About us
About Orion
A not-for-profit science centre built so that every child in Abuja can touch real science, look through a real telescope and ask a real scientist a question.
Timeline
Our story
- 2017
An idea
Three teachers and an engineer run a pop-up planetarium in a school hall in Garki.
- 2019
Doors open
The centre opens in Wuse 2 with three halls and a borrowed telescope.
- 2021
The dome
The 14 metre dome opens, and school bookings double in a term.
- 2024
Solar roof
Panels and batteries keep the halls running through outages.
- 2026
Six halls
Little Explorers and Tiny worlds open, and 41,000 visitors come through the gate (example).
People
The team
Forty-six staff, most of them science graduates from Nigerian universities, plus a workshop crew who can build almost anything.
Dr Ngozi Eze
Head astronomer
Example personIbrahim Sule
Head of exhibits
Example personFunmi Adebayo
Learning and schools
Example personChukwudi Obi
Operations and safety
Example personOur year in numbers
Example figures for this demo.
- 41kvisitors
- 312school groups
- 9kfree places for state schools
- 70%power from our roof
Access
Free places
One in five school places each year is free for government schools in the FCT, paid for by our members, shop sales and partners. Schools apply each term, and we send a bus.
Support
Partners
We work with universities, engineering firms and local businesses who fund free places, lend experts and help build exhibits. All partner names on this demo are left out on purpose.
About questions
Who runs Orion?
An independent board of educators, scientists and parents. Accounts are published each year.
Can I volunteer?
Yes, from age 16. Volunteers help in the halls on Saturdays and get free training.
Do you have jobs?
We hire explainers and educators each spring. Ask on the contact page.