Why Nigeria Needs Another Satellite in Orbit

In order to remain an active player in space technology, there is an urgent need for Nigeria to fast-track the planned launch of another communication satellite in orbit by 2028 to replace the 15 years old existing NigComSat-1R, writes Emma Okonji

Communication satellites play strategic roles in national development, especially for a country like Nigeria where terrestrial infrastructure like fiber optics and telecom masts are unevenly distributed. They provide connectivity, enhance security, and support economic growth.

It is for these and other reasons that Nigeria ventured into space technology by launching NigComSat-1 into space on May 13, 2007, from China, with a grand station in Nigeria for the purpose of control and monitoring. Nine months after its launch, NigComSat-1 failed in orbit on November 11, 2008 due to solar array anomaly and it was deorbited same year. Following its failure, Nigeria launched a replacement satellite, called NigcomSat-1R on December 19, 2011, which was designed to have a lifespan of 15 years with additional two years of extended operations.

Given its 15 years lifespan, which terminates this year 2026, coupled with the two years of extended operations, which enables NigComSat-1R to operate till 2028 before it finally packs up, the federal government has approved the purchase and launch of two communication satellites in 2028 and 2029 respectively.

About NigComSat-1R

NigComSat-1R is Nigeria’s premier geostationary communication satellite, launched on December 19, 2011 to replace the failed NigComSat-1 that was launched on May 13, 2007. NigComSat-1R serves as a vital communication backbone for the country, providing services across West, Central, South East Africa, Europe and Asia. The satellite supports wide range of communications services, including voice, video and data transmission, enabling high-speed broadband connectivity and facilitating access to essential services like telemedicine and e-learning. It also plays a crucial role in disaster management, enhancing broadcasting capabilities, and ensuring secure communication for defense agencies.

Having reached its 15 years lifespan this year, NigComSat-1R still has another two years of extended operations, which terminates in 2028.

 Need For Another Satellite   

The federal government has approved the purchase and launch of two communication satellites by 2028 and 2029 respectively, following the expiration of the existing NigComSat-1R satellite, whose entire lifespan terminates in 2028.

But industry experts are of the view that the approval came pretty late, since it takes more than one year to build, test and launch a communication satellite into space.

Some of the experts that spoke to THISDAY, called on the federal government and the Nigerian Satellite Communications Limited (NIGCOMSAT), to fast-track the funding process, as well as the negotiation process with the foreign company that would be engaged to build and launch the satellites for Nigeria, since it takes more than one year to successfully build, test and launch a communication satellite.   

Despite the fears of industry expert over the delay in approving the launch of another communication satellite, the Managing Director/Chief Executive Officer, NIGCOMSAT Limitde, Mrs. Jane Egerton-Idehen, has continued to express her joy and confidence in the federal government, over the approval. 

Egerton-Idehen who spoke during a media chat in Lagos to announce the 20th anniversary of NIGCOMSAT and the two years anniversary since she assumed office as CEO of NIGCOMSAT, explained that the two satellites would be acquired before 2028, but would be launched into space by 2028 and 2029 respectively.

According to her, “NIGCOMSAT has received approval from the federal government to begin the process of acquiring and launching two new communication satellites for Nigeria, to replace the existing NigComSat 1R that will soon expire. We are grateful to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu for the approval and for his interest to invest in national infrastructure such as communication satellites for Nigeria. We are currently in the process of acquiring the two satellites and get them ready for launch in 2028 and 2029.”

She spoke about the achievement of NIGCOMSAT in the last 20 years and its commitment to launch another communication satellite into orbit.  

“In the next phase of acquiring communication satellites, our focus will not just be Nigeria alone. It will cut across sub-Saharan Africa because we want to offer services to countries in sub-Saharan Africa, and this will help us to advance our market coverage to have tier two and tier three markets. So tier one is Nigeria. Tier two markets is West Africa, and tier three will be landlocked countries in sub-Saharan Africa. We want to support them because most of them don’t have satellite in orbit and they depend on Nigeria for communication satellite services. It is a commercial business that will generate more money for Nigeria,” Egerton-Idehen said.

Importance of Communication Satellite

Speaking about the importance of communication satellites to Nigeria, Egerton-Idehen said: “There are very few countries in the world that have orbital slots to provide satellite services because space is a limited resource. So there are few slots in the sky and every country cannot have a slot. Nigeria has three orbital slots, which demands maintenance. It is not a project for the faint-hearted. It is a complicated global project with global dynamics.”

According to her, NIGCOMSAT has commenced the process of acquiring the satellite.  

