Nigeria is expected to acquire new satellites in another four years for maximum coverage of the country.
The Managing Director/Chief Executive Officer, NigComSat, Dr. Abimbola Alale, who disclosed this, said that Nigeria will acquire more satellites between now and 2025, “with the NigComSat-2 (High Throughput Satellite) due for launch in 2023, while NigComSat-3 will be launched in 2025.”
Alale revealed this in Lagos, yesterday at the Stakeholders’ Forum 2021 with the theme: “NigComSat: The Present and the Future,” organized by NigComSat.
She said the acquisitions of new satellites will not only inspire confidence in customers and channel partners but will also place NigComSat Limited in the front line of communication satellite operators with a fleet of satellites in orbit.
Alale said to provide advanced satellite communication solutions as modest contributions to the nation’s digital economy, service infrastructure cannot be overemphasised.
In lieu of this, she informed that NigComSat, in its bid to achieve its ambition as the leading satellite communication solutions provider in Nigeria and Africa, obtained approval early 2020 to form two subsidiary companies (SUBCOs) which is the Satellite Infrastructure Company (SIC). The firm she said, is saddled with the responsibility of providing satellite upstream services such as transponder leasing, In-Orbit (IOT) services, and Carrier Spectrum Management (CSM) services.
The second, according to her is the Satellite Broadcasting and Broadband Company (SBBC), which is to provide satellite downstream services such as broadband Internet services, and broadcasting (DTH) services among others. She said NigComSat has acquired the latest Dialog Hub with 51F for the satellite broadband KA services as well as building a stronger relationship with channel partners, stressing that the firm’s business processes are seamless in accordance with International Standard Organisation (ISO) certification.
According to her, NigComSat as one of the key players recognised in the Nigeria National Broadband Plan (NNPB 2020-2025), has trained 600 youths across the six geo-political zones in the country, including Lagos, Kano, Gombe, Bauchi, Plateau, Rivers, Anambra, Niger, Kebbi, Akwa-Ibom, Abia and Ekiti states.
She said these youths have been equipped with tools to participate in growing the digital economy and timely achievement of NigComSat’s roles specified in the NNBP 2020 TO 2025.
While introducing NigComSat, the Company Secretary, Alma Okpalefe, said the firm, which was established in 2006, saved the country N8 billion in capital flight through the indigenously developed E-NHIS platform.