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Tag: NigComSat

  • Nigeria to launch two satellites soon – NIGCOMSAT

    The Nigeria Communication Satellite Limited (NIGCOMSAT) on Monday said that it was collaborating with China Great Wall Industry Cooperation (CGWIC) to launch two additional satellites.

    Mr Samson Osagie, the Executive Director, Marketing and Business Development of the organisation said this in an interview with our reporter in Abuja on Monday that the satellites would be deployed in the next 36 months.

    Osagie explained that the durability of a satellite was 15 years, and that the Nigeria’s current satellite was seven years old.

    “NIGCOMSAT is collaborating with China Great Wall Industry Cooperation and we are negotiating to launch additional two satellites in 36 months.

    “Presently Nigeria does not have the capital to build and finance its own satellite which is why the collaboration is needed.

    “The first satellite by Nigeria was launched in 2007 but had issues and was de-orbited. It was later re-launched in 2011 which makes it seven years now.

    “The life span of a satellite is 15 years, which means that the first one is still functional and it is important to note that negotiations for projects like this take time,” Osagie said.

    According to him, the additional satellites will meet the needs of telecommunication, maritime, defence, broadcast media, Africa, parts of Asia and others.

    He said that the two satellites would be launched separately, adding that negotiations on their operations were ongoing simultaneously.

    Our reporter reports that NIGCOMSAT-1, the first satellite was originally launched in May 2007, but de-orbited due to malfunctioning of the Solar Array Deployment Assembly.

    The satellite was later re-launched in 2011 as NIGCOMSAT-1R and had been in the orbit since then.

    NAN

     

  • FG Inaugurates NITDA, NIPOST, NIGCOMSAT Boards

    FG Inaugurates NITDA, NIPOST, NIGCOMSAT Boards

    The Federal Government Wednesday inaugurated the Management Boards of the National Information Technology Development Agency, NITDA, the Nigerian Postal Service, NIPOST, and the Nigerian Communications Satellite, NIGCOMSAT.

    The Minister of Communications, Adebayo Shittu who inaugurated the 36 member board of the agencies at Obasanjo Hall, Office of the Head of Service of the Federation, urged them to justify the confidence repose in them by the Buhari administration by turning around the fortunes of the agencies for the better.

    Shittu said the performances of the agencies are critical to the committment of the present administration to move the economy from oil and gas paradigm to the development of the Information and Communications Technology (ICT) sector.

    Government efforts, he said, have started yielding results as more than 10 percent of the nation’s GDP comes from the sector.

    Said the Minister: “The ICT sector is one of the key pillars of the Nigerian economy contributing more than 10% of the GDP. The sector has great potentials for contributing significantly to Nigeria’s economic recovery and Growth through economic diversification, creating opportunities for social inclusion, job creation and youth empowerment, improving human capital and facilitating economic competitiveness.

    “It has been suggested that the Devices, Software Solution and e-Commerce sector alone could employ well over 45 million Nigerians and rake in significant revenue.

    “The major challenges to the sector have been lack of an integrated framework for coordinated development, inadequate infrastructure leading to low access of Nigerians to the benefits of ICT, poor local content in the ICT industry, inadequate investments in the sector and low Capacity including lack of globally competitive skills.”

    According to the Minister, the agencies would be restructured in line with the vision of the present administration to enable them maximize their goals, pointing out that government would ensure that the enabling laws backing their operations are also fine-tuned and updated.

    Shittu said government is currently embarking on the upgrading of ICT infrastructures to ensure that they are capable meeting the challenges of modern economy.

    The Minister said: “Increased ICT infrastructure will also help to solidify national security, strengthen sovereignty and promote good governance.  We are well on our way there with the kind of infrastructural investments that we envisage including regional fibre –optic links and metro rings.

    “Recently, the Federal Executive Council approved the implementation of the National ICT Infrastructure Backbone II project.

    “Considering the large youth population in Nigeria, one of the most critical success factors for ICT sector development is the issue of skills development. However, Skills issues remain a major constraint to employment of Nigerians in the sector.

    “Employers in the sector are increasingly finding it difficult to source for emerging 3rd platform technologies such as cloud, mobility, security and big data/Analytics which is where the world is going now.