“These are infrastructure projects and they are capital-intensive, and we have commenced the process of acquiring the satellites. Although the result is not going to be immediate, because it takes about 13 months to build a new satellite, the gains are massive. We are happy we did the request for quotation some years back, and that part has been finalised.
“We had a financial workshop recently, where we discussed funding of the two new satellites. The idea is to fund them and procure them at the same time. So the process to acquire them is at the same time,” Egerton-Idehen further said.

Services and Impact

Communication satellites are crucial for connectivity, broadcasting, security, and navigation. In the area of telecommunications and internet access, it extends broadband and mobile coverage to rural and remote areas where the laying of fibre cables is expensive. It supports telephony, video conferencing, and digital services across the country, and reduces Nigeria’s digital divide by connecting underserved communities. In the areas of broadcasting and media, it enables nationwide radio and television broadcasting, supports educational programmes and cultural content distribution. It also strengthens Nigeria’s creative industry by ensuring global reach.

In the areas of national security and defense, it provides secure communication channels for military and government agencies, enhances border monitoring and maritime surveillance, supports disaster response coordination during floods, oil spills, or insurgencies.

For economic development, it facilitates e-commerce, fintech, and digital banking services in rural areas, while supporting agricultural monitoring and market information systems. It also enables telemedicine and remote learning, improving healthcare and education access.

In the area of international connectivity, it positions Nigeria as a hub for regional communication services in West Africa, reduces reliance on foreign satellites, thus strengthening sovereignty, while attracting investment in ICT and satellite-based industries.

Broadcast Benefits

According to Egerton-Idehen, NIGCOMSAT has a lot of broadcast customers, and it is easy to deploy since it does not require bundling it with hardware before using it to sell transparent satellite bandwidth.

“We sell bandwidth to broadcasters in Naira and it comes cheaper than buying from a foreign satellite company that sells in dollars. We sell and connect it directly to the equipment, wherever it is located, and this makes it easier to deliver technology. So, a combination of some of those things has made them quite easy,” Egerton-Idehen said.

She explained that NIGCOMSAT carried over 50 per cent traffic of the country’s broadcasters, by selling bandwidth to them. “This is true because NIGCOMSAT carries satellite traffic for more than half of all the licensed broadcasters in Nigeria, including different states’ television broadcast stations. In 2025, we sold bandwidth worth N2.2 billion and this is projected to reach N8 billion by 2029,” Egerton-Idehen further said.

Challenges and Risks

Although Nigeria has a good national space policy but still relies heavily on foreign partners for launches of its satellites and advanced technologies.

NigComSat-1 and NigComSat-1R were built by China Great Wall Industry Corporation (CGWIC).

Few years after the launch of NigComSat-1R in 2011, its ground station in Abuja was attacked in 2019 and severely damaged, a situation that compelled the Kashi station in China to become the main controlling station instead of playing the backup role it was initially designed for.  CGWIC built and launched the Satellite in Kashi on December 19, 2011 and has been working closely with its Nigerian partner, NIGCOMSAT Limited to maintain the satellite from the Kashi ground station to save the satellite from premature collapse. This help came at a cost as NIGCOMSAT Limited entered into a management contract with CGWIC for the primary control of the satellite from Kashi in China. According to the terms of the contract, the Nigerian company was expected to pay CGWIC about $1.6m yearly for maintenance.

Since the ground station attack in 2019, the NigComSat-1R project has faced issues with low patronage and a reported $11.4 million debt to Chinese operators as of December 2025.

Nigeria is actively planning to replace the aging satellite with two new ones, NigComSat-2A and NigComSat-2B, to continue orbital services, a development that has been commended by industry experts, who called on government and NIGCOMSAT to expedite action on the planned launch, in order to replace the aging NigComSat-1R communication satellite that will eventually seize to function after 2028, when it must have reached the end of its lifespan.  

Since the building and launch of a new satellite is highly capital intensive, industry stakeholders have called on NIGCOMSAT to be more diligent in the planned launch of NigComSat-2A and NigComSat-2B by 2028 and 2029 respectively, to avoid a repeat of the technical fault that led to the failure of NigComSat-1, Nigeria’s first satellite that was launched into space in 2007.

Nigeria already has a foundation in space technology through the National Space Research and Development Agency (NASRDA) and its satellites. To play more actively in that space, it must invest in local capacity, foster regional collaboration, and commercialise space applications that directly benefit its economy and citizens. This approach will transform Nigeria from a consumer of space-derived products into a producer and innovator in the global space technology sector.