The Federal Government has approved the acquisition and deployment of two next-generation communication satellites as part of efforts to reduce Nigeria’s dependence on foreign digital infrastructure and strengthen the country’s technological capacity.
The Federal Executive Council approved the deployment of NIGCOMSAT-2A and NIGCOMSAT-2B, which will be operated by Nigeria Communications Satellite Limited (NIGCOMSAT).
The satellites are expected to expand broadband internet access, broadcasting, enterprise connectivity and critical government communications, particularly in underserved and hard-to-reach areas where conventional telecommunications infrastructure is expensive or difficult to deploy.
NIGCOMSAT’s Acting Head of Corporate Affairs, Stephen Kwande, disclosed the Federal Executive Council’s approval, moving the satellite project into its next stage of implementation.
The new satellites are expected to improve the resilience of Nigeria’s communications infrastructure while extending connectivity to underserved, unserved and remote communities.
They will also support digital services across education, healthcare, agriculture, financial services and government operations.
The infrastructure is expected to provide more secure communications for critical national functions, including security and defence.
NIGCOMSAT Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer, Jane Nkechi Egerton-Idehen, said the project would reduce Nigeria’s reliance on external satellite infrastructure while creating opportunities across the country’s satellite and digital technology value chain.
According to her, the opportunities will cover telecommunications, broadcasting, ground infrastructure, systems integration, technical support and satellite-enabled services.
The project is also expected to strengthen local technical expertise through knowledge transfer, professional training and skills development in satellite engineering, network operations and cybersecurity.
Thales Alenia Space of France and Israel Aerospace Industries will deliver the satellites, while NIGCOMSAT will lead implementation in collaboration with the Federal Ministry of Communications, Innovation and Digital Economy and other relevant government agencies.
The government is targeting the launch of NIGCOMSAT-2A in 2028, followed by NIGCOMSAT-2B in 2029.
The satellite project forms part of a wider government push to develop domestic capacity across Nigeria’s digital economy, including cloud computing and data-centre infrastructure.
Meanwhile, the Director-General of the National Information Technology Development Agency, Kashifu Inuwa, disclosed that the Federal Government had invested more than N3.8 trillion in information technology infrastructure between 2023 and 2026.
Inuwa disclosed this in an interview with TVC News, saying the scale of government spending presented an opportunity to redirect more technology expenditure towards developing local infrastructure and eliminating duplication across ministries, departments and agencies.
“Based on data from 2023 to date, the government invested over N3.8 trillion in IT infrastructure,” Inuwa said.
He argued that greater coordination of the spending could help the government build stronger domestic technological capacity.
“Imagine channeling that investment into building local capacity,” he said.
As part of the strategy, the Federal Government has adopted a Cloud-First policy that discourages ministries, departments and agencies from building separate data centres and server rooms.
Instead, government institutions are expected to transition towards shared cloud infrastructure, which NITDA says could improve efficiency and reduce repeated investments in technology infrastructure.
“The government has agreed to adopt a Cloud-First strategy, meaning MDAs will be discouraged from building standalone data centers or server rooms and required to move to the cloud,” Inuwa said.
He stressed that the policy was not intended to isolate Nigeria from foreign technology providers but to encourage international companies to establish infrastructure and build capacity within the country.
“The initiative is not about Nigeria closing its doors against foreign technologies, but asking them to come and build with us,” he said.
The government’s push for greater control over critical digital infrastructure has intensified through several recent initiatives.
NITDA finalised a data classification framework in February 2025 to support cloud adoption and strengthen data governance.
The Central Bank of Nigeria also directed banks, fintech companies and other payment-system operators in June 2026 to host payment transaction data generated in Nigeria within the country by January 1, 2027.
NITDA subsequently signed a Sovereign Cloud Framework in August, while the Federal Government unveiled a National Digital Cloud Policy aimed at increasing cloud adoption and attracting investment into the sector.
On August 21, NITDA and the Budget Office launched a Joint Technical Committee to develop the fiscal, procurement and investment structures required to implement the National Sovereign Cloud Initiative.
The parallel development of satellite and cloud infrastructure reflects a broader government strategy to keep more of Nigeria’s critical digital operations and technology spending within the country while encouraging international technology companies to establish local infrastructure.
With demand increasing across fintech, artificial intelligence, telecommunications and other digital services, the government expects the investments to improve connectivity and data security while creating jobs, developing technical expertise and reducing Nigeria’s dependence on infrastructure located outside its borders.
