

Nneka Stefania Achapu (she,her,hers)  Principal & CEO  Asha Strategies LLC & Skyward Africa www.ashastrategies.com | Alumni - MIP Class of 2023 | TAMU Africa - Volunteer Deputy Africa Coordinator  Bush School of Government and Public Service | Texas A&M University

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[Okey Iheduru]

Great news! Thanks for posting this great news on this platform, Nneka. 

Incidentally, I travelled with and had hours of scintillating conversations on the Lagos-Atlanta Delta Airlines flight on July 30th, 2025 with Ms. Olayinka Fagbemiro, Chief Scientific Officer at the National Space and Research Development Agency (NASRDA), Nigeria, and the lead scientist on this project. She was on her way to Orlando, FL for the launch of the spacecraft loaded with egusi and other indigenous Nigerian crops. 

Nigeria needs more STEM leaders like Yinka. I have a feeling, sadly, that other people/countries who value her worth in space science and technology might woo her out of Nigeria soon! 

Olayinka Fagbemiro

 

  2nd degree connection2nd

Space Leader | IAF Young Space Leader Awardee 2011 | TechWomen Fellow 20_21 | STEM Education Specialist | Karman Fellow 2024 | Smart Space MBA Module, Said Business School, University of Oxford 2024| Assistant Director

Read more: https://www.linkedin.com/in/olayinka-fagbemiro-bbb77489/ 

 

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Okey C. Iheduru

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[nneka....@gmail.com]

Its a small world, we no dey carry last prof.

Nneka