The Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of the Nigerian Communications Satellite Limited (NIGCOMSAT), Jane Nkechi Egerton-Idehen, says the agency’s upcoming NIGCOMSAT-2A and NIGCOMSAT-2B satellites will strengthen Nigeria’s security operations by improving surveillance capabilities and addressing communication challenges faced by military personnel in remote locations.
Egerton-Idehen made this known during an interview on Sunrise Daily, where she explained that the new satellites would provide additional technological support for Nigeria’s defence and security agencies.
She said satellite technology could be used to monitor criminal activities, including kidnappings, through surveillance tools and imagery.
“Satellite comes in, and we can track criminals with it. Surveillance is part of the things you can do with satellites, yes. So, if there’s a kidnapping somewhere because these are the actual realities that we’re dealing with, with the development of 2A and 2B, without divulging too much, there are a lot of ways you can do surveillance,” she said on Monday’s edition of the programme.
She explained that the availability of digital maps, satellite imagery and tracking technologies could provide security agencies with valuable information during operations.
“If there’s a digital map there, that means if there’s access to technology, of course there are things you can track and survey. It depends on what’s on the person. Sometimes you can use imagery, like I’ve said. You can use imagery, especially if you have trackers. Without, you know, trying to be too detailed, yes, technology can be used for surveillance.”
Egerton-Idehen also pointed to communication difficulties as a major challenge for Nigeria’s armed forces, particularly personnel deployed to areas with limited connectivity.
She noted that troops operating in remote locations sometimes struggle to maintain contact with command and control centres. In some cases, existing communication channels may also be vulnerable to compromise.
“We have our armed forces or the people in the defence sector, and sometimes their biggest challenge is communication. You’re going to put them in Sambisa Forest to go and fight there, and there is no way to talk to command and control. That is very difficult.
“And sometimes there is a way, but it’s not secure because it gets compromised, and they get compromised. That’s what we’re saying,” the NIGCOMSAT boss said.
She said the high-capacity satellite technology would help improve communication for defence personnel and provide more reliable tools for large-scale operations.
“That’s what we want to enable our defence sector to do—and not just to enable them in a small way, but also at a large scale,” she said.
“So there’s a lot of focus to do this so that we can support them; they do need those tools.”
The NIGCOMSAT boss urged Nigerians to be patient with the delivery timeline of the NIGCOMSAT-2A and 2B projects, stressing that the satellites would provide long-term benefits for the country.
The Federal Executive Council had earlier approved the purchase and deployment of the two satellites as part of efforts to expand Nigeria’s satellite capacity.
According to NIGCOMSAT, the satellites are expected to improve internet access and connectivity across the country while helping communities participate more fully in the digital economy.
The projects are also expected to strengthen Nigeria’s broader digital infrastructure and provide additional technological support for the country’s security architecture.
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