Dr. Temidayo Oniosun, Founder and Managing Director of Space in Africa, explained why egusi was chosen over other Nigerian ingredients like ogbono or fisherman soup, highlighting the cultural significance of egusi as a key factor in the decision.
In an interview on Channels TV on Friday, he said, “Personally, and this is from my own experience, I believe egusi is the most culturally representative dish in Nigeria. Everyone eats egusi. Both the Yorubas and the Igbos claim it as their own — the Yorubas say egusi originated from them, while the Igbos say it’s from Igbo land. Many Nigerians lay claim to its origins, and I don’t think there’s a better dish that says, ‘This is Nigerian.’ Even Nigerians in the diaspora connect deeply with egusi. Its influence has also spread across West Africa, where many people enjoy it.”
Dr. Oniosun added that the space seed experiment is just the beginning of a wider initiative. “This is the first stage of the experiment. We plan to send more items to space in the future. For those curious about other soups, dishes, or seeds — more will follow.”
When asked if the project was designed to “feed aliens,” Dr. Oniosun acknowledged the possibility. “Yes, that’s a possibility. People have asked what will happen to the seeds, but we don’t know yet. Maybe we’ll bring them back and plant them, and they’ll grow into something new. That’s the excitement behind these experiments. We’re eager to learn as much as we can from this.”
On Thursday, Nigerian egusi seeds became the first Nigerian object launched into orbit, carried aboard a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket as part of NASA’s Crew-11 mission to the International Space Station (ISS). Led by Dr. Oniosun and Space in Africa, the project aims to test egusi’s resilience in space conditions and explore its potential for future space agriculture.
