The Nigerian Center for Space Science and Technology Education said the nation's quest to have its astronauts in space would not linger as the center has set a target of 2015 to launch Nigerian astronauts into the orbit, the Punch newspaper reported on Thursday.

Oluwagbemiga Jegede, the executive director of the center, disclosed this at a one-day workshop for students of 50 secondary schools in southwest Ogun State on Wednesday.

He said the agency has concluded arrangements to set up a space science museum in southwest Obafemi Awolowo University, Osun State in 2009.

Jegede added that the center is already collaborating with the Nigeria Ministry of Education to strengthen the science curricular in secondary schools.

He said the initiative is bound to encourage the involvement of more young minds in space science, adding that the museum will serve as a rendezvous for students, researchers and academics.

According to him, the museum is meant to fire up the creative instinct of the space scientists, which will enable them to manufacture products that can shore up the profile of Nigeria in the area of space science.

The director explained that no fewer than 400 schools have registered for the Youths Inspirational Competition, an initiative of the CSSTE.