NIGCOMSAT-2A & 2B Launch: Why Nigeria must resist the temptation to celebrate approval as though the project has already succeeded.

 

 Nigeria Must Own the Infrastructure That Connects Its Future

The Federal Executive Council’s approval of the acquisition and deployment of NIGCOMSAT-2A and NIGCOMSAT-2B, two next-generation High-Thoroughput Communication Satellites, it is more than another government technology announcement. If properly executed, it could become a strategic investment in Nigeria’s digital sovereignty, connectivity and national security.

But Nigerians should look beyond the excitement of putting two more satellites in orbit.

The fundamental question is this: Can Nigeria finally build enough domestic capacity to reduce its dependence on infrastructure controlled by others while remaining fully interconnected with the global digital economy?

That is the real test.

From NIGCOMSAT-1R to the next generation

Nigeria's existing NIGCOMSAT-1R, launched in 2011, is approaching the end of its expected operational lifespan. The move toward NIGCOMSAT-2A and 2B therefore represents both a replacement programme and an opportunity to expand the country's satellite capacity.

The programme has been developing for some time. NIGCOMSAT had previously explored global investment for a replacement satellite, while also partnering with Eutelsat to develop low-Earth-orbit satellite services.

Now, with FEC approval, the programme enters a more consequential phase.

The satellites are expected to be delivered by Thales Alenia Space of France and Israel Aerospace Industries, while NIGCOMSAT will lead implementation in collaboration with the Federal Ministry of Communications, Innovation and Digital Economy.

That arrangement brings expertise and international partnerships. But it also raises an important question: how much of the knowledge, technology, operation and economic value will ultimately remain in Nigeria?

Foreign companies can build the satellites. The strategic objective, however, should be for Nigerians to increasingly acquire the capability to operate, maintain, commercialise and eventually participate in designing such infrastructure.

Where is the cost?

This is one area where government owes the public greater transparency.

The announcement of FEC approval, as reported, does not provide the public with the total acquisition and deployment cost of NIGCOMSAT-2A and 2B.

That figure matters.

Nigeria is making this investment at a time of significant fiscal pressure. If these satellites are genuinely strategic national infrastructure, government should tell Nigerians what they will cost, how they will be financed, the expected lifespan, projected revenue and the economic benefits anticipated from their deployment.

Interestingly, NIGCOMSAT has already demonstrated that there is commercial potential in the sector. Its revenue reportedly increased from ₦650 million in 2023 to more than ₦2 billion in 2025, while the agency had previously targeted ₦8 billion in revenue within three years through broadband expansion.

Those numbers suggest that satellite infrastructure can become more than a government expenditure. It can become a revenue-generating national asset.

But that requires utilisation.

NIGCOMSAT previously disclosed that only about 7 per cent of its broadband capacity was being utilised. That should serve as a warning. Buying more capacity without developing the market, distribution networks and affordable services to use it would simply create another expensive underutilised asset.

What happens to MTN, Starlink and other operators?

This is another question Nigerians will understandably ask.

Will NIGCOMSAT-2A and 2B compete with MTN and other mobile network operators? Will they compete with Starlink?

The answer should not be framed simply as competition.

The bigger opportunity is interconnectivity.

Nigeria's communications ecosystem consists of fibre-optic networks, mobile networks, terrestrial broadband, international connectivity, data centres and satellite systems. The country needs all of these working together.

MTN and other telecommunications operators provide extensive terrestrial mobile infrastructure. Starlink provides satellite-based broadband directly to customers, particularly where conventional infrastructure is difficult or expensive to deploy.

NIGCOMSAT can occupy a strategic position within this ecosystem.

Its satellites could provide additional capacity, backhaul, connectivity for remote communities, support for government institutions, emergency communications and services in areas where laying fibre or building terrestrial infrastructure is commercially difficult.

In that sense, NIGCOMSAT  strengthen the infrastructure upon which Nigeria's entire digital economy can operate.

A healthy Nigerian digital ecosystem should allow these technologies to complement one another.

The Digital Switch-Over opportunity

The timing is also significant because Nigeria is continuing its Digital Switch-Over (DSO) programme.

The transition from analogue to digital broadcasting requires reliable transmission infrastructure and wider digital coverage. NIGCOMSAT's expanding satellite capability could potentially support broadcasting and distribution, particularly where terrestrial infrastructure presents geographical or economic challenges.

This creates an opportunity to connect the satellite programme with the country's wider digital transformation agenda rather than treating it as an isolated space project.

Imagine a system where satellite capacity supports digital broadcasting, broadband, education, healthcare, agriculture, disaster response and communications in underserved communities, while terrestrial networks and fibre carry the heavier urban traffic.

That is what interconnectivity should mean.

Reducing dependence does not mean disconnecting from the world

There is an important distinction that government must communicate clearly.

Nigeria cannot—and should not—attempt to eliminate all foreign infrastructure.

Modern telecommunications is inherently global. Nigeria will continue to require international fibre cables, foreign technology, cloud services, satellite partnerships and global telecommunications relationships.

The objective should therefore not be isolation.

It should be strategic resilience.

A country of more than 200 million people should not be dangerously dependent on infrastructure over which it has little control. The ability to provide alternative connectivity during emergencies, security crises, infrastructure failures or international disruptions is itself a national asset.

NIGCOMSAT-2A and 2B could provide that additional layer of resilience.

But implementation will determine everything

The government must now resist the temptation to celebrate approval as though the project has already succeeded.

The real work begins with procurement, financing, construction, launch, commissioning, commercialisation and utilisation.

There must be clear accountability between NIGCOMSAT, the Federal Ministry of Communications, Innovation and Digital Economy and the international contractors.

There should also be measurable targets: How many Nigerians will gain access to broadband? How much capacity will be commercially utilised? How much revenue will the satellites generate? How many government services will migrate onto the infrastructure? How much local technical expertise will be developed?

And, critically, what will prevent NIGCOMSAT-2A and 2B from suffering the same underutilisation problem that affected previous capacity?

The satellite should connect Nigerianot just orbit above it

The greatest danger is that Nigeria could spend heavily on sophisticated satellites while millions of Nigerians remain unable to afford reliable internet access.

A satellite in orbit is not, by itself, digital transformation.

The success of NIGCOMSAT-2A and 2B should ultimately be measured on the ground: cheaper and more reliable connectivity, stronger national security, better digital broadcasting, improved rural access, greater commercial utilisation and reduced vulnerability to foreign infrastructure.

Nigeria has an opportunity to build a more resilient communications architecture—one in which NIGCOMSAT, MTN and other operators, Starlink, fibre providers, broadcasters and technology companies form an interconnected ecosystem rather than isolated competitors.

The Federal Government should seize that opportunity.

Nigeria does not need to disconnect from the world to become digitally sovereign. It needs to build enough of its own infrastructure to negotiate, compete and connect with the world from a position of strength.

NIGCOMSAT-2A and 2B can be an important step in that direction—but only if Nigeria ensures that the satellites are not merely launched into space, but fully connected to the economic and technological life of the nation.