Vice President Kashim Shettima has commended the donation of specialised communication equipment by SpaceX’s Starlink to the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA), describing it as a significant boost to Nigeria’s emergency and disaster response capacity.
Shettima gave the commendation on Tuesday in Abuja during a courtesy visit to the Presidential Villa by a delegation comprising officials of NEMA and SpaceX/Starlink, led by the Director-General of NEMA, Hajiya Zubaida Umar.
The Vice President noted that the partnership between Nigeria and Starlink would enhance coordination, improve communication systems, and significantly reduce response time during emergencies such as floods and other disasters.
He said effective communication remains central to emergency management, adding that satellite-based connectivity would play a critical role in strengthening national preparedness and response efforts.
“Communication is the essence of humanity, and during emergencies and flood disasters, partnerships such as this with Starlink can make a huge difference,” Shettima said.
He assured that the donated equipment would be efficiently deployed by NEMA personnel across designated stations nationwide to improve operational effectiveness.
The Director-General of NEMA, Hajiya Zubaida Umar, expressed appreciation to SpaceX/Starlink for the donation of high-speed satellite internet hardware and data services to support emergency response operations in Nigeria.
She explained that the equipment, comprising 91 standard and mini communication units, would help address longstanding connectivity challenges in remote and hard-to-reach areas.
According to her, NEMA plans to deploy the devices across 50 identified disaster flashpoints nationwide, while also upgrading its command-and-control centre to enhance coordination and response efficiency.
A representative of SpaceX/Starlink, Peter Kroetger, commended Nigeria’s disaster management framework, noting that the agency’s preparedness structure would support effective deployment of the technology.
He expressed confidence in Nigeria’s capacity to integrate advanced satellite communication systems into its emergency response operations.
Also present at the meeting were senior NEMA officials, including the Director of ICT, Justin Uwazuruonye, the Director of Search and Rescue, Air Commodore B.A. Usman, alongside representatives from SpaceX/Starlink.