    “Considering the large youth population in the country, we will work with the Ministry of Education to integrate ICT effectively into education curricular through the use of ICT to facilitate education using smart devices, e-Content as well as increase the uptake of ICT as a subject”.

    Read Also: NITDA, NCC partner to grow GDP

  • Edo partners NIGCOMSAT on deployment of e-learning facilities in schools

    Edo partners NIGCOMSAT on deployment of e-learning facilities in schools

    The Edo State Government has commenced negotiations with the Nigerian Communications Satellite Limited (NIGCOMSAT) for the provision of e-learning facilities in schools across the state.

    Commissioner for Science and Technology, Hon. Emmanuel Agbale, disclosed this in a chat with journalists shortly after a meeting between the state government officials and representatives of NIGCOMSAT, at the Government House, Benin City on Monday.

    Agbale said the state government was fine-tuning details of the partnership, adding, “Godwin Obaseki led-administration means business with the plan to deploy technology in enhancing teaching and learning in schools across the state.”

    According to him, “The state government is partnering with NIGCOMSAT because it has the capacity to provide solutions required for the deployment of technologies for teaching and learning in schools. NIGCOMSAT will also organise the training of teachers to manage the ICT facilities to be deployed in schools.

    “We have concluded arrangement for capacity building and development of science and Information and Communication Technology labs in schools across the state, already.”

    On his part, Executive Director, Marketing and Business Development, NIGCOMSAT, Mr. Samson Osagie, said NIGCOMSAT provides satellite services and solutions to improve teaching and learning in schools.

    He said, “NIGCOMSAT is ready to assist Governor Obaseki to develop science, technology and innovation to deliver effective governance in the state.”

    Osagie added that the partnership with Edo State Government was part of the pilot scheme of NIGCOMSAT to showcase its potential in providing seamless connectivity and satellite communication solutions, noting, “The deployment of e-learning facilities for teaching and learning in primary and secondary schools would raise the quality and standard of education in the state.”

  • Workers threaten to shut down NIGCOMSAT over alleged victimisation

    Workers threaten to shut down NIGCOMSAT over alleged victimisation

    The Senior Staff Association of Statutory Corporations and Government Owned Companies (SSASCGOC) has accused the management of Nigeria Communications Satellite (NIGCOMSAT) of victimising workers. It warned that unless the victimisation and promotion were addressed, it would have no option than to disrupt activities at the agency.

    In a letter to the Minister of Communication, Adebayo Shittu, the union said it may be forced to embark on a three day warning strike unless the issues of promotion and victimisation, of its members in the company is addressed.

    The letter, dated  January 10, signed by the president, Mohammad Yunusa and the General Secretary, Comrade Ayo Olorunfemi, alleged that one of its members is being victimised by the management for refusing to take part in corruption related activities.

    The letter entitled: “Re: Operational Modalities in NIGCOMSAT-Our Demands,” the letter read: “Under the directive of the Central Working Committee (CWC) of the Association we refer to our letter No SSASCGOC/HM/FMCT/1/2017/ of 9th Oct 2017 on the above subject matter and observe with dismay the non-response to any of the issues raised.

    “We are most concerned about issues that bother on the rights of our members; particularly the issue of promotion. As we speak, one of our members is being victimized  for  refusing to participate in activities that promotes corruption in the workplace.”

    “We shall be left with no other choice than to embark on a ?3 day warning strike to drive home our points, if nothing is done to address all the issues raised in our letter under reference within 21 days from the date of receipt of this letter.”

    Speaking with newsmen, Comrade Olorunfemi, condemned the promotion exercise done by NIGCOMSAT management after a long pressure from the union, adding that the promotion was lopsided as important issue of seniority was lost due to earlier embargo and delayed in the process.

    He said the union would not accept a situation whereby some senior officers have to forfeit one year due to no fault of theirs but just because the management decided to place embargo on promotion.

    “The essence of promotion is to motivate, but when promotion is becoming a de-motivational factor, there will be reduction in productivity and the union would not accept that.”

    On the victimization of its member, he explained that an officer, who is the head of account refused a directive from an executive director to pay a money which was not approved and was being victimized.

    Comrade Olorunfemi said the present government came into power on the mantra of corruption, saying that the minister should conduct an investigation into this case and ensure that workers who stand up against corruption are not punished.

