In a bid to boost the nation’s satellite communications capacity, the Minister of Communications and Digital Economy, Prof Isa Ali Ibrahim Pantami, has disclosed that Nigeria will launch a new communication satellite (Sat 2) into orbit this year.
The Minister made the disclosure in Abuja on Monday, during a one-day working visit and interaction with the staff of the Nigerian Communications Satellite.
Pantami stated that he had secured the approval of President Mohammadu Buhari for purchasing the Communications satellite, noting that he went further to lobby the Minister of Finance to ensure that the proposal is included in the 2022 budget.
Although, the number of the satellites remain undisclosed, it was reported that the federal government earmarked the sum of N2.5 billion for the satellite 2 project in the 2022 budget estimate.
Recall that in 2017, the Federal government had announced plans to raise $550 million for constructing two new communications satellites which the Chinese Export and Import Bank accepted to provide.
While speaking, Pantami disclosed that he had approved the establishment of some subsidiaries under NIGCOMSAT as part of efforts to revive the company and make it innovative and productive
Pantami however, noted that the innovation in the agency was not enough and needed to be improved upon. He charged them to turn the institution around through unique and effective service delivery in order to justify the suspension of the proposed privatization plan.
