Whereas many Nigerians are yet to understand the true status of the existing satellites owned by NigComSat after the unexplainable disappearance of one some years ago, indication emerged weekend that the Federal Government plans to purchase two additional satellites for Nigeria Communication Satellite at the cost of $550 million.
The Minister of Communications, Adebayo Shittu, disclosed while speaking with newsmen at the end of the 4th National Council on Communication Technology meeting in Kaduna.
He said that the Federal Government was already negotiating with China EXIM Bank for the purchase of the two additional satellites for storage of Data.
According to him, efforts are being made to procure two additional communication satellites to complement the existing NigComSat as a means of reaching areas that cannot easily be covered by terrestrial fibre.
“We need just about 550 million dollars to acquire two new satellites; we are already negotiating with China EXIM Bank, who had assured us that they will deliver the money.
“We will negotiate and procure extra satellites for NigComSat, so that there will be adequate back up for and once this done whatever data is stored in one satellite will equally be shared by the two or three satellites.
“With that, there will not be fear of any problem because there will be enough data collection centre and there will be reliability.”
The minister said that once there is adequate backup, all government institutions, agencies and ministries must necessarily patronise NigComSat.
He said that a lot of the country’s money was being exported out to sustain other economy through data storage.
Shittu also disclosed: “Once we are sure that we have three satellites then we can beat our chest that nobody would take Nigeria money outside for the purpose of storing data.”
