THE Federal Government is acquiring and launching two satellites into orbit in the next two years, Minister of Communications and Technology, Mr. Adebayo Shittu said yesterday.
The minister added that talks were on between the Federal Government and some foreign partners on the financing of the NigComSat-2 and NigComSat-3 satellites to support the NigComSat-1 in orbit.
According to the minister, once the government secures funding within the next two years, it would embark on the project.
He spoke after he undertook a facility tour of the satellite and communications infrastructure of Nigeria Communications Satellite (NigComSat) Limited and the Nigeria Postal Service (NIPOST) in Abuja.
He dismissed as untrue insinuations that Nigeria would privatise NigComSat Ltd, saying it will not be in the interest of the country for such institution to be sold out after the government invested billions of naira in it.
His words: “In fact, I was astounded that we have this kind of facility, which is the only one in Africa. I have been told that Nigeria is the only country in Africa with a full-fledged satellite centre as this. No doubt it is a pioneering effort, but I’m convinced that because of paucity of funds and because over the years government has not provided the attention for Nigeria’s ICT industrial revolution, we are still at the level we are.
“We all know that all we find here is to support one satellite in orbit. Nigeria has one satellite in orbit and this is not good enough and the analogy for you to understand the risk and the danger of having one is like a transporter who ply Lagos to Abuja, he has four tyres but he doesn’t have extra tyre and should something happens, certainly his passengers, who have paid for that trip, will also be stuck and that explains the need for us to have more than one satellite in orbit so that other countries and agencies and companies who are patronising us and paying money for satellite services will be rest assured that their investment will be secured and safe.
” And it is for this reason that we are making efforts since we came on board to ensure that we get foreign financiers to assist with loans to build a second and possibly a third satellite in orbit so that we can be rest assured that we have enough capacity to host Africa in regard to satellite provision.”
The minister added: “You see, the private sector has the freedom to put resources together and to establish satellite if it feels it needs it. This is one national treasure I don’t believe we must cede to the private sector. We must have something we can call our collective own; something that will remain our national pride. And for anybody to want to sell this national pride is merely to shortchange Nigerians and so, as long as I’m minister of Communications, I will never be party to any such unholy sale because it does protect Nigeria’s interest.
“To have an extra satellite, you will be talking about between $250 to $300 million and certainly we are looking, and if we can get enough funding for two satellites, I will prefer that. I can assure you that two companies, including the China Exim Bank, is willing to assist us fund this new project. Once we secure funding within the next two years, we would have new satellites in orbit.”
At the NIPOST headquarters, the minister said the Federal Government was looking at the possibility of diversifying activities of the agency in three key areas to boost its revenue and make the agency more relevant to the people.
According to him, the President Muhammadu Buhari administration will want NIPOST to play active roles in haulage of goods across the country in addition to making some of its 4,000 postal agencies in rural areas ready for financial/banking inclusiveness and GSM call centres.
