By: John Bassey, Zamfara.

The Governor of Zamfara state, Dr. Dauda Lawal, has, with great joy and enthusiasm, received Lady Sara Sabry, the first African female astronaut and the First African female to visit space, in Zamfara.

He made this profound reception in the conference Hall at Government House in Gusau, the state capital.

Speaking in solidarity, Governor Dauda Lawal said the emergence of Sara Sabry as the first African Woman astronaut was born out of great parental support, determination, discipline, and hard work.

Currently, the name Sara Sabry shall be a name to be remembered in the history of Africa because she has made a remarkable history and she has been recorded in the Guinness Book of the World as the first African Woman to enter space.

In encouragement, Governor Lawal said, there is no boundary or limit to any dreams and aspirations in life, and there are no gender barriers to any achievements in life. It takes you to dream it, believe in your ability to make it work, take proper steps to get it working, and be consistent to keep it working.

Governor Lawal reaffirmed the commitment of his administration to support every female child in Zamfara who wishes to make history in sciences or any discipline of her choice to any level of education.

He urged every parent and guardian in Zamfara, Nigeria, and Africa as a whole to give maximum support to their children’s education, irrespective of their gender, because Miss Sara Sabry disclosed that part of her success today was an 80% investment in her education from her father’s monthly salary earnings.

Governor Lawal commended Lady Sara Sabry and her team for visiting Zamfara state in order to encourage the young and future generation to take their destinies into their hands and make who they want to become in the future a possibility through sincere discipline and hard work.

In an encomium by the chief Press Secretary to Governor Dauda Lawal, Alhaji Sani Ahmed Sambo, described Sara Sabry’s remarkable journey from Earth to space as a power of vision, discipline, and scientific curiosity. Proving to our young people in Zamfara and Africa that regardless of backgrounds or geographical location, greatness is achievable when passion meets preparation.

Furthermore, Sani Sambo said, your visit perfectly aligns with our administration’s commitment to nurturing talents, strengthening education and engineering, as well as encouraging our youths to dream big and pursue meaningful careers in science, technology, engineering, and innovation.

Sara Sabry is an Egyptian Aerospace Engineer with a strong passion for space science and human space flight. She studied Aerospace Engineering with a specialization in Aircraft and spacecraft systems. From her young age, she had a great passion for Aviation technology and space exploration. In 2022, she became the first Egyptian and the First African Woman to participate in a zero-gravity space flight programme in the United States of America.

She is also a founder of the Deep Space Initiative, Egypt’s first non-profit organization focusing on space exploration, education, scientific research, youth empowerment, global collaboration, and space technology.

She has received global recognition for breaking gender barriers in the Arab world as well as Africa. She continues to represent Egypt in global space platforms, inspiring thousands of young people, especially girls, to dream big and pursue careers in science and space exploration. She is a symbol of women’s empowerment in science.

In response, Lady Sara Sabry commended the government of Zamfara state, Dr. Dauda Lawal, and his wife, Huriyya Lawal, for the warm reception and hospitality accorded to her and her team, declaring her joy to reunite with her fellow Africans in Zamfara state.

Lady Sabry recounted the challenges and hindrances she faced while on her road to stardom as a Girl, an Egyptian, and as an African. She said, it was not rosy at all, but she overcame through trust in God, trust in herself, and unflinching focus on her cause.