The Acting Director of the Centre for Geodesy and Geodynamics (CGG), Dr Joseph D. Dodo has emphasized the readiness of his centre to play major roles in the global space geodetic observation due to its strategic location.
He insisted that the Toro Observatory is one of the most stable sites in Africa.
The Associate Professor made this known Wednesday in Toro, Bauchi State while playing host to a team of Chinese Space Geodesy scientists who are on a visit to the National Space Research and Development Agency (NASRDA) on Very Long Baseline Interferometry ( VLBI) site selection.
This was contained in a story signed by the Head, Media Unit, CGG, Nathanael Odaudu and made available to this medium.
Dr. Dodo who in his remarks took the visitors through a very detailed history, mission and activities of CGG spoke on the GNSS, NIGNET, GNSS Data Holding and Analysis Centre.
Like a professional and consummate researcher that he is, he also spoke on GGOS candidate site status of CGG, the VLBI complex, the Nigerian Geocentric Datum Research, African Reference Frame, Nigerian Geodetic Network, AFREF project, GPS PWV Validation, Ionespheric Research, Geodynamic Research, Velocity Modelling, GNSS Seismology, Surveying and Mapping, INSAR Research, Training Programmes, Seismology Infrastructure, other areas of research, NASRDA/NASA collaboration on Space Geodesy, NASRDA/CAS collaboration on space Geodesy – VLBI and SLR and the Global Geodetic Core Site.
“I want to believe that at the end of our discussion, you will find Toro Observatory interesting and key to the activities we want to collaborate on,” Dr. Dodo told his visitors.
He assured his visitors of his commitment to take the Memorandum of Understanding seriously and see to its logical conclusion.
In a presentation on behalf of the Chinese Scientists, Mr. Liu Yuwei spoke on the basic requirement for VGOS antenna station infrastructure.
Other members of the team who asked and answered questions in an interactive session with the management and scientists from CGG include Prof Linglin Li, Prof Fengchu Shu and Ms Wan.
They were later led on an inspection tour of the infrastructure at the CGG.
Recall that the team of four Space Geodesists arrived in Nigeria on Sunday July, 2 2023 for the VLBI Multi-million Dollar Project, and were received by Dr. Dodo.
The Acting Director led the team to NASRDA Headquarters on “Meet and Greet” with the Director General of NASRDA, Dr. Halilu Ahmed Shaba on Monday July 3, and were later taken round NASRDA Facilities and tour of ABUJA FCT led by the Acting Director CGG Toro.
