The Federal Government has commenced formal engagement with Israeli and French satellite manufacturers for the production of two next-generation communication satellites, NigComSat-2A and NigComSat-2B.
The satellites will be built by Israel Aerospace Industries (IAI) and Thales Alenia Space of France, the Nigeria Communications Satellite (NIGCOMSAT) Limited disclosed in a statement on Saturday.
The development follows approval by the Federal Executive Council (FEC) for the acquisition and deployment of the two satellites, under the supervision of the Federal Ministry of Communications, Innovation and Digital Economy.
According to NIGCOMSAT, the project has now entered its implementation phase, which includes formal engagement with the technology partners, contract finalisation, and technical planning ahead of manufacture, launch and deployment.
The Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of NIGCOMSAT, Jane Nkechi Egerton-Idehen, described the FEC approval as a significant milestone for the agency and the country.
She said the new satellites will strengthen Nigeria’s national satellite capacity, expand connectivity and support critical communications infrastructure nationwide.
“Our priority is to translate this investment into measurable value for Nigerians and position NIGCOMSAT for stronger impact within the global satellite and digital economy,” Egerton-Idehen said.
Speaking on the timeline, Acting Head of Corporate Affairs Division at NIGCOMSAT, Stephen Kwande, told TheCable that the deployment will be executed in two phases.
“The process has just started; that is, the approval. The launch will be in two phases, one hopefully by the end of 2028 and the second in 2029 or 2030,” Kwande said.
He added that while discussions began in March, the Federal Ministry of Communications, Innovation and Digital Economy is leading most aspects of the negotiations.
“We are under the Federal Ministry of Communications, Innovation and Digital Economy. So, the Ministry and NIGCOMSAT Ltd are engaging the manufacturer,” he said.
NIGCOMSAT said the additional capacity will support high-capacity broadband, broadcasting, enterprise connectivity, government services and emerging digital applications.
The agency noted that the satellites will complement terrestrial broadband networks by providing wider coverage in areas where conventional infrastructure is difficult or expensive to deploy.
The project is also expected to support digital services across key sectors including education, healthcare, agriculture, financial services, broadcasting and governance, while strengthening secure and resilient communications for national security and defence and reducing dependence on foreign satellite infrastructure.
Beyond connectivity, NIGCOMSAT said the project will create opportunities across telecommunications, broadcasting, ground infrastructure, systems integration and satellite-enabled services, and drive indigenous capacity development through knowledge transfer and specialised training in satellite engineering, network operations and cybersecurity.
“With FEC approval secured, the acquisition and deployment process will now move into the next stage of implementation, including formal engagement with the technology partners, contract finalisation, technical planning and other preparatory activities required for the manufacture, launch and eventual deployment of the satellites,” the company stated.
