I have a new iPad…9th gen…in Messages I am unable to send message to a friend who has an Android phone…what do I need to do

An iPad can only send iMessages. To send an SMS or MMS text message you can only do that from an iPhone if you also have an iPhone. See: How to forward SMS/MMS text messages from your iPhone to your iPad, iPod touch or Mac - Apple Support

No iPad, alone, can send SMS text messages.

You need an iPad paired/tethered to an iPhone ( which CAN send and receive SMS messages ) using the message forwarding feature of an iPhone, to send SMS messages to an iPad, basically making an iPad a remote device to an iPhone.

How to forward SMS/MMS text messages from your iPhone to your iPad, iPod touch or Mac – Apple Support (AU)

Sorry & Good Luck!