Posted by From Onyebuchi Ezigbo in Abuja on
Federal Government yesterday said it is spending about $350 million on building Nigeria's first ever communication satellite device (NIGCOMSAT-1).
Federal Government yesterday said it is spending about $350 million on building Nigeria's first ever communication satellite device (NIGCOMSAT-1).
Minister of Science and Technology, Prof. Turner Isoun who gave the figure at an international workshop organized by National Space Research Development Agency (NARSDA) in Abuja, said the execution of the project has been made possible through syndicated funding by banks.
He said the project is progressing as planned having passed the engineering design stage.
"I am happy to inform you that the platform structure has been manufactured and passed the static test for acceptance and the overall progress made by the contractor is quite satisfactory", he said.
Isoun said 50 Nigerian engineers are presently undergoing training in China on the construction, operation and management of communication satellite.
Describing the potentials of the satellite as huge, the minister said NIGCOMSAT-1 is an object of pride to Nigeria, that would not just be an indigenous satellite but would be highly competitive and comparable with other satellites covering Africa.
Among the benefits of the device are in the area of telecommunication where it is believed that an annual growth of 13.5% could be realized with the coming of the satellite.
The minister said the launch of the space communication satellite would spine more opportunities for employment through the enhancement of private sector investment and provide a platform for the development of more telecommunication network in Africa.
The minister said government is seeking ways to involve the private sector in the operation of the satellite project in order to fully utilize its great potentials.
He said the workshop is being used as an avenue to present the opportunities that the launch of NIGCOMSAT-1 would avail investors and service providers throughout the continent.
Speaking at the workshop, the Director-General of NASRDA, Prof. R. A. Boroffice said the deployment of the communication facility would help Nigeria and Africa in bridging the telecommunications gap, which exist between African countries and the rest of the world as well as the one between rural and urban centres within each African state.
He said the conference would enhance partnership between NASRDA and potential investors, service providers and satellite technology users.
Minister of Communications, Chief Cornelius Adebayo, advised that an agreessive marketing strategy be adopted to ensure that maximum utilization of the facility is achieved. He said considering the huge resources being expended on the space satellite equipment projects, there is ned to make its benefits realisable as soon as possible and to convince the ordinary Nigerians that it would have positive impact on their lives.
He said the Ministry of Communications has assisted NARSDA in obtaining registration with the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) as a sector member.