  • NIGCOMSAT to drive internet connectivity in rural areas

    NIGCOMSAT to drive internet connectivity in rural areas

    Nigerian Communication Satellite Ltd (NIGCOMSAT) Executive Director, Engineering Services, Mr Raji Kolawole yesterday said the agency would collaborate with the private sector to drive internet connectivity in rural areas.

    Kolawale told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Abuja that “Nigeria Communication Satellite 1R’’, the satellite communication network owned by NIGCOMSAT, was ready to provide services to un-served and underserved areas in Nigeria.

    “The population of Nigeria of over 180 million people, about 70 per cent of Nigerians live in the rural areas and should have access to communication network.

    “NIGCOMSAT is ready to drive along with other private sector operators to have abundant services and internet connectivity across Nigerian system.

    “The initiatives and the ideas we have can be built into the system and deployed to the rural areas so that Nigerians can benefit,’’ he said.

    According to him, ICT is a major enabler in a knowledge-based economy which can be used in the area of youth empowerment.

    “The only way to empower our youths in Nigeria is through ICT and this can be obtained through the terrestrial network or satellite communication network,’’ he said.

    Kolawole commended Federal Government’s “Content Initiative’’ in satellite communication sub-sector, adding that it was the only way to move the country forward.

     

  • NigComSat nightmare

    NigComSat nightmare

    •Nigeria’s satellite ambitions become an economic drain

    As Nigeria struggles to judiciously utilise its scarce resources in an era of shrinking revenues, the spectacular failure of its vaunted satellite programme to live up to its promises has become an issue of pressing concern.

    NigComSat-1 was launched in May 2007 to provide communications on the Ku-Band, Ka-Band and C-Band, as well as navigational services, over a period of 15 years. It was supposed to usher in a golden era in which the many benefits of satellite technology would be reaped to the benefit of the country: an expansion of e-commerce, e-learning and e-government; significant reductions in the cost of bandwidth which would in turn boost education, security and communication; the development of highly-skilled manpower in cutting-edge disciplines.

    These lofty dreams have apparently failed to live up to reality. Perhaps the greatest disappointment lies in the refusal of local business to avail itself of NIGCOMSAT Limited, the government-owned satellite operator. Even though financial institutions, cable television companies and manufacturing firms consume huge amounts of bandwidth, most of them appear to have opted for foreign satellite companies. Deals with the military and the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) have not come to fruition, allegedly due to infrastructural deficiencies and fiscal challenges.

    This lamentable lack of indigenous patronage is seen in NIGCOMSAT’s poor revenues. In 2011, it made N36 million; N38 million in 2012, and N262 million in 2013. Compared to the company’s enormous wage bill, this income is insignificant: N1.3 billion in 2011, N2.2 billion in 2012, and N2.3 billion proposed for 2016.

    The Nation warned against these problems in its “Footprints in Space” editorial at the time: “the Federal Government needs to be much more explicit about how satellite technology is linked to its development objectives. It is surprising that very little has been said about exactly how the country’s increased satellite presence will play into national educational, medical, agricultural, aviation and other policies. Such silence is mystifying when it is compared to the publicity that traditionally attends the nation’s satellite launches.” Tragically, that warning went unheeded.

    A nation notorious for its logistical shortcomings should have been more careful in embarking on an adventure in space. If the relatively simpler tasks of producing refined petroleum products and ensuring regular electricity and water supply cannot be undertaken successfully, what was the guarantee that Nigeria could become a satellite superpower?

    The country must now seek to do what it should have done from the start: establish processes and procedures that enable it to fully benefit from NigComSat-1R, the successor satellite built by China when NigComSat-1 deorbited in November 2008. The capacity of NIGCOMSAT Limited to efficiently provide the services required by Nigeria’s businesses, schools and armed forces must be properly established. Routing and switching systems are said to be inadequate; they must be provided; service and payload network operations centres should be completed; the hundreds of Very Small Aperture Terminals (VSATs) allegedly kept in containers must be deployed and installed.

