FG approves two new satellites to cut Nigeria’s reliance on foreign infrastructure

The Federal Executive Council in Nigeria has approved the acquisition and deployment of two new High-Throughput Communication Satellites, NIGCOMSAT-2A and NIGCOMSAT-2B. This move is expected to expand Nigeria's satellite capacity and reduce the country's dependence on external satellite infrastructure. The satellites, to be delivered by Thales Alenia Space of France and Israel Aerospace Industries, will be implemented by NIGCOMSAT in collaboration with the Federal Ministry of Communications, Innovation and Digital Economy.

The approval marks a significant milestone for both NIGCOMSAT and Nigeria, as the new satellites will complement terrestrial broadband networks and support high-capacity broadband, broadcasting, enterprise connectivity, government services, and emerging digital applications. They will also serve national security and defence communications requirements, as well as improve access to digital services in education, healthcare, agriculture, and financial services.

The project is expected to create opportunities across the satellite and digital technology value chain, while also supporting indigenous capacity development through knowledge transfer, local manufacturing, professional development, and specialised expertise in satellite engineering, network operations, and cybersecurity.

Brief written by urgent.news from Nairametrics's own syndicated text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.