The National Space Research and Development Agency (NASRDA) says the procurement process for new satellites approved by the President Bola Tinubu administration has reached 95 per cent completion.

Matthew Adepoju, director-general of NASRDA, said in an interview in Abuja on Friday that the administration had approved six satellites as part of efforts to strengthen Nigeria’s space programme and replace ageing space assets.

He explained that the programme comprised three optical Earth observation satellites, one Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) satellite and two communications satellites, identified as 2A and 2B.

“We have three optical satellites to be launched at sub-metre resolution. We have Synthetic Aperture Radar to be launched at one-metre and sub-metre resolution, then communication satellites, which come as 2A and 2B.

“This administration, with the Federal Executive Council approval of six satellites, has made a statement of intention that Nigeria is serious about space development, and more missions will soon be declared as well,” he said.

Mr Adepoju said the satellites were not nanosatellites, adding that funding had been approved for the programme.

Nanosatellites are small satellites that usually weigh one to 10 kilogrammes.

They are often used for various space exploration and can be part of larger systems, including constellations to enhance performance and capability.

According to Mr Adepoju, the procurement process has reached 95 per cent, with contractual engagements with foreign technical partners expected to follow.

“Currently, there is a procurement procedure which we are at 95 per cent level now.

“Very soon, at the African Space Economic Conference coming up in November, we will be signing an MoU and contractual agreement with our foreign technical partners,” he said.

The director-general said another major component of the programme was the establishment of a new Assembly, Integration and Testing Laboratory (AITL) to strengthen Nigeria’s capacity for indigenous satellite development.

He said the facility would provide end-to-end capabilities for satellite assembly, integration and testing and would be used in manufacturing a new generation of satellites.

“One of the beautiful things that we are going to do is to build our new Assembly, Integration and Testing Laboratory, which is end-to-end.

“That is where we will be manufacturing a new set of satellites, and that is why I said we are going to declare new missions very soon,” he said.

Mr Adepoju said the AITL was expected to be completed within 18 months of signing the contract.

“We have the timeline from the day of signing the contract to commissioning, and that is 18 months,” he said.

He described the approval of the satellites and associated infrastructure as a significant development in Nigeria’s space programme and an indication of the administration’s commitment to building critical national infrastructure.

Mr Adepoju said Nigeria was also strengthening space regulation and spectrum management to ensure better oversight of activities within the country’s space ecosystem.

He urged Nigerian youths to take advantage of opportunities emerging from the space sector, saying innovation did not always require huge financial resources.

The NASRDA boss said investments in space technology and other critical infrastructure were necessary to support Nigeria’s long-term economic aspirations, including the drive towards a one-trillion-dollar economy.

The project, estimated to cost $2 billion, would be delivered through various partners.

NigComSat-2A and NigComSat-2B would be delivered through Israel Aerospace Industries (IAI) and Thales Alenia Space of France.

The partnership also involves China Great Wall Industry Corporation.

(NAN)