Broadband connectivity plays a critical role in the development of Nigeria’s digital economy. The Federal Government is busy developing skill acquisition policies for the various infrastructure required to drive the digital economy.
Filling the capacity gap in satellite-based service delivery is now an urgent necessity to improve the quality of life, particularly in rural communities and remote areas, where the majority of the population resides.
Citizens of Nigeria are optimistic and they advocate that NIGCOMSAT should face its primary purpose of commercialising Nigeria’s space products.
The launch of NigComSat-1R in 2011, after the incorporation of the Nigerian Communications Satellite Limited (NIGCOMSAT) in 2006, was critical for both the country and the world.
Also noteworthy is the fact that the NigComSat-1R point, a 2.5-metre high spatial resolution sensor, was manufactured and designed entirely by Nigerian engineers.
According to reports, the satellites can be used for demography, including the planning and mapping of population surveys, the mapping of census enumeration areas, the planning and monitoring of rural and urban growth, and the provision of early warnings for natural disasters like floods, earthquakes, volcanic eruptions, and storms.
Over places that terrestrial network carriers are unable to cover, NigComSat-1R offers omnipresent high-speed coverage. NigComSat-1R will always provide consistent, dependable, and fast internet services at an affordable price, even in the most distant areas of Nigeria or West Africa.
High-speed data and video Internet connections, cost-effectiveness, and security are all features of their services. The solutions are customised for the best possible delivery in applications for communications, disaster recovery, and security.
The relentless efforts of Prof. Ibrahim Pantami, the Minister of Communications and Digital Economy, in building a digital Nigeria, as well as supporting NIGCOMSAT in the growth of the nation’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP) has leveraged the Nigerian Satellite (NigComSat-1R) to deepen broadband penetration in the country.
This quite unique achievements were put in place by the then Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer, Nigerian Communications Satellite (NigComSAT), Dr. Abimbola Alale, who said said the firm is leveraging NigComSAT-1R to provide complimentary solutions for an effective digital economy.
His tenure ensured NigComSat-1R provides transponder leasing services on Ku-band, C-band, and Ka-band platforms. In addition to greater look angles and lower latency for intra-African communications traffic, 28 transponders and seven antennas ensure stronger footprints and centre beams spanning Africa, Europe, and Asia.
As a matter of fact, Broadcasters rely on NigComsat-1R to transmit a variety of media content to their customers’ homes, including normal TV, HDTV, and Ultra HD channels, thanks to more than 50 DTH platforms. The platform offers video-on-demand programming, in addition to free-to-air, free-to-view, and pay-tv channels.
NigComSat-1R offers locally produced, ground-breaking, value-added services that take advantage of its experience to address industry-specific needs and raise the quality of our satellite communications services. It also contributes to the provision of services that improve efficiency and procedures at work.
NigComSat-1R, Nigeria’s only communications satellite will outlive its usefulness by 2026, meaning that the satellite will expire by then.
To ensure the continuity of the success story at NigComSat, after Alale’s retirement, recently President Muhammadu Buhari approved the appointment of Engineer Tukur Mohammed Lawal Funtua, as the new Managing Director of Nigeria Communications Satellite (NIGCOMSAT).
Engineer Tukur Mohammed Lawal Funtua, holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Chemical Engineering, PGDM, MBA, a Professional Diploma in Education and a PhD in Environmental and Sustainable Development Management in view, at the University of Port Harcourt.
Born on 24th November 1966, Funtua is an indigene of Funtua Local Government Area of Katsina State, Northwest Nigeria.
He was before his appointment, Director, of health community affairs, safety and the environment with BUA Cement Plc, and served in various capacities including Health and Safety Manager, Country HSE Manager and Regional Manager for Communications, Public Affairs and Sustainable Development at Lafarge Africa Plc and Group Head, Environment and Community Affairs at Dangote Cement Plc among others.
Engineer Tukur, who has thirty years of professional experience in manufacturing, process engineering, health, production, safety and environmental management, communications and various other fields, is a Chartered Environmentalist at the Society for Environmental Toxicology and Pollution Mitigation, a Fellow of the Nigerian Society of Chemical Engineers, and the Professional Leadership Practitioners Institute.
He is a Registered Engineer with the Council for the Regulation of Engineering in Nigeria (COREN), a member of numerous professional bodies and institutes. Engineer Tukur is an author and is married with children.
Onlookers are optimistic that he will leverage the satellite to promote access to basic and advanced telecom infrastructure and services; develop an enabling environment for ICT applications in other fields cutting across commerce, health, and education to name a few.
Congratulations to the new helmsman at NIGCOMSAT!
Olamide Adeniji is a member of the editorial team of TheScript Newspaper
