New Information: Nigeria's Communications Satellite

THE National Space Research and Development Agency (NSRDA) recently had a geostationary orbiting communications satellite code-named NIGCOMSAT-1 successfully launched in China. Subject to its proper functioning, the satellite, which faces Africa, would provide reliable and increased communications capacity for relaying simultaneously thousands of radio, telegraph, telephone and television signals among earth stations spread over a third of the earth's surface. To ensure global coverage, the agency "hopes to launch by 2010 two more communications satellites one facing America and one facing Asia."

The agency's spokespersons have dubbed the launch the dawn of a technological revolution that has lifted from Africa the tag of the dark and unwired continent. That is rather effusive. NIGCOMSAT-1 is not a jointly owned or shared communications satellite. Outside Nigeria, NIGCOMSAT-1 will have to compete to offer its services to other African countries and areas under its focus with existing satellite networks linking those places with the rest of the world. The launch of the single satellite may therefore not make much difference than what is already in place. Consequently NSRDA's estimated cost savings of about $1 billion annually on bandwidth and trunking services and the projected revenue derivable from the African market are overly optimistic.

As for Nigeria, the satellite is expected to vastly improve telecommunications, rural telephony, broadcasting, availability of internet services and real time monitoring services as well as facilitate various forms of e-learning and e-business at cheap cost among a whole host of other benefits all with attendant job opportunities. Well, with the agency assured of the Nigerian market which probably accounts for about a quarter of the projected African market, will the satellite services still come cheap as envisaged?

Despite the hoopla and official celebration over Nigeria owning the satellite, NIGCOMSAT-1 was actually procured under the modified hire-purchase terms of "borrow, operate, pay and own" in the end. A Chinese company loaned other Chinese firms the full amount required to design, build, launch and keep the satellite in its synchronous orbit for its scheduled lifetime of 15 years. The satellite is thus effectively a Chinese export commodity that has Nigeria as captive market. The satellite will not be Nigeria's until the loan and unstated accruing interest are fully paid.

There are other problems. For example, the production arrangement makes any Nigeria-specific encryptions in the satellite known to the Chinese, which is not good from the point of view of national security. Therefore, government will be well advised to avoid putting everything in one Chinese satellite basket by not cutting off links completely with out present sources of satellite services.

It is reassuring that the above concerns appear not to be totally lost on NSRDA because the agency does not consider the present arrangement to be satisfactory. We therefore urge NSRDA to press ahead with its eight-year plan to not only produce adequate local "aerospace manpower" but also design and fabricate satellites in Nigeria. The agency should additionally actively develop the capability for launching satellites and exploring outer space in the near future.

We note that the agency's bold plans for the future are predicated on revenue to be generated from its commercial activities. That would help eliminate possible paralysing effects of changing government policies. Nonetheless, government should continuously encourage the agency and where necessary offer any required assistance to enable the agency to achieve its set goals.

In this connection, it is desirable for relevant specialised institutions and selected universities to be given appropriate funding to engage actively in space research to support the space agency in its activities.

http://www.guardiannewsngr.com/editorial_opinion/article01