    The staffing of NIGCOMSAT Limited must be overhauled with the aim of trimming down its bloated management staff and reconfiguring its marketing and engineering divisions. Government agencies should be directed to make NIGCOMSAT their first option for satellite services, as should joint-venture concerns, government-owned educational institutions, research institutes and the military. Plans to contract debts of up to U.S. $700 million for the construction of two new satellites must be put on hold until NigComSat-1R begins to turn a profit.

    If Nigeria has learnt anything from its economic travails, it is that the culture of waste and incompetence can no longer continue. There is no crime in solving terrestrial problems using celestial approaches as long as everything is done to ensure that initial expectations are fully realised.

     

  • Why BPE wants to privatise NIGCOMSAT, by Dikki

    The Director General of the Bureau of Public Enterprises (BPE), Benjamin Ezra Dikki, has said  the Federal Government is seeking to privatise the Nigeria Communication Satellite Limited (NIGCOMSAT) due to the  need to inject entrepreneurial spirit into the company and make it more commercially viable.

    He said the Information and Communications Technology that encompasses satellite systems and telecommunications is key to the growth of any nation.

    Dikki, spoke in Abuja, while receiving the Management Team of the National Space Research and Development Agency (NASRDA) led by its Director General, Prof. Seidu Mohammed.

    BPE Acting Head, Public Communications, Alex Okoh, in a statement, quoted Dikki as assuring that  in privatising NIGCOMSAT, the security of the nation would not be compromised, but that the Bureau would strategise and evaluate how much private sector participation would be required in the company to drive growth.

    The said BPE would rely on informed guidance from key stakeholders to determine the model of privatisation to be recommended to the National Council on Privatisation (NCP) for adoption in the privatisation of NIGCOMSAT.

    He said in executing the transaction, a Joint Project Delivery Team (PDT), comprising the BPE, the Ministry of Communication Technology, NASRDA and other key stakeholders would be instituted for the purpose.

    Prof. Mohammed on his part, said the purpose of the visit was to intimate the BPE of the activities of the agency and to seek more clarification on the planned privatisation of the NIGCOMSAT.

    He said that there was need for a communication satellite for all Nigerians as it is vital, not only for telecommunications, but for earth characterisation to support the agricultural sector of the country. He lamented the poor funding of the science and technology sector of the country and called for more investment in the sector to boost the competitiveness of Nigeria.

  • Why NigComSat 1R must be sold, by Minister

    • It’s a drainpipe

    The Federal Government has said the sale of Nigeria’s satellite firm, NigComsat 1 R, has become inevitable  because it has become a huge drainpipe on government’s scarce resources.

    Commmunication Technology Minister, Dr. Omobola Jonhson who spoke during the Fourth Industry ICT Stakeholders Forum by the Commmunication Technology Ministry in Lagos at the weekend, said the satellite firm would be sold to private investors for more efficient management.

    According to her, the firm would be sold in a way government would be able to get good value from it. She said the management of the firm is currently working to increase its commercial value.

    She said: “NigComSat 1R has increased its commercial value through the generation of revenue for government by leasing of 5KU transponders, C-Band, broadband sale and the leasing of Direct to Home (DTH) platform to private strategic partner.

    “Ongoing projects are being designed that will increase revenues from this asset. The lease of KA transponders is also planned for Q1 2015.”

    Dr. Johnson said the satellite firm made N3,654,955.04 in 2012 while it generated N263,753,354.34 and N648, 866,688 in 2013 and 2014 respectively, showing a gradual improvement in performance.

    The improved performance, however, does not justify the money it gulps from government’s purse.

    She said: “NigComSat 1R takes a huge portion of our budget and I don’t think there is any minister that will not support its privatisation for the country to make more money.”

    Responding to questions on continuity, the minister said as pioneer minster of ministry, she had,  with other stakeholders, done a lot to improve the fortunes of the ICT sector to ensure its sectoral addition to the nation’s gross domestic product is worth the while.

    She said the sector has contributed above nine per cent, adding that when added to another two per cent it has enabled other sectors of the economy, the score card is good enough.

    She added: “As the administration comes to an end, I will answer the question about continuity of the pragrammes for two major reasons. First, if look at what we did, I told you we had two major priorities-Connect Nigeria and Connect Nigerians, these are priorities we engage with the industry before we started doing. There several other projects so, to me, the priorities that we have are not only for the ICT sector but for the country.”