Nigeria Engages Israeli and French Firms for Two New Communication Satellites
Nigeria’s Federal Ministry of Communications, Innovation and Digital Economy is working with Nigeria Communications Satellite (NIGCOMSAT) Limited to engage Israeli and French manufacturers for the production of two next-generation communication satellites, according to AllAfrica, citing This Day. The talks reflect Nigeria’s effort to refresh and expand its orbital communications infrastructure after more than a decade operating with its current geostationary platform.
NIGCOMSAT was established in 2006 to manage Nigeria’s communications satellites. The country launched its first satellite, NIGCOMSAT-1, in 2007 aboard a Chinese Long March rocket, but the spacecraft failed in orbit within roughly a year. A replacement, NIGCOMSAT-1R, was launched in December 2011 and has since served as the anchor of Nigeria’s geostationary fleet, providing broadcast, broadband and data relay services across the country and to parts of West and Central Africa.
The renewed push comes as Nigeria seeks to widen internet access and support a digital economy that the ministry has identified as central to economic diversification. Communications Minister Bosun Tijani, appointed in late 2023, has repeatedly emphasised the role of satellite capacity in reaching rural and underserved communities where terrestrial fibre roll-out remains costly and slow. Improved bandwidth from space-based assets is also seen as relevant for e-government services, financial inclusion and the country’s growing technology sector, much of which is concentrated in Lagos and other urban hubs.
As AllAfrica reported, the engagement with manufacturers in Israel and France — both established hubs for satellite and aerospace engineering — would continue Nigeria’s pattern of partnering with foreign firms on major space infrastructure, having previously relied on Chinese launch services for its earlier spacecraft.
Sources
This report was written from coverage published by the following news organisations. Follow the links for the original reporting.
