Nigeria has selected French aerospace company Thales Alenia Space and Israel Aerospace Industries (IAI) to build its next communications satellites as the country moves to replace the ageing NIGCOMSAT-1R.
The two companies will deliver NIGCOMSAT-2A and NIGCOMSAT-2B, following Federal Executive Council (FEC) approval for their acquisition and deployment. The project has now moved into contract finalisation and technical planning ahead of manufacturing, launch and deployment.
The satellites are expected to add capacity for broadband, broadcasting, enterprise connectivity and government services, particularly in locations where fibre and other terrestrial infrastructure are difficult or expensive to deploy. They are also intended to reduce Nigeria’s reliance on external satellite infrastructure and strengthen communications for critical national services.
The move comes as NIGCOMSAT prepares for the retirement of its existing communications satellite, NIGCOMSAT-1R, which was launched in 2011.
NIGCOMSAT-1R is running out of time
NIGCOMSAT-1R has been Nigeria’s main communications satellite for more than a decade, but its original 15-year design life has now been reached.
NIGCOMSAT has been carefully managing the satellite’s onboard fuel to extend its operation until around 2028, giving the government additional time to complete its replacement programme.
That extension is important because replacing a communications satellite is not as simple as ordering a new spacecraft.
The process involves selecting manufacturers, securing financing, designing and building the satellite, preparing the ground infrastructure, launching it and completing in-orbit testing before it can begin providing services.
Nigeria began working towards a replacement more than two years ago. NIGCOMSAT started defining the technical requirements in 2024 and subsequently opened the procurement process to international aerospace companies.
Companies including Thales Alenia Space, Airbus, IAI, China Great Wall Industry Corporation and Turkish Aerospace Industries participated in the process before Nigeria selected Thales Alenia Space and IAI for the two new satellites.
With FEC approval now secured, NIGCOMSAT says the next stage involves formal engagement with the two technology partners, contract finalization and technical planning ahead of manufacturing and launch.
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The new satellites will expand Nigeria’s communications capacity
NIGCOMSAT-2A and 2B are being designed to do more than simply replace NIGCOMSAT-1R.
The satellites will provide additional capacity for high-capacity broadband, broadcasting, enterprise connectivity and government services. NIGCOMSAT also expects them to support applications across education, healthcare, agriculture, financial services and other digital sectors.
Their biggest advantage will be coverage.
Unlike fibre networks that require cables to be physically deployed across the country, satellites can provide coverage over large geographical areas from orbit. This makes them useful in communities where building fibre networks or mobile infrastructure may be too expensive or difficult.
The new satellites are therefore expected to complement Nigeria’s terrestrial broadband networks rather than replace them.
They could provide another way for internet service providers, broadcasters, businesses and government agencies to reach locations that remain poorly served by conventional infrastructure.
The project also includes more than the satellites themselves. The contract covers associated infrastructure and systems required to operate them, including satellite control facilities, tracking and telemetry stations, operational software, insurance and training.
NIGCOMSAT also expects the project to create opportunities for Nigerian companies in areas such as ground infrastructure, systems integration, technical support and satellite-enabled services. The programme includes provisions for technology transfer and specialized training in areas including satellite engineering and network operations.
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Nigeria still has a 43% broadband gap to close
The scale of Nigeria’s connectivity challenge explains why the satellite investment matters.
Nigeria’s broadband penetration stood at 56.7 percent in June, according to data from the Nigerian Communications Commission. That means a significant portion of the country’s population still does not have access to broadband connectivity.
In major cities, fibre and mobile networks can serve large populations and make infrastructure investment easier to justify. In sparsely populated or difficult-to-reach areas, however, the cost of extending those networks can be much higher.
That is where satellite capacity can become useful.
NIGCOMSAT’s new satellites are expected to provide wider coverage in underserved, unserved and hard-to-reach communities while also strengthening the country’s communications resilience.
There is also a national infrastructure argument. Nigeria currently depends on external satellite infrastructure for some services, and the government wants the new satellites to reduce that dependence while strengthening its ability to support critical communications, including national security and defense.
The financial side of the project, however, is still being finalized. NIGCOMSAT has not yet disclosed the final cost, saying the amount will become official once financing is closed. Reports have put the combined programme at around $2 billion, although that figure has not been confirmed by NIGCOMSAT as the final contract value.
NIGCOMSAT’s target is for NIGCOMSAT-2A to launch in 2028 and NIGCOMSAT-2B in 2029, giving the country a transition path as NIGCOMSAT-1R approaches the end of its extended operating life.
The success of the programme will ultimately depend on more than getting the satellites into orbit. Nigeria will need to turn the additional capacity into services that telecom operators, businesses, broadcasters and ordinary users can actually afford and access.
For now, the FEC approval moves Nigeria’s long-running satellite replacement programme into its next phase, with the country racing to build its next communications infrastructure before the satellite that has served it since 2011 finally reaches the end of its extended life.
