Nigerian Communications Satellite Limited (NIGCOMSAT) has rejected allegations that the procurement process for Nigeria’s planned NIGCOMSAT-2 satellite program was compromised or manipulated to favour certain bidders. The company recently signed a contract with Thales Alenia Space to develop a new telecommunications satellite for Nigeria.
The controversy followed questions over procurement approvals and security clearances raised by lawmakers months before contracts for the new satellites were publicly announced. NIGCOMSAT, however, described reports questioning the process as misleading and inaccurate, insisting that the exercise complied with applicable procurement laws and guidelines of the Bureau of Public Procurement.
The company said all bidders were assessed using the same technical, financial and compliance criteria, with the final selection based on technical responsiveness, financial compliance, delivery capacity, project risks, security requirements and long-term value to the Federal Government. It added that previous contracts or business relationships with NIGCOMSAT did not guarantee selection in subsequent procurement exercises.
NIGCOMSAT also addressed concerns over staff welfare and outstanding financial obligations, saying the current management inherited a salary structure that had remained unchanged for 17 years. It said steps had begun to review the structure through government approval channels, while measures were also being taken to settle outstanding obligations and improve procedures for authorising and reimbursing official expenses.
On the selection of Hughes Network Systems’ JUPITER platform, NIGCOMSAT said references to Chapter 11 proceedings involving a related entity were speculative and did not establish any impairment of its technical capacity, contractual obligations or ability to deliver the required ground infrastructure. The company urged interested parties with legitimate concerns to use established statutory and procurement review mechanisms rather than media campaigns.
NIGCOMSAT said the NIGCOMSAT-2A and NIGCOMSAT-2B satellites would strengthen communications resilience, expand broadband coverage and improve connectivity in underserved communities. It added that the programme would support national security, education, healthcare, broadcasting and economic development, while reaffirming its commitment to technical, financial, legal and continuity safeguards in implementing the project.