FG requires $300m for extra satellite backup in orbit

Adebayo Shittu, minister of communications technology, has revealed that Nigeria is in need of extra satellites to backup the only one in the orbit, especially in the time of its possible damage or failure.

Shittu states further that the country required to raise about $250 to $300 million to built at least two of such satellites, which he said Chinese Exim Bank had expressed willingness to finance.

Shittu, who made the disclosure while on a visit to NigComSat in Abuja, which he described as the pride of Nigeria, being the foremost of its kind in the sub-Saharan Africa, said the facility remained a critical national asset that must not be privatised or sold.

He stated further that the facility had remained unprofitable over the years, owing to the failure of the successive administrations in the country to pump in the needed funds to revitalise it, while assuring that the present administration would remedy the situation.

‘‘I am astounded that in Nigeria we have this technological facility, first in Africa. I have been told authoritatively that Nigeria is the only country in Africa that has a full-fledged satellite centre like this.

‘‘No doubt, it is a pioneering effort; I am convinced because of paucity of funds over the years. Government has not provided the needed attention for Nigeria’s ICT industrial revolution, that is why we are still at the level we are.

‘‘We all know that all that we found here is just to support one satellite in the orbit. Nigeria currently has only one satellite in orbit. One satellite is certainly not enough and the analogy for you to understand the risk of having just one is like a transporter, who plies Lagos to Abuja with a spare tire. If something happens on the way, certainly, he will be stuck on the way with his passengers, including those who have paid the fare.

‘‘That is why it is important that we have more than one satellite in orbit, so that all other countries, agencies and companies, who are patronising us, and paying money for services would be rest assured that their investments would be secure and safe.

‘‘It is for this reason we are making effort since we came on board to ensure that we get foreign financiers to assist Nigeria to build the second, third and fourth satellite in the orbit,’’ said the minister.

The minister, who justified the need for building more satellites, boasted that Nigeria had enough capacity to serve the entire world in regard to satellite information provision.

He further urged the private sector interested in satellite business to go into alliance of building a joint satellite base in the country, insisting that the Nigerian Communication Satellite in the orbit was inadequate and its sale would amount to a disservice to the nation.

‘‘The private sector has the freedom to pool resources together and establish satellite if they so wish. This is the only national treasure, which I don’t belief should be ceded to the private sector.

“We as Nigeria should have something which we can call our collective own, something that will remain our national pride. For anybody to want to sell this national pride is a mere attempt to short-change Nigeria and all Nigerians.

‘‘As long as I am minister of communications, I will never be party to any such unholy sale because it does not protects Nigeria’s best national interest. Count me out of plan to sale NigComSat.”

 

Harrison Edeh